Windows are the largest source of heat loss in an apartment, and that is why working with them gives a greater effect than any heaters. At the same time, most people do not know that their plastic windows already have built-in adjustment, which costs nothing and takes a few minutes.

First, Find Exactly Where It Is Drafting

Before any work, it is worth understanding where the cold is coming from, since the methods for different places are different. The simplest way to check is to use a thin sheet of paper or a napkin, which should be moved along the perimeter of the sash, along the place where the frame connects to the wall, and along the windowsill. Where there is an airflow, the paper noticeably moves away. The second method concerns the strength of the sash pressure. Clamp a sheet of paper between the sash and the frame, close the window, and try to pull it out. If the paper comes out easily and without effort, the pressure is weak, and this is exactly what should be fixed first. Repeat the check at several points around the perimeter, since the pressure is often uneven. The third place worth checking is the slopes and the area under the windowsill, where heat escapes not through the window itself, but through the installation joint.

Winter Mode of Plastic Windows

The construction of plastic windows provides airtightness, but the hardware of many models allows you to adjust the pressure of the sash against the frame, and this is exactly what is called switching between modes. In summer mode, the sash is pressed less tightly, which promotes air circulation. In winter mode, the pressure is tighter, air movement stops, and heat remains in the room.

First, check whether you have this function. Open the sash and inspect its side. There should be eccentrics there, that is, small protrusions of cylindrical or oval shape, the number of which depends on the size of the window. Here an important warning is necessary. Not all hardware has this adjustment, and usually this function is available in more expensive options. If there are no elements on the end of the sash that can be turned, your windows do not have this mode.

Preparation. Before adjustment, wipe the locking mechanisms free of grease so that dirt and dust do not get inside during turning, and after finishing, restore the layer of grease.

If there is a mosquito net, remove it, wash it, and put it aside until warm weather.

The adjustment itself. The eccentrics are turned with a window key, a star-shaped screwdriver, or pliers, and the position depends on the shape of the element. An oval eccentric is moved to a horizontal position. A round one is turned with the mark toward the outside. A round one with an offset center is positioned with the wider side toward the room. The maximum angle of rotation when switching from summer mode to winter mode is one hundred and eighty degrees, and from standard to winter or summer is ninety. Turn all eccentrics around the perimeter equally, after which check the pressure with a sheet of paper.

It Is Important to Turn It Back in Spring

In winter mode, the seal wears out much faster due to constant increased compression, and if the window is left in this position forever, airtightness will be compromised sooner. Specialists recommend adjusting windows twice a year, that is, switching to winter mode at the end of autumn with the onset of cold weather and returning to summer mode approximately at the end of April. Set a reminder in the calendar, because in spring nobody remembers this.

When Adjustment Will Not Help

If the windows are more than ten to fifteen years old, the hardware may have significant mechanical wear, and the profile may be deformed, and in such a case even correct adjustment will not give a result. Signs include the fact that the sash closes with effort, the handle moves tightly, and after adjusting the pressure still remains weak at some points. In such a situation, either replacement of the seal or maintenance of the hardware is needed, and this is already a job for a specialist.

Replacing the Seal

The rubber seal around the perimeter of the sash hardens, cracks, and loses elasticity over time, after which it stops performing its function regardless of the pressure force. Checking its condition is simple, since it is enough to press it with a finger and see whether it returns to its shape.

Replacement is a relatively inexpensive procedure, and the material is sold by the meter, but the type of seal must be selected for the specific profile.

Installation Joint and Slopes

Often the cold comes not through the window itself, but through the place where it connects to the wall. Check the external slopes, since mounting foam is destroyed by ultraviolet radiation if it has not been protected with plaster or strips. Inside the room, the gaps between the frame and the slope are filled with sealant. The area under the windowsill is a separate problematic place, and this is exactly where cold often comes from when the window itself is normal.

Film on the Glass

Heat-saving film is applied to the glass and reflects part of the thermal radiation back into the room. The effect is noticeable, but not dramatic, and it makes sense primarily for single-chamber double-glazed units and old windows. For modern double-chamber energy-efficient double-glazed units, the difference will be insignificant.

Wooden Windows

Replacing the old seal or installing a self-adhesive one around the perimeter of the sashes. Filling the gaps between the glass and the frame with sealant. The so-called Swedish technology, in which a groove is milled into the frame and a tubular seal is installed, gives the best result, but is performed by a specialist.

Classic methods with paper, cotton wool, and masking tape still work as a temporary solution, and the advantage here is low cost, while the disadvantage is that the window stops opening until spring.

Important Warning About Ventilation

Sealing windows reduces natural air exchange, and the consequence is often increased humidity, condensation on the glass, and mold in the corners. That is, if your windows are fogging up, the problem is usually not insufficient insulation, but insufficient ventilation, and additional sealing will make it worse.

The correct approach is to insulate the windows and at the same time ventilate regularly, briefly, and intensively, that is, five minutes with the window wide open instead of an hour in the slightly open position. During such a short time, the air has time to change, while the walls and furniture do not have time to cool down.


Sources

ZAXID.NET, TSN, NV Zhyttya, materials from manufacturers of window systems