Month: March 2021

In this blog, you will learn:

• How Do Gases Make Windows More Energy Efficient?
• Argon-filled Gas Windows
• Krypton-filled Gas Windows
• Comparing Krypton and Argon Gas Windows
• Which is the Best Choice – Argon or Krypton?

Installing energy-efficient replacement windows improves comfort and reduces heating and cooling costs. To figure out which versions of high-efficiency replacement windows are right for your home, start by comparing Argon and Krypton. These are the two gases most often used for maximizing the effectiveness of energy-efficient windows. But, how do today’s advanced window designs use these gasses to help prevent thermal energy inside a home from being lost through windows and keep unwanted heat and cold from coming in? And, which offers the best value as a window insulator — Argon or Krypton gas?

How Do Gases Make Windows More Energy Efficient?

The majority of modern energy-efficient windows are built with multiple glass panes, and either Argon or Krypton gas is used to fill the space between the panes. The gases serve to help keep energy from easily passing through the panes. This reduction in the free transfer of energy through windows, means lower heating and cooling bills. That’s because the HVAC system does not have to run as much to keep the inside of the home at a comfortable temperature.

Krypton and Argon gases are pumped into the areas between the panes in energy-efficient windows because they are heavier than air. These gases move more slowly than air does. So, when enclosed between the glass panes, the gases slow down energy that is passing through the window, to help prevent it from leaving from the inside of your house, or entering it from the outside.

A study by the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences concluded that by further combining technologies such as low-E applications and multiple glazing with gas-filling, today’s most energy-efficient window models can deliver spectacular R-values of up to R-9.

What’s the Difference Between Argon and Krypton Gas?

Both Argon and Krypton are colorless and odorless inert gases commonly used between glass panes as an insulator, to increase energy efficiency in the best of high-performance windows. Neither of these two non-toxic gases poses any risks to humans or animals in the event of gas leaking.

Argon — The majority of energy-efficient windows are filled with Argon gas, while a small percentage have Krypton gas. Generally, Argon gas is used in double-pane windows that have a 1/2 inch or wider space between the glass panes, because Argon performs very well in this space width.

Krypton — Krypton gas is usually used in triple-pane windows with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch space between glass panes. This is because filling with Krypton is more cost-efficient when used in smaller spaces, and also because Krypton performs best as an insulator when used in such configurations.

Although most thermal windows are filled with either Argon or Krypton gas, frequently manufacturers blend the two gases together. They may also add other gas types, such as nitrogen, xenon, or oxygen with them, in order to more ideally balance their windows’ costs with their insulation quality.

Argon gas is six times denser than air, whereas Krypton is twelve times more dense than air. Therefore, Krypton is about twice as effective as Argon in slowing down or stopping thermal energy from passing through a window. So, why is Argon chosen for the majority of energy-efficient windows?

Comparing Krypton and Argon Gas Windows

Estimates of cost differentials between windows containing Krypton and Argon gas vary between reports. One report estimates that Krypton-filled window costs are 40 percent higher than Argon windows. An extensive research report by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimates the cost of Krypton filled triple-pane windows at 200-300 percent higher than double-pane Argon-filled alternatives.

The PNNL study (June 2019) found that some double-pane window designs can deliver a thermal value of U=0.22, though achieving this low U value requires adding low‐E to the glass, which increases the cost. But, the research report also discussed input from survey respondents who reason that justifying the high cost of triple-pane Krypton-filled windows would require a much bigger performance improvement than the U=0.20 thermal level they can be anticipated to achieve.

The reason why Krypton windows are so expensive to manufacture is because Krypton gas is much more scarce and difficult to produce than Argon. Argon gas makes up only about one percent of the earth’s atmosphere, whereas Krypton is found in merely trace amounts. This forces up the cost of Krypton gas and causes Argon to be, by comparison, far more available and much more cost-efficient for use in filling windows to increase their thermal effectiveness.

Which is the Best Choice – Argon or Krypton?

