Freezing of a plastic window: causes and methods of struggle

The onset of severe frosts is accompanied by numerous complaints from owners of plastic windows about their freezing. When the temperature decreases, a layer of ice may appear at the junction of the frame to the window sill or directly on the double-glazed window.

Freezing of a metal—plastic window is not the norm, so you should not put up with it. The problem needs to be solved, but for this it is necessary to understand the factors that can provoke the appearance of ice.

Why the window froze: analysis of the reasons

Freezing is usually called any appearance of ice on the inside of the window. An ice crust may form:

• At the bottom of the double-glazed window
• At the junction of the sash to the frame
• At the junction of the window sill and the lower edge of the frame

The reason for the appearance of ice is simple: a combination of excessive condensation formation with low temperature. Moisture from the air condenses on the cold surface of the window, flows down (if it has time) and freezes.

When analyzing the causes of freezing , it is necessary to take into account:

• The quality of the heating of the room itself. If the house is not heated, or is not heated efficiently enough, the windows will freeze even with minimal frost outside. The lower the room temperature, the higher the probability of ice.
• The quality of the heating of the double-glazed window. The house itself may be warm, but the coldest part of the window — the double—glazed window - may not receive enough heat energy. Most often this happens after installing a wide window sill. The window sill becomes an obstacle to the warm air from the battery, and the double-glazed window is not heated. The lower part suffers the most — that's where the ice forms.
• Clamping efficiency. The unadjusted fittings do not provide the necessary clamping force of the sash to the frame, and cold air penetrates into the gap. As a result, the chance of frost appearing around the perimeter will be very high.
• Installation quality. Installing the window in the wrong place (displacement in the opening), leakage of the mounting seam, cavities in the thermal insulation layer — all this can cause heat loss. The situation is aggravated by a violation of waterproofing: water not only freezes, forming ice, but also increases the thermal conductivity of the node as a whole.
• The quality of the window sill installation. If the space under the window sill is not insulated, and the joint between the frame or window sill is not blocked from the wrong side, the moisture that will accumulate in this place will freeze almost instantly.

The risk of freezing of the window is very high — especially if the probability of ice formation was not taken into account during the selection of equipment or installation. But even when ice is detected in the room, the situation can be corrected.

Solving the problem of freezing the window

The appearance of ice on a plastic window is a problem that is easier to prevent than to solve. To prevent such a development, follow the simple recommendations:

• Choose the optimal configuration of the metal-plastic window. The lower the thermal conductivity of the profile and the double—glazed window, the more effective the clamping, the less likely it is to freeze. When choosing a complete set, focus on the requirements that are specified in regulatory documents and relate to your climate zone.
• Entrust the installation to highly qualified craftsmen. Compliance with the rules of window installation, as well as the three-layer installation of the structure according to the DSTU reduces the likelihood of freezing. The mounting seam will be sealed, while moisture will not accumulate in it — and high-quality mounting foam without cavities will provide protection from heat loss.

Advice! If the characteristics of the window itself meet the standards for your climate zone, and the design is still freezing, it is probably due to installation errors. It is worth contacting a specialist of the window company for diagnostics. If the hypothesis is confirmed, then re-installing the window in compliance with all the rules will solve the problem.

• Take care of the humidity in the room. Excessive humidity of the air leads to the appearance of abundant condensate, which freezes on the glasses or beads. Regularly ventilating the room (for this it is necessary to equip the window with a special hardware mechanism) or installing a window supply valve, you can reduce humidity — and the problem of freezing of the plastic window will lose relevance.
• Ensure the flow of warm air to the double-glazed window. If a wide window sill covers the battery, either replace it with a narrower one, or install special grilles. The installation of through grilles does not affect the functionality of the window sill, but at the same time they let in warm air — and significantly less condensation forms on the double-glazed window. This means that the risk of freezing will decrease.
• Regularly take care of the window. Cleaning and lubrication of the hardware mechanism, as well as lubrication of the seal twice a year will ensure stable operation of the entire mechanism and high tightness. If necessary, the seal can be replaced — this will also have a positive effect on the thermal characteristics of the window.

A window based on a PVC profile can freeze for various reasons - but most of them can be taken into account at the stage of selecting the configuration of the structure. Compliance with the requirements of standards for thermal conductivity and installation according to DSTU significantly reduce the risk of ice on the window, even in the most severe frost. However, if ice does appear, you can take measures to eliminate freezing and restore a comfortable microclimate throughout the room.

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