With the sweltering mid-Atlantic summer season on its way, if you’re like many homeowners, you’re thinking about the beauty of air conditioning. Air conditioning allows many of us to continue to live our lives in comfort while the outdoor temperatures climb to new heights and Pennsylvania humidity soars to almost rainforest conditions.

However, many homeowners fail to realize that they may be overburdening their HVAC unit, paying exorbitant utility costs, and allowing drafts and leaks around doors and windows to go undetected. As reputable glass replacement specialists serving Lehigh Valley, PA, we know that while the best methods for improving your home’s energy efficiency involve a multi-faceted approach, replacing your windows can be an important part of that.

Windows and Doors Are Prone to Leaks

Windows and doors can be a weak points in many home’s exterior insulation. Older windows are likely to be single panes, and made of wood material, which may look nice and allow natural light to enter your home, but these windows do very little to reduce heat transfer and energy loss.

Newer model windows tend to be double panes for insulation and minimizing heat transfer, and will be made of more energy efficient materials. However, even double-pane windows may need to be replaced when the seal fails. If you’ve noticed frequent humidity and moisture build-up between your window panes, it’s likely that the seal has failed. In this situation, insulated glass replacement, new home windows, and storm doors can decrease the leaks in your home’s insulation.

Leaks and Vulnerabilities Make Your HVAC Work Harder

HVAC units are designed to work with your home’s thermostat to keep your home at your desired temperature. When an HVAC unit is properly sized, maintained, and functioning, it will go through a cycle of cooling your home and then cycling off when the desired temperature is met. When the temperature drops below the thermostat’s settings, the system will turn back on to restore the comfort of your home.

However, leaks force your system to work harder. Leaks allow your cool, comfortable air to escape outside of your home, or the hot humid exterior air in through your exterior building shell, which means your HVAC has to continue running to maintain the desired temperature. Even if your home is able to reach the desired temperature rather quickly, leaks may increase the frequency of on-cycles to maintain that temperature.

What Is Low-E Glass? Benefits of Energy Efficient Windows

Low-E glass is a relatively newer addition to the energy efficiency window world. The “e” in Low-E stands for low emissivity, meaning it’s specially designed to reduce heat transfer. Low-E windows have been treated with an energy-efficient coating to reflect heat and block UV rays.

Energy-efficient windows can work to lower your utility bills, preserve energy in the home, and increase the effectiveness of your HVAC unit by reducing the demands placed on it to keep up with energy lost to insulation leaks in your homes exterior.

Before the summer heat sets in, consider replacing your windows. Not only will you enjoy the benefits immediately, but energy-efficient windows will provide year-round comfort, even in the winter. At Alderfer Glass, we proudly wear our title as one of the go-to glass replacement providers in Lehigh Valley, PA.

For more information, reach out to our team or visit our showroom today!