How does double glazing reduce condensation?
The air around us is full of tiny molecular droplets of water that are invisible to the eye. In warm air, the molecules are spaced far apart which holds the moisture but as the air cools the molecules come together. When the molecules are so close together they merge into visible liquid this is known as the 'dew point'.
Condensation manifests when moisture-laden air comes in contact with a cold surface – such as a windowpane. When you boil a kettle, cook food or have a hot shower, the air becomes filled with more moisture than usual and this is why kitchen windows and bathroom mirrors are most steamy.
We also expire moisture on our breath and this is why you find condensation on a bedroom window when we wake up.
Inside the double glazed sealed unit, the contained air also holds a low level of moisture that could form on the glass if the temperature difference should change.
To address this, every sealed unit is built with crystalline desiccant (like what you find in a new bag or shoes) contained in the spacer bar. The desiccant draws the moisture out of the air gap and keeps the internal space between the panes dry.
Internal condensation happens when the seals on the sealed unit begin to fail and more moisture is drawn into the unit. The desiccant becomes saturated and can no longer hold moisture and as a result, condensation forms inside the unit.
The reason we see so much condensation on single glazed glass is that the glass is susceptible to cold and stimulates the dew point from the water vapour in the air.
Double glazing helps to reduce condensation on the inside of your windows (inside the room) because the glass is not as cold as single glazed. The air gap inside the double glazing sandwich helps to keep the internal pane of glass closer to room temperature. This difference in temperature is enough to stop the water vapour reaching dew point and forming condensation on the glass.
We're so sure about the quality of our double glazing that we offer a lifetime guarantee against condensation and fog inside our sealed units.