Weird artefacts in two of my Windows, what is it?

[GeddyMortgage]

Hi all,

I noticed today two of the windows on a recent gable extension looked weird as I walked past. Assumed it was a bit of dirt, though after I wiped them down from outside and inside, it didn't remove any of it.

Not sure if it's dirt on the insides of the panes, or condensation, or what? If the former i'm less fussy about it looking like this ofcourse. Just concerned if its a problem that needs addressing. Comparatively, the right hand side ones are totally clear.

What do you guys think? photos and a video link below.

Window Video

 

[blup]

Assuming the glass to be structurally ok, looks like some kind of internal condensation.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If it's on the inside it looks like it's a blown double glazed unit (though does look a little unusual for a blown unit), that is the gas has escaped, air has entered and now condensation is forming on the inside faces of the glass panes, that whole panel on the left is probably one single unit with a planted on profile dividing it. Normally the warranty on the units is up to 10 years so so if they recently fitted these should be covered.

 

[RandomGrinch]

I'll wait for the experts comments, but could it be a coating failure / UV breakdown?

 

[ronniecabers]

Looks to me like the Low e coating , in this case soft coat planitherm , is the wrong way round. I will say the pictures and video don't really show it clear enough but I'm pretty sure that is what it is. The coating should actually be facing into the sealed unit , and even then the unit is installed the wrong way round as the soft coat should be on the pane on the inside of the building.. face 3 ( outside face is face 1, inside building face is face 4 , faves 2 and 3 are within the unit )
Softcoat is very susceptible to the atmosphere and should always be handled with care and sealed within the unit.
Going back to the marking... if it's a sort of motley whitish/blue look then it's definitely soft coat on the wrong way round. How old are the sealed units?

 

[RandomGrinch]

The coating should actually be facing into the sealed unit , and even then the unit is installed the wrong way round as the soft coat should be on the pane on the inside of the building.

That was my uninformed guess - could someone have ordered duplicate units for either side of the apex, not realising they should have ordered a mirror image set?
But still the coating should have been on the inside, so a manufacturing mistake?

 

[ronniecabers]

Possible but OP does say right hand side doesn't seem to be suffering. Usually the units come with a label on to say which side goes inside

 

[RandomGrinch]

Possible but OP does say right hand side doesn't seem to be suffering.

That's what I meant, if two lots of the right side were ordered/manufactured instead of a left and right side.
But you would have thought that someone would have noticed

 

[ronniecabers]

Very possible ... if the manufacturer had put the label indicating which face goes inside the property on the wrong side the installer would have no reason to question it, however the planitherm beingon the outer face is an avoidable mistake by the manufacturer . Of course that's if that is the problem, which I do highly suspect

 

[crank39]

If the SC is on the outer face then you should technically be able to check with a multi meter

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Thanks for the input all. Some very interesting reading.

If it is indeed a bad order and they’ve gone in essentially inside-out…. Is it an issue to leave them like this? Other than being a bit ugly?

 

[ronniecabers]

If i am right , The marking on the glass will get worse and it will have very little thermal properties but it will still be doing the essential thing....keeping the weather out

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Bugger, thanks. The builder who did all the work is being pursued for tax evasion…. So I guess I’ll need to go directly back to the manufacture to see what they can do?

Worst case I do want to upgrade to acoustic glass at some point anyway

 

[crank39]

Ronnie is the expert but low e glass has a shelf life and if exposed to the elements will start to rust, this is potentially before a glass shop has even made a unit

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Will suppliers honour the guarantee without using the builder as a middleman but dealing with me directly? Who is the guarantee contract with generally?