Are My Windows Defective?

No, they are not.

Water/condensation building up on windows and dripping must be dried up/mitigated by the homeowner as the damage it causes is not warrantable to repair.

The high humidity on the glass with the exterior cold temperatures is frosting/icing up. This is not a defect of the windows.

With the temperatures hovering around the -20 mark for daytime highs and colder for overnight lows, your humidity levels need to be adjusted accordingly.

High humidity is the cause for  windows and exterior doors to condensate and freeze or have frost/ice build up. NEVER use a blow dryer on glass as it will cause cracking which is not warrantable to replace or repair.

When you bring down your humidity and vent a home during cooking and bathing the effects can be lessened.  Fans should be run with all cooking & HRV before, during & after showering.

Interesting note: During the first 18 months a new home will typically expel 500 to 600 gallons of water. Factor in activity of an average family of 4 with 2 pets and you add roughly an extra 186 gallons of water per week, that’s 9,672 gallons of water every year!

This is why it’s important to maintain your humidity levels. Your humidity should not exceed 35%. Any higher percentage will cause your windows to condensate greatly.

When your HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) is not being used properly-or not at all, it will cause significant issue with your home and health.

The main purpose for the HRV is to act like the lungs of your home. It brings in fresh air and removes moisture rich or ‘old’ air.

Current construction practices do not allow air to flow through the interior to the exterior of the home.

This means there is no air flow and no where for the moisture to go.

Maintain the HRV leads to the best air quality. This means cleaning the filters every 6 months and having it set to run for 20 minutes every hour.

You also want to make sure your furnace filter is clean. A filter full of dust and other debris will starve your furnace of air and in return your furnace will shut down. The exhaust for the furnace at the side of your home will collect condensation, freeze and fill with ice. Make sure you are cleaning out the exhaust on a regular basis – a light tap on icicles that may form will do to remove them.

Ice build up or blockage with snow piles will also cause the furnace to shut down.

If the CO2 (furnace exhaust) is not able to be disposed of outside of your home, the safety feature of the furnace is shut down so that Carbon Monoxide is not a threat to your health.

Click the links for for more information on how to take care of the condensation on your windows and the humidity in your home.