Vinyl Window Air Infiltration

Demonstrate compliance with the following.

Vinyl window air infiltration. It is indicated by an air leakage rating al expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area. Zen s vinyl windows in austin tx are great examples. It s expressed in units of cubic feet per minute per square foot of frame area cfm ft2. That s quite a difference up to 96 better than the industry standard.

A small difference of 1 cu ft hr on a day. Altitude limits nfrc ratings center of glass performance joining wind load tables and performance grade air infiltration sound transmission ratings for andersen windows and doors. Allowable air leakage rate. Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration through cracks in the window assembly.

Vinyl windows and air infiltration all windows regardless of material or construction will leak a certain amount of air. 1 5 times applicable rate for product type and performance class in accordance with aama wdma csa 101 i s 2 a440. The lower the al the less air will pass through cracks in the window assembly. Harvey vinyl windows have air infiltration ratings ranging from 01 07 cfm sf.

Air leakage is the rate of air movement around a window door or skylight in the presence of a specific pressure difference across it. Pgt vinyl windows and doors have florida state product approval and have been tested to aama nwwda 101 i s 2 7 specifications. There is even a formula to quantify it. This number is determined before installation and in order to keep that number where it s at you must have your windows professionally installed so there are no drafts.

1 the window s structural design allows air to leak through it or 2 the window has been poorly installed or maintained. A product with a low air leakage rating is tighter than one with a high air leakage rating. Astm e283 for air infiltration astm e987 for deglazing. The key is to get a window with such low air infiltration as to make any air penetration insignificant.

The importance of air infiltration to window performance it is a known fact that even moderate air leakage can increase btu loss in an average home. They have also been designed to meet the following test standards. Test vinyl windows after installation to verify amount of air infiltration and water resistance in accordance with aama 502. Nearly all windows except those that are fixed are susceptible to window air infiltration simply by design.