Vinyl Window Air Infiltration

This number is determined before installation and in order to keep that number where it s at you must have your windows professionally installed so there are no drafts.

Vinyl window air infiltration.

It is indicated by an air leakage rating al expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area. Demonstrate compliance with the following. Vinyl windows and air infiltration all windows regardless of material or construction will leak a certain amount of air. That s quite a difference up to 96 better than the industry standard.

1 5 times applicable rate for product type and performance class in accordance with aama wdma csa 101 i s 2 a440. Air leakage is the rate of air movement around a window door or skylight in the presence of a specific pressure difference across it. Pgt vinyl windows and doors have florida state product approval and have been tested to aama nwwda 101 i s 2 7 specifications. Allowable air leakage rate.

It s expressed in units of cubic feet per minute per square foot of frame area cfm ft2. A small difference of 1 cu ft hr on a day. They have also been designed to meet the following test standards. Zen s vinyl windows in austin tx are great examples.

Window air infiltration occurs for one of two reasons. The lower the al the less air will pass through cracks in the window assembly. There is even a formula to quantify it. 1 the window s structural design allows air to leak through it or 2 the window has been poorly installed or maintained.

Hr times the temperature difference between outside and inside t x 018 btu hr. Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration through cracks in the window assembly. A product with a low air leakage rating is tighter than one with a high air leakage rating. Harvey vinyl windows have air infiltration ratings ranging from 01 07 cfm sf.

Nearly all windows except those that are fixed are susceptible to window air infiltration simply by design. Air leakage also known as air infiltration is the measurement of air that passes through the window assembly itself. The importance of air infiltration to window performance it is a known fact that even moderate air leakage can increase btu loss in an average home. The key is to get a window with such low air infiltration as to make any air penetration insignificant.