Dual Pane Window Leaks

The most common type of window used in residential and commercial construction today is called an Insulated Glass Unit or IG Unit.  An IG Unit consists of two pieces of glass bonded together on a frame with bedding sealant.  The main benefit of an IG unit compared to a single pane window is that the space between the two pieces of glass serves to act as insulation.  An inert gas such as Argon is  used to fill the dead air space between the two panes of glass.

Why does a Dual Pane Window Leak?

A dual pane leak occurs when the seal between the glass panes on an IG unit breaks for some reason causing the Argon gas to escape and allowing moist air to replace it.  Broken seals can be caused by a crack in one of the glass panes or failure of the bedding compound.  This image shows moisture in between the glass.

What Does A Dual Pane Window Leak Look Like?

This image shows a dual pane leak where the moisture inside the glass has evaporated leaving an opaque film on the interior surface.

Are Dual Pane Window Leaks Common in Arizona?

Dual pane leaks in the desert southwest are very common because of the high ambient temperatures and hours of hours of bright sunshine.  There is no effective way of repairing a dual pane leak requiring the IG unit to be replaced.  New homeowners should pay particular attention to the factory warranty on their windows.  Once the warranty has expired, the homeowner could be responsible for a very large repair bill.

Duel pane leak inspection is included at no charge with every ClearPro window cleaning.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about dual pane windows and how they can leak, call ClearPro, the Scottsdale window cleaning experts at 480-459-5644.