Question - Two panes are cracked and our old wood windows leak and don't open easily. What's the correct method to replace a glass pane? What type of nonwood replacement windows are most maintenance-free? - S.V.
Answer - Old leaky wood windows are not only unattractive and difficult to open and close, but they are energy guzzlers. The chilly drafts that they create often cause you to set your thermostat higher. Fixing the broken panes will help, but replacement windows may be your best option for the long-term.A couple of cracked window panes can allow significant air leakage into your home. This is particularly true with wood windows that expand and contract with the seasons. As they grow and shrink, so does the gap in the crack.
Everyone has replaced a window pane at one time or another, but there is a right and wrong way to do it. It is most important to remove all the old putty first. If the old putty is hard and difficult to remove, run a hot soldering iron across the putty. This softens it for easier removal.
Apply a coating of linseed oil on the cleaned wood. Apply a thin layer of putty around the frame and press the glass pane into it. Tap glazier's points into the frame every four inches. Sliding a chisel on the glass to tap them in works well. Finish the outside with more putty and smooth it with a putty knife dipped in linseed oil.
The most maintenance-free and energy-efficient replacement windows are made of fiberglass or vinyl. Fiberglass frames are particularly easy to operate year-round because fiberglass expands very little with temperature changes. This also provides a long-term airtight seal.
Several vinyl replacement window manufacturers inject foam inside of the frame and sash cavities. This further improves the insulation value. The frames are custom sized to your old window openings. The foam insulation is injected as they are being assembled to eliminate voids.
Since the glass is the greatest percentage of the total window area, the type of glazing you choose has the greatest impact on your utility bills and comfort. Most of the new glass also blocks the sun's fading rays.
Double-pane, low-e, argon-gas filled glass is rapidly becoming the norm for good-quality windows. It has an insulation value of about R-4. For maximum efficiency, you can triple-pane and quad-film glass up to R-8. Your current single-pane windows are less than R-1, so they lose eight times more heat.
Write for Utility Bills Update No. 662 listing 23 manufacturers of high-efficiency replacement windows, frame materials, styles, glass types and instructions for replacing a cracked window pane. Write to James Dulley, Deseret News, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244. Please include $2 handling fee, cash or check.
Question - I plan to buy a fax machine for my home. Do they use much electricity since it is on 24 hours per day and what type is most efficient? - P.B.
Answer - The electricity usage of a fax machine varies depending on the fax technology. Thermal fax machines are the least expensive to buy, but ink-jet fax machines use the least amount of electricity. Laser fax machine, like a thermal fax, have heating components.
I use a thermal fax machine in my own home. The nameplate on the back indicates that it uses 105 watts of electricity. Over a 24-hour period, this equates to about 2.5 kilowatt hours. At 8 cents per kilowatt hour, the daily cost is about 20 cents. I normally switch mine off at night and weekends to save electricity.