Michael Joasil, founder and CEO of Window Medics, comments about foggy window repairs for Edmonton and area residents and why windows fog up in the first place.
Condensation build up between the glass plates of a double pane window is a common occurrence for home and property owners. An article written by Brett Martin on Popularmechanics.com in March of 2014 states that when condensation inside the double pane occurs your window is trying to tell you: The seals on the double- or triple-pane windows are deteriorating or have already failed, letting outside air in. Moisture gets trapped between the panes and condenses into droplets or turns foggy.
Micheal Joasil explains, “Depending on the type of window you may have, we have found that, on average, roughly 75% of failed windows do not necessarily have a seal failure but instead are simply fully saturated with moisture from years of experiencing a condition known as Solar Pumping.
Solar pumping naturally occurs in double pane windows during the temperature changes from day to night. Sunlight during the day heats the inner airspace of the thermal window cavity and causes the window to pressurize, which in turn forces out small amounts of air within this window cavity through the semi-permeable seal. In the evening, as the temperature drops, the window cools and creates a low pressure area causing small amounts of air to be drawn back into the inner window cavity.
The air being drawn back into the window naturally holds moisture and this moisture is absorbed by the window’s desiccant material. Desiccant is a material that is often used to absorb moisture and prevent damage that excessive water can cause. The solar pumping activity when it occurs over a period of time, will saturate the silica desiccant material in the thermal window cavity until eventually fog, condensation or moisture appears on the inside surface of the window.
This moisture is trapped within the window and an endless cycle of heating, fogging, cooling, and condensing occurs. Eventually every thermal pane window will lose the ability to absorb condensation and fog. Foggy windows, or windows with condensation and moisture, occur due to the inability of the silica desiccant materials in the thermal window cavity to further absorb moisture once the silica becomes saturated.
Windows are manufactured with a specific moisture absorption life span that may range from five to twenty years. The extent of the solar pumping activity will determine the life of the window unit. Windows that face south and experience the heat of the day from the southern exposure tend to fail quicker than windows that face north.”
“Every year, thousands of double glazed foggy windows are replaced by brand new units at a considerable cost and the old ones are thrown into the landfill. Many of the foggy window units can be restored to “like-new” conditions if caught in time. The issue is that home and building owners are often only offered full window replacement as a remedy for cloudy windows when in fact, a patented solution and process does exist. The solution can save a home owner up to 70% of the cost to replace the glass unit,” explains Joasil.
Window Medics Edmonton is gearing up for a busy spring following an unusually harsh Edmonton winter. Home and property owners who have foggy window units with condensation build up on the inside are invited to check out more information about viable cost effective solutions by visiting: http://www.WindowRepairsEdmonton.com.