Dual pane windows are sealed with a vacuum seal called a hermetic seal. Hermetic seals are used in many applications besides windows. One of the most common is food wrapping for seafood. Fish like Salmon or Tuna are often placed in a package with a hermetic seal to ensure freshness without using all those preservatives. Also airplanes have a hermetic seal that separates the cabin pressure from the outside air. The hermetic seal on a window is kept in place by a strip of rubber wedged between the frame and the glass. When this rubber becomes damaged, dried out or brittle, that's when the seal gives way and the window is no longer insulating properly.
There are several signs that indicate your hermetic seal has failed:
1) A gap between the ends of the rubber seal
2) Chalking inside the window panes
3) Refracted light inside the panes
4) ...and the most obvious, when the seal isn't seated
So these are examples of what can happen if you do not properly care for your windows. So how do you properly care for them? The best way is to have a professional window cleaning company periodically clean and care for your windows.
The following is the minimum you should expect from a professional cleaning company, and what you should do to care for them yourself:
• Clean the glass(obvious isn't it?)
• Vacuum out the track, and remove dust and debris(some window manufacturers design the window to come out for this process)
• Clean the frame and track(Be sure that the cleaner you use is designed for the type of material your windows are made from: Aluminum, Vinyl, Fiberglass, etc.)
• Grease the track(Aluminum windows only)
• Clean the rubber seal with protectant(You can find this in an Auto Care store, be sure that the label says "for use on rubber")
Proper care of your windows can greatly extend the life of your windows by several decades.
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