Upgrading double glazing windows.

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discovery101

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Hi there......we are looking at upgrading our current 20 year old double glazing to energy efficient triple glazing!!

We have been given a quote from a local supplier quoting the following "frame and glass overall energy rating 1.4 u value".

Can anyone tell me is that a good value ?

Any other advice and guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
 
You should get at least 3 quotes, go by most expensive, expensive and affordable, then compare. The lower the u value the better so 1.4 is poor for double glazing.

search on google and it is all explained
 
I'm guessing OP is asking about u value, rather than financial value.

discovery101 said:
We have been given a quote from a local supplier quoting the following "frame and glass overall energy rating 1.4 u value".

Can anyone tell me is that a good value ?
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1.4 is the minimum u-value standard for new builds / renovations under current building regulations. So it's the most common available.

You'll get better, but the price starts to balloon very quickly as you lower the u-value. You need to decide if the money would be better spent elsewhere in improving airtightness or insulation. Spending lots on windows without looking at everything else won't make sense.

Make sure the supplier has an energy certificate for the windows, and shop around for prices. Don't be blinded by sales tactics, and shirt term 'special offers'. Most (but not all) window suppliers use the same standard glass units.
 
You can google the heat loss formula for windows and plug in your cost of heating. Depends if you are gas, oil-fired, storage heater, of course. You can then see if the additional cost for a better u-value is worth it for the savings in heating costs.

I did these calculations myself once and it was pretty hard to get right. This may not be for someone without a numbers background.

A BER assessor would give good advice, and may be worth it if it's a big outlay.
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
OP wants to know how this u value compares to other possible u values.

A question like "is 900cc a powerful engine?" can be answered without reference to the price of the car.
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Except that wasn’t the question!

Whether it’s a good value or not surely has to be looked at in the context of the cost.

“I received a quote and the U-Value was X...is that any good?”

How much was the quote for?

That’s all I’m asking.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
Whether it’s a good value or not surely has to be looked at in the context of the cost.

“I received a quote and the U-Value was X...is that any good?”

How much was the quote for?

That’s all I’m asking.
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You may be asking that, but that is NOT what the OP asked !
Gordon Gekko said:
There’s reference to a “quote”...how is price not a factor?
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Because as you stated he referred to a quote, he is not questioning it !
 
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RedOnion said:
I'm guessing OP is asking about u value, rather than financial value.


1.4 is the minimum u-value standard for new builds / renovations under current building regulations. So it's the most common available.

You'll get better, but the price starts to balloon very quickly as you lower the u-value. You need to decide if the money would be better spent elsewhere in improving airtightness or insulation. Spending lots on windows without looking at everything else won't make sense.

Make sure the supplier has an energy certificate for the windows, and shop around for prices. Don't be blinded by sales tactics, and shirt term 'special offers'. Most (but not all) window suppliers use the same standard glass units.
Click to expand...

Thanks RedOnion regarding airtightness our current door is 20 year old PVC and i had to seal up the letter box and add some seal strips to where the door is not sealing right!!! would you recommend a new Composite Door?
 
discovery101 said:
Hi there......we are looking at upgrading our current 20 year old double glazing to energy efficient triple glazing!!

We have been given a quote from a local supplier quoting the following "frame and glass overall energy rating 1.4 u value".

Can anyone tell me is that a good value ?

Any other advice and guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
1.4 Uvalue is poor for tg units imo.
I would recommend sub 1.0 and ideally 0.8 or better not only for better heat loss but also for comfort (our skin is sensitive to "cooler" surfaces).
Having said that, I would agree with RedOnion above about there being possibly better candidates for your investment in terms of overall heatloss improvements.
 
Micks'r said:
1.4 Uvalue is poor for tg units imo.
I would recommend sub 1.0 and ideally 0.8 or better not only for better heat loss but also for comfort (our skin is sensitive to "cooler" surfaces).
Having said that, I would agree with RedOnion above about there being possibly better candidates for your investment in terms of overall heatloss improvements.
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The more expensive quote is stating a u-value of 1.3 for double and 1.0 for triple!!
 
Micks'r said:
better not only for better heat loss but also for comfort (our skin is sensitive to "cooler" surfaces).
Click to expand...

Human thermoception is not so sensitive that this is a big issue unless you are sitting very close to a poorly performing window.
 
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