Is there a difference between three-chamber and two-chamber windows

With the onset of winter cold weather, keeping warm and cozy in the house becomes more relevant than ever. Many of our compatriots solve this problem by installing plastic windows.





It is profitable for manufacturers and installers to sell windows more expensive, and we are willing to meet them, considering a high price as a guarantee of excellent quality and high heat and sound insulation characteristics.





But does it always make sense to overpay? "Site" He will try to understand this issue by comparing one-, two- and three-chamber windows.

Speaking of windows, people often confuse PVC windows in general and double-glazed windows, do not understand the difference between profile cameras and double-glazed windows, mix the concepts of "double-glazed" and "double glazing".





Modern plastic window is a complex design consisting of many elements: PVC profile (frame, flaps), double-glazed glass, fittings, seal contours (rubbers).

Usually, the profile for plastic windows is made of PVC, reinforced with metal. Inside the profile there are 3 to 8 air chambers separated by plastic partitions and providing protection from noise and cold.

A double-glazed glass is a construction of glasses separated by remote frames and airtight chambers formed by them - spaces filled with a special air or gas composition.





Glass covers up to 80% of the window area, so its choice should be treated very carefully. There is an opinion: the more cameras in the double-glazed unit, the better. This is usually true, but with great reservations.

1. Single-chamber windows
   Seeing the name "single-chambered", some mistakenly assume that such a double-glazed unit does not differ at all from a conventional window frame with one glass.
   
   
   
   Actually. single-chamber It consists of two glasses and a gas-filled gap between them. As a rule, they can be described by the formula 4–16–4, which corresponds to two glasses with a thickness of 4 mm and a gap of 16 mm.
   
   Such double-glazed units have low thermal insulating properties, less by 15-20% compared to the two-chamber price and are recommended for installation in rooms where the problem of heat saving is not very acute.
   
   
   
   
   
   Condensate on single-chamber glass will be formed at a temperature of about -8 degrees Celsius. But there are advantages: a small weight, a large (up to 80%) share of daylight, a lower price.
   
   
2. Double-chamber windows
   The most popular in our latitudes are double-glazed units with the formula 4–14–4–12–4 (three glasses with a thickness of 4 millimeters, and the gaps between them are 14 and 12 millimeters).
   
   
   
   Compared to single, double-chamber double-glazed double-glazed units are one and a half times more massive and 15-20% more expensive, but pass 22-28% less heat.
   
   
3. Three-chamber windows
   A further increase in the number of cameras slightly improves the thermal and sound insulation properties of windows, but significantly increases the cost and weight.
   
   
   
   If the price of two-chamber and single-chamber double-glazed units is not too striking, then three-chamber glass is significantly more expensive (compared to two-chamber by 35-50%). This is due not so much to the increased consumption of materials, as to the complication of technology and small-scale production.
   
   The advertising says that three-chamber double-glazed units are warmer than two-chambered by 50%. But the sellers are silent that the difference of 50% can be seen only at temperatures below -42 degrees.
   
   
   
   
   
   At a temperature of -35, this difference is 25%, at 30 degrees of frost - 12%, and at a temperature of -25 and above, this difference is not more than 4%.
   
   Should a middle lane resident pay an additional 50% for a four percent gain in thermal insulation? It's up to you, but it's hard to call it rational.
   
   In addition, the increased weight of the structure negatively affects the work of fittings, the service life of which, respectively, is reduced.
   
   To avoid this, you have to break down. triple-glazed on fragments of smaller sizes (forks), which leads to a further increase in the cost of the entire window design.
   
   Thus, the benefits of less thermal conductivity are offset by the increase in price and a decrease in the service life of windows, making three-chamber double-glazed windows feasible only in the harsh conditions of Siberia and the Far North.
   
   
4. Glasses with energy-saving glass
   A reasonable alternative to increasing the number of cameras can be the use of energy-saving glass with silver spray in double-glazed windows. Such glasses work like a mirror, only reflect not visible light, but infrared radiation.
   
   
   
   If we compare double-chambered glass with conventional glass and single-chambered glass, having energy-saving glass, the second option has higher thermal insulation and light transmission at lower weight.
   
   The only problem is that after 5-7 years, silver spraying loses its properties and energy-saving double-glazing becomes common.
   
   

Plastic windows are very convenient and practical, but they also require care and adjustment. We talk about how to change the seasonal mode in plastic windows.

In order to create an optimal microclimate in the apartment without unnecessary costs, it will be rational to choose double-glazed windows with different characteristics for all rooms.

So, for a balcony or loggia, a single-chamber one is quite suitable, for a kitchen and living room - two-chambered, and for a bedroom where warmth and silence are most important, you can take an expensive three-chamber one if you want.