So, the primary differences between Krypton and Argon gas windows are their levels of energy efficiency and their cost. Making a choice between the two is typically a question of comparing the lifetime cost of each of the two types of windows. That calculation involves the purchase price of the windows and the energy cost savings of the windows over their expected lifespan, and perhaps other factors unique to your home and lifestyle, along with other considerations. Ask your windows installer to assist you in performing thorough product evaluations.

Ultimately, by all objective accounts, Argon normally presents a better overall value for homeowners, especially for double-pane window installations. However, if you’re unsure whether Krypton-filled or Argon-filled windows offer the right solution for your needs, consider the quality of your HVAC system and the number and locations of the windows in your home.

If you have an exceptional home temperature control system and an average or a lesser amount of wall and ceiling space covered by windows, then triple-pane Krypton windows may be worth the additional expense. But, if your home has many large windows and your HVAC system has to work hard to heat and/or cool your home, then double-pane Argon windows may be the best investment for you.

For more information about replacement windows, or to schedule a free in-home estimate, contact Advanced Window Products, Salt Lake City UT at (801) 505-9622, or browse our windows online.

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Making your home more energy-efficient gives you the major advantages of optimal comfort and control over conditions throughout your home’s internal environment, and significant energy cost savings. You can significantly reduce your energy bills, and research has shown that energy-efficient homes have a greater average resale value. Your home’s increased energy efficiency further benefits the larger environment. 

Below are listed some of the best ways to lower utility bills in your home.

• Living Room
• Kitchen
• Bedrooms
• Bathrooms
• Laundry Room

It’s not a difficult or lengthy undertaking to make a home more energy-efficient. Actually, converting a house to a more energy-efficient home is a simple enough process, and you can do it one room at a time. Use these easy home energy savings tips to quickly start enjoying improved comfort and lowering utility bills.

Living Room

Electronics

Purchase televisions and other entertainment electronics bearing the EPA’s Energy Star® symbol. TVs rated as worthy of the Energy Star label use up to 25% less electricity than alternatives that are not approved to display the label.

Lights

Lights are major energy consumers in most households. Consider replacing regular incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use around 75% less electricity. Add dimmer switches. Consider motion detectors for exterior lighting.

Fireplace

Keep the flue closed when your fireplace is not in use. An open flue is a source of very great heat loss. Heated air floods up and out the chimney, forcing your HVAC system to keep running, in order to compensate for all the heat loss.

Kitchen

It’s probably not a surprise to hear that kitchen energy use is the highest of any room in most homes. From refrigerating foods to cooking, to washing dishes in the dishwasher, typical kitchen activities involve high-energy use. Try these tips for reducing energy waste in the kitchen:

Refrigerator

The refrigerator uses more electricity than all other kitchen appliances combined. Avoid extreme losses of energy by simply opening the refrigerator door only when you really need to remove or put items in. Also, let hot foods cool before placing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Clean condenser coils periodically, as needed.

Stove and Oven

Use Energy Star appliances, and only turn on the stove burners or the oven when really needed. If the food you plan to heat can be just as well prepared using the microwave, then choose that alternative, vs. heating up the entire oven, or using the slower process of cooking on the stovetop.

Dishwasher

 Turn on the dishwasher only whenever it is entirely full of dishes. Of course, to ensure that dishes will be well cleaned, load dishes appropriately, leaving enough space between items so that soap and rinse water can reach them.

Small Appliances

Many electronically driven devices constantly consume energy while they are not in use. So, unplug the coffee maker and other countertop appliances when not in use. Consider using a high-quality power strip for your collection of countertop kitchen appliances, so you can shut down power to all of these by pushing just one button.

Bedrooms

Windows

In your bedroom and throughout your home, check window seals and caulking, to prevent energy loss. Cover old single-pane windows with storm windows or clear plastic, for greater heating and cooling efficiency. Or, consider high-efficiency replacement window installations. To improve heating and cooling retention, consider using drapes with insulative properties. Add an extra blanket, vs. turning up the thermostat.

Vent Ducts

Wrap ductwork that passes through uninsulated areas, to improve comfort and reduce heat loss. Ensure that vent opening are not obstructed by furniture or shoes, or blankets, or clothing dropped on them, which reduces comfort and forces your HVAC system to work harder.

