How your insulated glass is built and signs that show you have moisture glass
What is mousture glass?
Over time natural elements such as the sun, heat, cold, rain, humidity and unnatural elements such as an applied tint film on the inside, oil or chemicals can cause water to break through the seal of an insulated unit (also called double pane glass) causing moisture glass. Moisture to collect between the glass goes through many cycles of water seeping in between the unit then steaming up from a heat source and accumulating on the inner pane of the glass unit and when I say heat source I mean any heat source not just from the sun, it then drys on to the glass and evaporates on to the glass eventuality accumulating a build up of mineral and or chemical deposits. Over time this can become bad enough that the deposits obscures the glass to where you can not even see through it clearly.
Can the water deposits be removed by cleaning between the glass then reinstalling in the window?
No! This is not a proper method at all ! This however is strictly a cosmetic problem so you will not loose any insulating factor unless the glass itself becomes broken. Since the deposits are between the glass it can not be separated, cleaned and then reseal properly. This is especially true for Low-E glass.You can separate the glass and try to remove the water deposits with a razor blade but you will never be able to reseal the unit properly since it requires chemicals such as Molecular Sieve or UV rays to remove moisture, also required is a quality sealant. All standard window glass has pigments or microscopic holes naked to the human eye and these mineral deposits collect into these pigments. A good example of this is to trying to clean the outside portion of glass that has been exposed to dirt and rain for a long period of time you may notice that it is harder to clean than from say a window that was less exposed to dirt and water. This is because dirt has accumulated in the pigments of the glass and if you have ever had to try to remove hard water deposits from glass it is even harder to remove.
Also once the sealed unit has broken the seal and you see the first signs of moisture it is too late. Once the units seal has been compromised the chemical moisture absorber or chemically called "molecular sieve" has done all it can do. Much like a sponge it will collect all the water to a point then it just can't hold any more and at this point the chemical is forever dead. To try to separate clean then reinstall is a waist of time and you will again start seeing the signs of moisture almost immediately or when the next rain storm comes.
If you fail to fix the problem though the unit will eventually get worse with time to the point that you will not even be able to see through it
Also once the sealed unit has broken the seal and you see the first signs of moisture it is too late. Once the units seal has been compromised the chemical moisture absorber or chemically called "molecular sieve" has done all it can do. Much like a sponge it will collect all the water to a point then it just can't hold any more and at this point the chemical is forever dead. To try to separate clean then reinstall is a waist of time and you will again start seeing the signs of moisture almost immediately or when the next rain storm comes.
If you fail to fix the problem though the unit will eventually get worse with time to the point that you will not even be able to see through it
Factors that can cause the unit breaking its seal
Unfortunately there is not one set factor that makes an insulated unit break it's seal. Below are just a few factors that can or will cause the unit to break it seal.
... The glass is installed into the frame of the window from the outside allowing water to reach and set at the bottom of the seal for days after a good rain. Water sprinklers contribute to this problem than rainy days.
... The seal was not incorporated on to the unit properly from the day it was fabricated at the factory.
... If what is called "Hot Melt" is used at the factory the hot melt could have been applied to cool or to hot making it not seal well to the glass.
... The factory had a bad mix of sealant from their supplier. This is more evident if a lot of units go bad soon after installation of the new windows.
...Chemicals such as oil, WD-40,or acidic solvents reach the seal.
...Small unseen cracks in the glass. It only takes a pin size hole to break an insulated glass seal.
...Bathroom windows tend to get a double whammy from the shower and the outside elements.
... The glass is installed into the frame of the window from the outside allowing water to reach and set at the bottom of the seal for days after a good rain. Water sprinklers contribute to this problem than rainy days.
... The seal was not incorporated on to the unit properly from the day it was fabricated at the factory.
... If what is called "Hot Melt" is used at the factory the hot melt could have been applied to cool or to hot making it not seal well to the glass.
... The factory had a bad mix of sealant from their supplier. This is more evident if a lot of units go bad soon after installation of the new windows.
...Chemicals such as oil, WD-40,or acidic solvents reach the seal.
...Small unseen cracks in the glass. It only takes a pin size hole to break an insulated glass seal.
...Bathroom windows tend to get a double whammy from the shower and the outside elements.
Have I lost the efficiency of my window once the seal has broken
No, this is strictly an unsightly cosmetic problem and you will not have any negative of heat or cold gain from a broken seal unless the glass itself is broken.
Thinking about applying a tinted film to the glass ?
If you are trying to stop the suns radiant light or heat gain please read this if you are thinking about putting a tinted film on the inside of your double pane window glass.
Window manufacturers will void the warranty on the glass if a noncompliant tint film is applied to the glass and they do this for a good reason, when a window manufacturer adds tint to double pane glass the glass itself is actually tinted and it is applied to the outside pane of glass so as to block the heat before it enters the unit. An applied plastic tinted film on the other hand would have to be applied to the inside of the house so that the film will not break down from rain or the outside weather after saying that you should understand that when the sun hits the tint on the film it again bounces the heat back from were it came in other words the outside trapping much of the heat between the glass and in doing so will cause the unit to go bad over time.
So if you are really wanting to apply a tint film make sure it is 100% compliant with double pane glass and make sure you get it in writing. Also make sure you do not have any moisture glass if you do change it before it is applied. In a last note make note of the film name and style file it away if your glass gets broken you will want to have another film applied to the glass that matches the rest of the tinted windows.
Window manufacturers will void the warranty on the glass if a noncompliant tint film is applied to the glass and they do this for a good reason, when a window manufacturer adds tint to double pane glass the glass itself is actually tinted and it is applied to the outside pane of glass so as to block the heat before it enters the unit. An applied plastic tinted film on the other hand would have to be applied to the inside of the house so that the film will not break down from rain or the outside weather after saying that you should understand that when the sun hits the tint on the film it again bounces the heat back from were it came in other words the outside trapping much of the heat between the glass and in doing so will cause the unit to go bad over time.
So if you are really wanting to apply a tint film make sure it is 100% compliant with double pane glass and make sure you get it in writing. Also make sure you do not have any moisture glass if you do change it before it is applied. In a last note make note of the film name and style file it away if your glass gets broken you will want to have another film applied to the glass that matches the rest of the tinted windows.