Condensation in uPVC double-glazed windows

[Chris S]

There are various kits on ebay that allow you remove condensation from the inside of double-glazed units.
Has anybody got any experience of these? I am selling my flat and just want a quick fix.

 

[Ian H]

I read up on these a while ago and the consensus seemed to be that at best you would be left with water marks inside the glass. Once you've removed the panes how much more trouble and expense is it to replace them?

 

[Chris S]

There aren't actually panes as such, there's a sealed unit inside the uPVC frame. You drill a hole in a corner and drop some silica pellets down it to absorb the moisture.
I think the unit's are stuck in with sealant so it's not just a case of removing the beading, dropping them out and putting news one in.

 

[Globalti]

Condensation in DG units is as inevitable as taxes and death because DG units have to be pourous to atmospheric pressure, otherwise they would be constantly bulging inwards and outwards. Every time we get high-pressure weather a few molecules of damp get pushed in, which is why the manufacturer has put little beads of silica in the gap. The moisture collects inside and eventually the silica becomes saturated.... then it's only a matter of time before the excess begins to condense in cold weather.

Your local glazier will be happy to make and fit new units - just don't fall for a "national" chain.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Just get a local glass bod to replace the glass, the frames will be fine - we did this for a few frames and it didn't cost a lot.

 

[accountantpete]

Heat it up with a hairdryer just before the buyers come around

 

[DWiggy]

Condensation on the inside of a sealed unit means that sealed unit has broken down and would need replacing.

...I'm in the trade, a sealed unit should be no more than around £30-40 m2 +vat for float and £50-60 m2 for toughened + and an hours labour (Just so you don't get ripped off!)

 

[neil_merseyside]

Or remove (un)sealed unit and peel the seal off keeping the spacers, and just clean the inside of each pane then rejoin with gaffer tape - the seal is knackered anyway so gaffer tape is fine. If the unit has been blown a while you may need to use a hob scraper to remove scale.

 

[howdenbiker]

There are one or two companies that claim to repair the units but they wanted almost as much as replacing the panes. Replacement units are not as much as you think.

 

[JtB]

We were quoted a price to fix and a price to repair. We paid for the fix which didn't work so we were then charged the difference and the units were replaced. Very happy with the price, the work and the result.

 

[Rafferty]

I've ordered and fitted a few of these. Easy peasy!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm a window cleaner. Every now and then i get a customer with water between their double glazing who'll say that i haven't wiped the windows properly as there are beads of water on them. When i point out the water is on the inside of the glass some say "well can't you wipe it up" or something equally stupid.

 

[slowmotion]

Heat it up with a hairdryer just before the buyers come around

People get clever when selling their homes. A guy who used to work at my garage had a leaking monopitch roof over a rear extension. He hopped up into the roofspace and stapled a tarpaulin to the underside of the rafters. At the bottom edge of the tarpaulin he installed a gutter....which led to a discrete pipe feeding into the external gutter. He than went back down his ladder and plastered over the loft hatch.

I'm sure that the buyer's surveyor report said "no access to roofspace"

 

[brand]

I paid about £500 (cost which I paid) and £100 fitting, done in half aday. 13 units some small some large and some opaque.