What is Convection?

Convection can be defined as a way energy transfers through glass . Especially in northern central climates, warmer air reacts with the cool inside pane of your windows. The air is cooled and becomes denser. This cool, dense air then drops to the floor and is immediately replaced by more warm air. You may think of this as a cold draft coming from your windows but it isn’t.

What can you Do About This?

When this occurs many people think they should turn up the heat. If you do this you can see drastic changes in your energy use, even a 1-degree increase in temperature can increase your energy use by up to 2 percent. The best alternative to turning up the heat is buying new windows to cut down on this convection process.

What Features Do I Look For?

When looking for a new window to save energy and cut down on convection there are a few things you want to look for:

1.) Glass containing multiple glazing

2.) Glass containging gas fillers

3.) Warm edge spacers

4.) Thermally resistant frame

*These features can help to raise interior glass temperature, slow convection and basically improves the overall comfort and feel of your home. Those new windows can help decrease the presence of convection, but it can still occur. These features will help to minimize the effects of convection in your home.