#physics #weather **Physics of thermal windows #2** Since Europe is freezing, and the 20 below stuff is keeping away the 60 below stuff, we go on.
The overwhelming benefit of installing new windows is the sealing of air influx. This is noticed immediately with better humidity control. All else is gravy on the cake.
My 30 year old windows are fogging. Turns out that because of all the heat stress, the best glass sandwiches exchange air at 1% per year. All that 'argon fill' is useless. The new glass has 'selective reflection' which is good. But there is no difference between an air-vented sandwich, and a fancy sealed one.
The 'dirty trick' of the glass element is that it is packed with desiccant, the same as what your camera was packed with. That absorbs the water that sneaks in. After 30 years, this becomes a soggy mess and the windows fog, and all those minerals coat the inside glass. Blah!
-- tbc