Ceiling Fans

Use a ceiling fan to circulate heating and cooling. If your fans have switches enabling you to change the rotation, use the switch to accommodate seasonal needs for drawing cool air upward or driving hot air downward. When employed efficiently, ceiling fans can reduce the burdens on higher energy-consuming heating and cooling systems.

Bathrooms

Showers

Showers are a common point of extreme energy waste, due to using excessive amounts of water. To reduce your electricity bill and water consumption, install low-flow showerheads. Also, if you have an old water heater that is due for replacement, consider switching to a tankless model. You can insulate your existing hot water holding tank, to help maintain hot water for long periods without triggering the automatic reheating mechanism.

Toilets

Replacing old toilets with low-flow or dual-flush toilets saves large volumes of water over a year period. Older toilets may use up to 7 gallons of water per flush. Install a toilet that bears the EPA’s WaterSense label, to ensure maximum efficiency of water use by your toilet. (The old brick in the toilet tank approach does work but is less efficient in reducing a toilet’s water usage than installing a low-flow toilet, and using the brick can lead to issues with the functionality of a toilet.)

Sinks

Consider installing a low-flow faucet, or add an inexpensive faucet water aerator to your existing faucet for just a few dollars, to reduce water consumption at your bathroom sink. Combined with the other savings of water and electricity you can realize from other changes to reduce water and electricity usage in your bathroom, you can save enough to pay for the modifications.

Laundry Room

Washer

Washing machines are one of a household’s hardest-working major appliances. So, naturally, they are comparatively big energy users. To minimize energy loss, only use the machine when you have accumulated a full load to be washed.

Dryer

Avoid overloading the dryer. Clothes dry faster when they are not too tightly packed into the dryer. Also, avoid leaving laundry in the dryer with the machine running longer than necessary. Be sure to clean the lint trap frequently, ideally after every load.

Advanced Window Products

We are Utah’s leading window company. We offer high-quality, energy-efficient windows, French doors, patio sliding glass doors, and dog doors for sliding glass doors at affordable prices for Utah homeowners.

We manufacture and sell our premium-quality, high-efficiency windows to our customers factory-direct, making it possible to offer the best possible prices, with no retail markup. All our installers are professionals, with NFRC, AAMA, Energy Star, and lead-safe certifications. All our windows come with our double lifetime warranty and our satisfaction guarantee. We are a green business.

Come visit our downtown showroom, or call us at Advanced Window Products in Salt Lake City UT, anytime, for a free in-home estimate.

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A thorough DIY home energy audit locates all the points of heat and cooling loss around inadequately sealed openings and areas of insufficient heat retention across large surface areas like walls, windows, and doors. Those losses, of course, can negatively impact your comfort and energy costs during cold and hot temperatures. A professional energy audit involves specialized equipment and data calculations. But, you can perform your own home energy audit using the DIY home energy audit checklist below. It takes some time to conduct a thorough evaluation, but it can be well worth the effort to increase your comfort levels and reduce your energy bills from 5% to 30% per year.

DIY Home Energy Audit  Checklist

• Identifying Energy Efficiency Problems in Your Home
• Building Pressurization Test
• Health and Safety in Home Energy-Efficiency Sealing
• Completing Your DIY Home Energy Audit

Identifying Energy Efficiency Problems in Your Home

Discovering and completing some needed adjustments can cut household energy consumption significantly. An energy audit is the right place to start. Inspect each interior space, including the attic and basement. List all locations you find with air leaks or insufficient insulation. Then, determine the best no-cost or low-cost solutions to correct the heating and cooling losses at each point.

Doors and Windows

Windows and doors are the most common sources of large and easily correctable energy losses. So, unless there’s a more obvious issue in your home, it makes sense to begin your home energy audit by inspecting all doors and windows throughout the house.

Examine Each Window and Door

Try rattling each one. Movement indicates likely air leaks. Or, if you can actually see daylight coming in around the edges of a door or window frame, you are losing serious amounts of energy through those openings. Use weather stripping or caulk to seal all crevices.

