Storm Window trap heat inside during summer?

15 years ago

I heard this today, but I don't know if it's true, and can't find any information to verify or debunk it.

Today I was told by someone in the window business that storm windows only help in the winter. That the light passes through the storm, bounces off the single-pane or your house, changes wavelengths, but it can't pass back out through the storm window because it changed wavelengths, so the heat just stays in your house. The person said this is the same reason that your car gets hot in the summer.

Basically, storm windows trap heat in your house, which is why they work in the winter, but not in the summer. Now I know people take down their storm windows in the summer? Is this why? Most website I looked at said while not as good at insulating in the summer, storm windows still provide some benefits. And what I was told said they would actually make things worse.

The person also said that double-panes do not have this problem.

Is any of this true?

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Comments (3)

lilleth
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I thought they also protected against high winds during hurricanes.

If it's true, I've been fooled.
User
15 years ago
We take our storms off in the summer because we want to open our windows and feel breezes coming thru the house.

This sounds like a bunch of malarky to me...but I'm no expert.
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oberon476
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dual pane windows are also known as IG or Insulated Glass windows. Insulated really isn't the correct term to use for multipane windows however, although it is commonly used by pretty much everybody. Correctly, IG really means INSULATING glass since the glass isn't insulated in any way, but it does insulate.

See where I am going with this?

R-value describes a material's resistance to thermal transmittance. Insulation is generally rated by its R-value. A single lite of 1/8" glass has an R-value approaching 1. Add a second lite and the R-value jumps up to almost 2 (I have always done well in higher mathematics), so by adding a second lite, we have doubled the insulating value of our window.

If we have a basic, simple, no-frills dual pane IG unit we have a center-of-glass R-value approaching 2. However, if we happen to have a single pane window and a single pane storm window installed then we find that we have an R-value approaching 2.

So, two lites of glass is two lites of glass. The difference between the IG unit and the single lite with storm is negligible - when dealing with the R-value insulating capabilty of the clear glass lites.

However (there's that word again), R-value only deals with conductive thermal transfer and doesn't take into account either radiant or convective thermal transfer. And on first glance it appears that your question specifically concerns radiant energy gain.

"...the light passes through the storm, bounces off the single-pane or your house, changes wavelengths, but it can't pass back out through the storm window because it changed wavelengths, so the heat just stays in your house."

Simply put - no.

Consider the three "light" source we deal with. First is UV, then visible light, then IR light. UV stands for Ultraviolet and ultraviolet really doesn't account for any appreciable heat gain in your home (or anywhere else for that matter). UV does account for that burning sensation that you get when you are in the sun for two long (that would be UVB, btw), and UV does account for that gradual fading that you see in your home's furnishings, carpetsa, drapes, etc - and that would be UVA. And as an aside, since I mentioned UVB results in sunburn, UVA results in tan - and it is also the primary contrubutor to skin cancer. Go figure.

Ordinary glass is opaque to UVB - in other words, UVB is blocked by ordinary glass. UVA, on the other hand, passes right thru glass. About 95% of the UV that we see down here is UVA and the other 5% is UVB. We don't get natural UVC (remember the ozone layer?), which is a good thing since it would potentially/eventually kill us.

Next in the spectrum is visible light. Visible light is a good thing for many obvious reasons. As intended, visible light does pass rather well thru clear glass, about 90% of the visible lite that impacts a clear glass window goes right on thru. The remainder is either absorbed or reflected by the glass. Again, 90% transmittance is a very good thing for many obvious reasons.

However, visible light entering our homes does result in an appreciable heat gain within the home. Visible light is a source of radiant heat gain and visible lite in the shorter wavelengths is responsible (along with UVA) for that annoying fading thing.

Next on the list is IR or Infrared light. Infrared is the primary source of radiant heat and it is the primary source of heat on our world. No infrared, no us.

We break down infrared into different wavelength or frequency bands. Near or short wave infrared is direct solar gain. Far or longwave infrared is not (re: what you were told).

Infrared light passes quite readily thru clear glass. About 80% of near infrared passes thru "ordinary" clear window glass and up to about 85% of far infrared passes thru.

I will have to finish this later. It is already pretty long and I have run out of time this evening. Hopefully, someone might find it interesting or even a bit informative.

Storm Window trap heat inside during summer?

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lilleth

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