Double glazed windows keep exploding advice needed?

[Pinkbear154]

I wonder if any one can give me some advice. I live in a housing association house. It's a fairly new build, it's was built 12 years ago. We have lived here since they were finished being built.

A few years ago, we were downstairs eating tea when we heard a big bang explosion sound. Ran upstairs to see what had happened to find my daughters bedroom window shattered.

There was no one upstairs at time and no one outs side. It seems it just exploded.
Anyway we reported it to housing association and they replaced Window.

But 3 months ago same thing happened again. The day before I opened window in my son's bedroom as it was really hot and noticed window was a bit stiff, I went to close window in Evening before bed but it's was stuck, I could not close it and did not want to force it, so I left window open and thought I would report it in morning.

The following morning, we were all down stairs eating breakfast when we heard a big bang explosion sound, ran upstairs to see what had happened to find window next to open window in my son's room had exploded. Again no one was upstairs at time and no one out
Side.

I rang up housing association and reported it straight away, and am still fighting to get window fixed

What could be causing windows to explode, I fear the rest of windows in house are ticking time bombs that could explode any time. My children are terrified of being in any room in house incase windows explode.

Any one else had similar situation with double glaze windows exploding. Any suggestions as to what could be causing windows to explode.

Should housing association be investigating why they keep exploding. All they want to do is replace window. Job done. They don't seem interested in why they keep exploding.

Any advice or suggestions much appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

[farticus]

Seems to be heat related. Expanding/contracting frames?

Are they PVC or something else? Seems like a design flaw.

 

[Rodders53]

This story sounded familiar to me. So I searched and found this on another forum:

Double glazed Window went bang and shattered advice needed?

I appologise in advance if I'm posting this in wrong place. I hope some one can help me.

forums.moneysavingexpert.com

I had a similar inner pane go crazed on the front door of our bungalow many years back. Found when we came home after a day out. It was some 8 years old and I was told it just happens with some toughened glass panes when we had it replaced. One panel of glass was obscure (cannot remember if inner or outer) and it sat in direct sun for most of the day; so I guessed it was repeated heating/cooling that caused it.

Has this window pane break from May been replaced or not? Speak to your local Councillor(s) and / or MP if the Housing Association is playing 'silly devils' over this. I doubt any Landlord will replace all the windows in any dwelling to resolve your anxiety over these two? separate incidents. You have just been unlucky.

 

[Pinkbear154]

They are wood framed double glazed windows not PVC.

The Windows that have exploded face in a direction that when in rains 90%of the time rain comes straight at windows so windows have taken a battering from the weather.
When it's hot sun shines on them directly most of day and gets very hot.

So frames expanding and contracting would makes sense I guess

 

[farticus]

You could try to keep the rain and sun off them with shade, or paint them white. Sounds like they need replacing with something that isn't inevitably going to fail though.

 

[opps]

I think you need @ronniecabers ' advice, he is one of two people in this subsection that seems to be very knowledgeable (apologies to the other fellow- I have a pants memory).

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

@crank39
@ronniecabers

 

[crank39]

Ronnie makes units, I just fit them lol but it sounds like a thermal shock or nickel sulphide invlusions, the OP hasn't mentioned whether the glass cracked like float glass or shattered like toughened glass. I often come across these types of breakages quite often in float glass and 99% of the time is the inner pane and believe it or not the crack is virtually symmetrical running from one side to the other, other than changing the units there's not a lot you can do, even the replacements could fail in the future

Causes of Spontaneous Glass Breakage and How to Prevent It » Sieger Architektur Systems

It is extremely rare that thermal shock or nickel sulphide inclusions cause spontaneous glass breakage, however Sieger offer ways to preve...

www.siegersystems.co.uk

 

[ronniecabers]

Reading through this , I suspect Nickel sulphide Inclusion, for it to be a ' big bang ' I suspect it is Toughened glass and with both going relatively close to each other ( time wise ) , seems too much of a coincidence. However if its cracked only , it hen being annealled glass , it could be Thermal Shock , or possibly an ' implosion '( usually an arced crack but not very common unless they are coloured /decorative type panes ... which won't be the case here ).
Nickel Sulphide Inclusion isn't that common anymore and sounds like you've been unlikely , its also very had to prove that its Nickel Sulphide Inclusion that has caused the breakage. Only way to reduce the risk of Nickel Sulphide Inclusion is to ' Heat Soak ' the glass , but i can't see the Housing Association paying for that ! MAybe getting some Clear 'Safety Film 'and applying that , for added confidence that the children will be safe IF another one goes.
I honestly think you have just been unlucky to have two go