Single-chamber and double-glazed windows: difference, pros and cons of each type

People when ordering a plastic window often do not know what a double-glazed unit is, and confuse it with a common window. Far not everyone pays attention when choosing a window profile for what will be inserted into it. It is not right. The double-glazed window occupies a large area of the window structure and consists of glass and air gap between them, forming a closed chamber. It can be filled not only with air, but with another gas. To make the right choice, knowledge of the configuration and differences in designs will help. What is the difference between single-chamber and double-glazed windows? The difference in them is significant.

Single-chamber construction

There is a misconception that the word "single-chamber" means one glass. As already mentioned above, the camera is already two glasses. Between them there is a layer of a special substance that absorbs moisture and does not allow condensation to form. Another name for this design is single. Masters of their business often use the expression "standard single-glass unit". This system implies under itself two glasses of 4 mm and an air gap between them of 16 mm. Total is 24 mm. There are designs with a deviation from this standard - 18 or 36 mm. The difference between single-chamber and double-glazed windows is in weight. The first is much smaller in mass than the second. But how does this affect operation? The smaller the weight of the window, the more secure it is attached to the opening, and through two glasses passes more sunlight.

Double chamber

A double-glazed window, consisting of three glasses and two air chambers between them, is called a two-chamber, or double. This is the most popular type of window glazing. It is used in any residential premises - apartments, cottages, offices. A popular option for double-glazed windows is a thickness of 38 mm. It contains 3 glasses of 4 mm and two chambers of 14 and 16 mm.

What is the difference between single-chamber and double-glazed windows? The difference between them is the transmission of light rays, but it's hard for a simple person to notice. It should also be taken into account that the two-chamber glass unit weighs more than a single unit, so when installing it, you need to know if the opening or balcony will withstand such a load.

Three-chamber mechanism

This type of double-glazed windows is used in the northern regions, since at low temperatures it shows the greatest heat preservation. This design consists of 4 windows and three chambers between them. The thickness of the entire insulating glass unit is 58-60 mm. Triple glass protects against heat loss by 50 percent more than double. But there is a reservation that at temperatures below 40 degrees this figure is palpable, but at warmer temperatures there is almost no difference in the heat. There are three-chamber designs and drawbacks. When the thickness of the glass is large, the weight increases, and the attachment reliability decreases. Therefore, it is recommended that wide openings be divided into several sections in order to be installed as reliably as possible. If there is no busy road or airport outside the window, and the temperature in winter is kept within normal limits, the installation of a triple glazing unit will not justify itself.

Price difference

What is the difference between single-chamber and double-glazed windows? First of all, consumers are asking themselves about the price. When choosing a double-chamber or single-chamber double-glazed window, the difference in cost will not be the factor that will play a big role. Double costs about 25 percent more than single. But if we talk about the three-chamber double-glazed windows, then its cost is 50 percent higher than the two-chambered. However, the difference in the price of glass is not as significant as in the thickness of the profile. After all, it must be strong and reliable to keep the construction of the double-glazed windows.

Energy-saving

There is a variant of a double-glazed window, in which there is only one camera, but it is not air, but a special gas is argon. The glass is coated with silver coating on one side. They are in this package energy-saving and slightly more expensive than conventional. In this case, there are more expensive options. The silver coating serves as a mirror, reflecting the sun's rays on a hot day. In cold weather, it does not allow heat to leave the room. This option is ideal for those who need a light, but a warm double-glazed window. It is 30% lighter, and the heat is much better than the single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference, the minuses and the pluses are obvious. But this design has a drawback - the service life, which is only 10-15 years. After this time, the gas evaporates, and the silver coating dissipates. In this case, the window becomes normal, single-chamber.

Application of single-chamber windows

Such double-glazed windows do not have a large heat-saving, but sometimes their installation is expedient and advantageous:

• Loggia or balcony. When there is no need to make a loggia warm, that is, to take out additional batteries and conduct insulation, then it can be equipped with a single glass unit. In this case, between the main window and the window of the loggia there will be directly its space, which will be an additional camera. Thus, regardless of whether one or two of the windows are glazed balcony / loggia, the temperature will be the same.
• Summer house. It uses a single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference in installation in the holiday home will be obvious. Plastic windows at a price not higher than the frames of wood, and you can buy them according to the specified sizes. Therefore, for country houses such windows (single-chamber) are the most optimal option. In the autumn, when the appliance switches on for heating, they will keep the heat no worse than wooden analogs.

• Terrace. Often such a premise, even in a capital house, is not insulated and does not have heating, so a multilayered glass unit will be very useful. At the same time, plastic constructions perfectly fit into the image of any room.
• Windows with one double-glazed window should be installed in the southern regions, where the harshest winters are accompanied by frost of at least 10 degrees.

Glass thickness

Not the least role is played by the thickness of the glasses, at the same time the standard is 5 mm, but it is better to choose a thickness of at least 6 mm. Then the single-chamber glass unit will become much more efficient than the double-glazed unit. At the same time, you can save a lot, because the last option will always cost more, regardless of which glass to put. Single-chamber and double-glazed windows, the difference between which is not only in price, but also in energy saving, have different thicknesses.

When choosing a design to suppress external noise, the thickness of a large value will not play, but to maintain heat, this figure is significant. The best option for the city is a two-chamber mechanism.

Pros and cons of a single-chamber window

Let's look at the single-chamber and double-glazed windows. The difference, pluses and minuses of such designs are calculated on the basis of the main characteristics. The advantage of the first design can be considered light weight. It is used for the arrangement of loggias, balconies and terraces, without making them heavier. In financial terms, this is also a big plus. The drawbacks include a small noise reduction, than for two-chambered ones, as well as a lower resistance to heat transfer, which is not sufficient for climate in most of the country. The use of single-glazed units could be very limited. But all changed the implemented energy-saving technologies.

Advantages and disadvantages of double-glazed windows

The version of this design is much stronger than the one-chambered colleague. The main indicators of noise and heat insulation in a two-chamber window are much higher, therefore its application is most widely developed. It has three glasses and two air chambers, and the thickness of the profile is not much larger than the design in two glasses. This results in good noise suppression and heat preservation. The cost of double-glazed windows does not exceed an additional 20-30 percent to the price of a single-pan. Therefore, it has gained popularity among consumers. When installing a single-chamber and double-glazed windows (the difference and disadvantages of the constructions are presented in our article) requires great attention and accuracy. Therefore, it is better to resort to the services of professionals.

Tips for choosing

• The distance between the glasses in the bag should not exceed 20 mm. Otherwise, it will not meet the good characteristics of noise and thermal insulation.
• The size of the insulating glass unit can not exceed 3,2 * 3 m. A greater value will result in the deformation or the complete destruction of a single-chamber and double-chamber glass unit during operation. The difference in price here will not matter.
• Color glass is installed only from the outside, while it is carefully strengthened.
• Installation of a double-glazed window is made only at temperature of external air not less than -15 degrees, and internal - not less than +5 degrees.

Approach to buying a double-glazed window should be carefully. When choosing a manufacturer, as well as buying profile and accessories, you should not save, because the service life of quality windows is several dozen years.