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There is a company called LuxWall that is producing vacuum insulated windows that act basically like a thermos. There is a tiny space between the two panes that
by notmyspacetom 2y ago
There is a company called LuxWall that is producing vacuum insulated windows that act basically like a thermos. There is a tiny space between the two panes that is pulled down to a high vacuum that results in a window that only transfers heat via radiation. Conductive and convective heat transfer are essentially eliminated. This results in a window with a R value similar to a fully insulated wall. Because the full unit is so thin, they are able to replace single pane windows in old buildings and drastically cut buildings energy consumption.
- xnx 2y agoSounds cool, but also exceedingly difficult to maintain a [near] vacuum over the ~25 year life of a window.
- jajko 2y agoOne bigger hit and its gone and you will not even know it till it fogs. Even argon glass of same pressure as air can eventually leak out and be replaced by air, reducing its efficiency significantly.
- grendelt 2y agoAre these big national-brand window companies that provide "lifetime warranty" just cashing in today and hoping for the best (bankruptcy) exit strategy later when all their installs from this generation fail in a couple decades? Not installers, but companies like Pella, Window World, et al.
- SoftTalker 2y agoThey may define "lifetime" as "25 years" or limit the warranty to the original purchaser, knowing that most people don't live in one house that long, or count on the later owners not realizing that there is a warranty, or knowing when or from whom the windows were purchased.
- 0xffff2 2y agoYeah, there's a disturbing trend of products advertising a "lifetime warranty", only the fine print says that the "lifetime" in question is the "lifetime of the product", which is whatever the manufacturer says it is (usually no better than the competition).
- unclad5968 2y agoThese warranties typically only cover issues due to manufacturing. If your window fails decades later they'll just say it wasn't due for manufacturing.
- datadrivenangel 2y agoHappened to my parents. Installer went under because the windows weren't as reliable as they expected.
- thrawa8387336 2y agoOne time had a big pane hit by a golf ball. Just had the outer pane replaced at 10x cheaper.
- notmyspacetom 2y agoThey typically use a getter to maintain the vacuum over the lifetime of the window, similar to other sealed vacuum systems like CRT's or vacuum tubes.
- dredmorbius 2y agoFor those unfamiliar with getters: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getter>
- greggsy 2y agoThat’s neat but very difficult to maintain, let alone transport. Large panes will also bow under that kind of pressure.
- DeRock 2y ago> Large panes will also bow under that kind of pressure. They typically have support pillars arrayed throughout the panel to prevent any bowing or flexing.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- chaz6 2y agoThat sounds like double/triple glazing which is has been around for years in Europe. The most common type uses Argon as an insulator, but there are also vacuum versions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing
- danielbln 2y agoHuh, I thought that's a common thing, in Germany almost everyone has these windows.