Inspect the storm windows and doors

Note any that are broken, or that have any loose or missing hardware, or that do not fit properly. Consider replacing old windows or doors that are not providing reasonable insulation performance with upgraded, high-performance energy-efficient replacement windows. Or, if such replacements are not in the budget, you can install low-cost sheets of plexiglass.

Inspect Window Sealing Materials

Check weather stripping and caulking around all windows and door frames. Treat all openings that do not have sealing, and replace existing rubber, magnetic, or window seals that are no longer performing well. Remove deteriorated weather strips, and scrape off old dried and shrunken caulking elsewhere around windows and doors, and replace weather strips and/or caulking with fresh material, as needed.

Evaluate Window Locations

Assess windows and doors that receive many hours of direct sunlight over the year, and consider adding an awning, blinds, solar screens, or tinting, to reduce the effects of direct sunlight to comfort, contents of your home, and to energy bills. You may find planting trees a good option for a shade over some windows and doors. Avoid planting trees of species that can eventually hang over the house and create hazards and insurance issues.

Attic

For heating and cooling to work efficiently, a home’s attic must be providing efficient protection. Examine the attic ceiling, to make sure that heat is not leaving the house through the roof.

Evaluate Insulation Quality

Make sure insulation inside the attic is sufficient to prevent snowmelt on the rooftop caused by the heat emanating upward from inside your home.

Inspect Weather Strips and Sealants

Examine all openings around ductworks, plumbing pipes, electrical boxes, chimneys, and other utility items that are tightly sealed. Replace worn weather strips, and seal all gaps with expanding foam sealant, caulk designed for the specific purpose, or another appropriate sealant.

Examine Attic Vents

Check to ensure that attic vents are unobstructed by insulation and that air can flow freely through vents.

Check the Vapor Barrier

 Confirm that there is a vapor barrier under your attic’s insulation. The barrier can be made of tar paper, plastic, Kraft paper with batting, or other material. If there is no barrier, consider painting your home’s interior ceilings with paint featuring vapor barrier properties. This helps prevent water vapor from passing through your ceiling and compromising the efficiency of your insulation and potentially causing structural damage.

Examine the Attic Hatch

Make sure the attic side of the attic hatch is insulated as heavily as the rest of the attic floor, if applicable.

Walls

The walls of your home can allow serious heating and cooling losses if the insulation value is below the recommended minimum for your area’s climate conditions. (If you have an older home, insulation levels recommended may be higher than at the time your home was built.)

Examine Exterior Walls

Check for cold areas on expanses of closed walls against your home’s exterior. If necessary, replace insulation to material with a sufficient R-value to keep your home comfortable and control energy bills.

Access the Insulation

Choose a wall. Ensure that no electricity is coming to outlets or any wiring in the wall. Behind a couch, or at some other obscure spot, drill a large enough hole to view the insulation and to look through to see the depth of the insulation material in the wall cavity. Ideally, the entire wall cavity should be filled completely with insulation material.

Obtain a Deeper Wall Inspection

If your inspection of some walls indicates that the entire wall might not be insulated, or that insulation has settled in some areas, consider having a thermographic inspection.

Basement

Check the walls, floor, and ceiling of your basement for cold areas. Insulate all these surfaces, as needed, to maintain comfortable temperatures in the space and minimize heating and cooling loss.

Check Floor Insulation

If your basement is not temperature controlled, determine if there is sufficient insulation under the floor of the home’s living space above. An R-value of R-25 is normally recommended as the minimum insulation between the basement and a home’s living space above, in most areas of the lower 48 mainland United States.

Check Foundation Walls

If your basement is temperature-controlled, then the foundation walls should have insulation with a minimum R-value of R-19.

Check the Foundation Wall Top

Insulation along the top of the home’s foundation wall and the perimeter of the first floor should be of an R-value of R-19 or higher, in most areas of the country.

Inspect Utility Conduits

Inspect along the full lengths of furnace ducts and hot water pipes. Any sections of these utility conduits that are passing through uninsulated spaces should be wrapped in insulation.

Heating/Cooling Equipment

If your heating and air conditioning system is over 15 years old, it may be time to replace it with a new, more energy-efficient unit, especially if your old system is not in good condition. Updating your system can significantly reduce energy bills.

