Need opinion on my new windows

[gygeneral]

So we had new windows installed, now having a major argument with the manufacturer, they say the windows are ok , I say something is not quite right. The issue is that the windows are sweating on the outside pane. The house is air conditioned so its colder inside than outside. Yes I'm sure its outside, I opened the windows to check and its definitively outside. The manufacturer says the windows are working, I say no because the cold is meeting with the hot. They also said that if it was sweating inside or in between the panes then they would agree. I've attached a couple pics. I have many other windows from the same guys and do not do this. What do you guys think?

 

[JunkBonds]

I would say you live in a very humid area.

 

[wssix99]

If you can wipe the drops off the outside of the glass, then this is completely normal and due to abnormally humid air outside. (I'm pretty close to your latitude and the same thing happens here, in Chicago.)

The same thing will happen to you in the winter if you over-humidify, except you'll get the condensation on the inside of the glass.

(This actually proves your windows are good because their temperature is holding. If they were cheap, they would absorb outside heat faster with the outside temperature changes and this would not happen.)

Even top-of-the-line triple pane windows are crappy insulators. In your area, all you need is hot, humid air to hit your windows after a cool night, and this will happen. (The dividing line between cool and hot is the dewpoint.) It looks like you have had cool evenings and morning dewpoints that climb up to around 20C. So, if your inside is warmer than outside at night and then the dewpoint comes up in the morning, you'll see the condensation form when the dewpoint hits the temperature of the inside of your house. (The temperature of your house should roughly equal the temperature of your glass at that time.)

This should stop happening as soon as the outside temperatures aren't fluctuating in this range and/or the humidity goes down.

 

[gygeneral]

Thanks for that, I'm just thinking of all the windows I have these are the only ones doing that. So now are the other ones no good? LOL.
It has been humid here, and I'm sure the inside of the house is colder than outside, nights have been warm here.
I will have to read up on dewpoint, I am not familiar with that.

 

[Tracs]

Thanks for that, I'm just thinking of all the windows I have these are the only ones doing that. So now are the other ones no good? LOL.
It has been humid here, and I'm sure the inside of the house is colder than outside, nights have been warm here.
I will have to read up on dewpoint, I am not familiar with that.

What is your inside and outside temps when it is sweating?

 

[gygeneral]

Well inside its 74 but I'm not sure what it was outside, now I wish I would have checked that.

 

[wssix99]

Thanks for that, I'm just thinking of all the windows I have these are the only ones doing that. So now are the other ones no good? LOL.
It has been humid here, and I'm sure the inside of the house is colder than outside, nights have been warm here.
I will have to read up on dewpoint, I am not familiar with that.

No. The windows will behave differently with sun exposure. Solar gain is another factor that will help them heat up quickly. (The faster the glass heats up, the less chance you have of experiencing and/or seeing this. The glass has to stay cool enough to match the raising dew point as the humid air heats up. Once the dew point and temperature of an object match up - bam. In the air, clouds form. On surfaces, we get condensation.)

 

[jack stand]

Thanks for that, I'm just thinking of all the windows I have these are the only ones doing that. So now are the other ones no good? LOL.
It has been humid here, and I'm sure the inside of the house is colder than outside, nights have been warm here.
I will have to read up on dewpoint, I am not familiar with that.

Are these all on the same wall? A different wall would have a different exposure. Reacting differently would be normal. (East/west-sunny/shade)

 

[jar944]

Its normal.

 

[gygeneral]

Yes they are on the same wall, southern exposure. Ok sounds like the company is not trying to get out of warranty work. Thanks everyone for the explanation

 

[Walkers]

Have a glass company come out and give you their opinion on the glass in writing. Might be worth paying the $75 or so for a written opinion.

 

[nadogail]

Take this up with your local dealer for those windows.

 

[My Old Tools]

You need to go triple pane to prevent that.

 

[Bert_]

Judging from the look of it I am assuming this is some sort of budget window?

I don't have this trouble even with the bare single pane windows on the front of my house in the summer. We do have hot and humid weather here and I've had the a/c on during the hot days. I will get condensation on the inside during winter if I don't put storms on.

The only time I have ever seen it during the summer is on my side windows with aluminum storms. When I leave the storm window open but the interior closed I get a small amount of condensation on the storm window in the morning. But it's gone pretty quickly.