K Glass double glazed unit question ?

[macabethiel]

Was doing some widow cleaning this morning and due to a small imperfection on the glass coating inside I could see the film that presumably is K glass coating or simiar between the layers of double glazing.

This made wonder which way round should the glass unit be fitted ? This particular door had the coating on the inside layer of glass with the plain glass being on the outside is this correct?

Anyone know the answer ?

[rayf3262]

The softcoat is normally fitted to the inside.

[rustic]

Originally Posted by rayf3262

The softcoat is normally fitted to the inside.

Does this make things clear lol...

[solarman216]

in simple terms it mean the sun warms the inner glass as the coating absorbs the heat, but even Pilkingtons could help me out a few years ago, I was fitting a used Hanilux operating theater light for the vets but some of the glass units had been broken so just replaced 4 or 5 of the blue glass that was missing with clear, first time it was use the vets complained that the heat was far too much, and indeed it was, if you focused the light to a 6 inch spot it almost burnt your hand, so started research, first off sent a sample to said Pilkingtons but they were unable to supply, I eventually sourced a blue film that we fitted to the clear glass and it made the light usable but on testing the original glass against the film coated one it was still chalk and cheese, on the original the glass got quite hot but dissipated its heat in the large airspace within the light, (6 ft round and more than a foot deep) with no heat felt on your hand, the film glass however only got warm and you could feel warmth on your hand, just goes to show, Rick

[don simon]

We hear so much about buildings benefitting from the winter sun and thermal mass, yes I watch grand Designs. But how is it possible for this K glass to stop the heat entering in the summer yet allow it to warm up the house in the winter?

[rustic]

Originally Posted by don simon

We hear so much about buildings benefitting from the winter sun and thermal mass, yes I watch grand Designs. But how is it possible for this K glass to stop the heat entering in the summer yet allow it to warm up the house in the winter?

Good question...
A bit like... A thermos can keep things hot, or keep things cold...
How does it know?...

Look it's Friday... time to chill, we should get some interesting answers to Don's question...

[solarman216]

don, it stops the heat warming the floor/walls etc by absorbing the heat into the glass, as the glass is closer to the outside is cools more readily, but the main benefit in winter is less condensation on the glass as it is warmer, Rick

[don simon]

How does it know?...

Originally Posted by solarman216

don, it stops the heat warming the floor/walls etc by absorbing the heat into the glass, as the glass is closer to the outside is cools more readily, but the main benefit in winter is less condensation on the glass as it is warmer, Rick

So, by fitting K glass you lose any benefit of the thermal mass and still need the central heating on in the winter, no?

[solarman216]

Originally Posted by don simon

So, by fitting K glass you lose any benefit of the thermal mass and still need the central heating on in the winter, no?

Nothing is perfect an amount of energy is still the same amount of energy, just depends what you want to do with it, warm your floors and have cold glass or warm the glass and have cold floors, the natural energy amount is the same, Rick