Check Ductwork

Check along ductwork for sections that have become disconnected from each other, and reconnect those. Also, look along the exterior of the ductwork for streaks of dirt near seams where sections of ductwork are connected to each other. Dirt streaks are evidence of air leaks from those seams. Seal the seams with duct mastic sealant, to close those seams and stop the air leaks. Additionally, insulate runs of ductwork that pass through unheated areas of your basement with R-6 insulation, at minimum.

Change Filters

Replace dirty HVAC filters, straighten out bent coil fins, clean condensate lines, and condenser coils.

Have a Professional Checkup

Have an HVAC inspection to check refrigerant levels, evaluate airflow, locate leaks, and examine mechanical parts and the electrical system.

Assess Ventilation

Identify areas in your home with insufficient ventilation. Add exhaust fans, or an attic fan, or install vents where needed. Use double-sashed windows to increase airflow.

Lighting

Around 10% of the typical residential electric bill is for lighting, and this is an area of energy use where most homeowners are likely to find some ways to reduce consumption.

Lighting Fixtures

Replace old lighting fixtures with updated lamps, ceiling lamps, and wall sconces, with Energy Star® logo. This indicates they have received the EPA’s Energy Star rating for their high energy efficiency.

Light Bulbs

Replace old incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs. Where practical, replace higher wattage bulbs with lower wattage ones, like 75 watts or even 60 watts. This can reduce energy consumption for lighting by up to 78%. I can also cut heat emission by nearly 75%

Home Appliances

Replace kitchen appliances, water heaters, and other equipment with newer models that have the Energy Star logo, indicating that they have been validated for high energy efficiency. (Ask your electricity company about rebates on these purchases.)

Other Energy Audit Check Points

Check for air leaks around these items too. Confirm that there are no cracks, crevices, or gaps in sealing that allow leaks and that these utility items are in good condition:

• Light switch plates
• Electrical outlets
• Wall-mounted air conditioners
• Fireplace dampers
• Inlets for cables, pipes, vent ducts
• Baseboards
• Crawl spaces
• Pet doors
• Mail slots

Exterior Construction

Inspect the entire exterior surface of your home, especially all seams and junctions of different types of construction materials. Check:

• Exterior corners
• Siding
• Seals around chimneys
• Foundation along the bottom of mortar or siding
• Gaps around inlets for utility conduits

Building Pressurization Test

For more meticulous inspection to locate small drafts from air leaks, you can create your own DIY building pressurization test:

1. Turn off all appliances, furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, or other facilities in your home that operate on combustible fuel.
2. Close all windows, exterior doors, windows, fireplace flues, and exterior duct vents.
3. Then, turn on all the exhaust fans in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and elsewhere in your home, or face a large window fan to the outside, and use it to draw air out of rooms.
4. Light incense sticks and move them from place to place. Small drafts from air leaks are indicated in areas where the smoke stream waivers.

Health and Safety in Home Energy-Efficiency Sealing

When sealing your home for greater energy-efficiency, be aware of the risks from combustion appliances that burn natural gas, propane, fuel oil, or wood. Be sure each appliance is receiving an adequate supply of air for ventilation needs. Contact your local gas or propane company, ventilation contractor, or other energy professional for guidance.

Completing Your DIY Home Energy Audit

A DIY home energy audit, especially in a larger house, can take days to complete. But, it can save significant amounts on home heating and cooling, making it a great investment of your time and effort. By minimizing heating and cooling losses throughout your home, you can cut your home energy bills and reduce excess wear on your HVAC system.

Advanced Window Products, Salt Lake City, UT

The four seasons of our great state bring extremes of weather conditions ranging from plunging cold, to soaring heat, and a lot of beautiful weather in between. Utah homeowners need energy-efficient windows and doors, in order to maximize comfort and minimize heating and cooling costs in our northwestern U.S. climate. Advanced Window Products offers a full line of gorgeous Energy Star products for the most energy-efficient home improvement and aesthetic upgrades.

Stop in and browse our huge selection of beautiful energy-efficient windows and doors, or call Advanced Window Products, Salt Lake City Utah at (801) 505-9622 for information about our affordable high-efficiency windows.

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