Difference between 3-chamber and 2-chamber window. What manufacturers are silent about, but the master told

The installation of plastic windows in a house or apartment sooner or later affects almost all residents of our country. The difference in characteristics and design also causes differences in cost. If possible, some decide not to save money and install windows at a higher price, believing advertising promises. Are expensive windows really worth the money? The answer is a master installer with 20 years of experience.

Three-chamber or two-chamber double-glazed windows: do you need to overpay?

As one company's advertising brochure promises, a three-chamber double-glazed window is 50% superior to a two-chamber double-glazed unit in terms of heat conservation. Yes, theoretically this is true. However, the 50% difference only works when the thermometer drops below -42 degrees. If it is -35, then this difference is reduced by exactly half and is 25%, at -30 - 12%, and at -25 - 4%.

For Siberia, where sometimes the thermometer drops to -50, a three-chamber double-glazed window can really be considered a salvation, but for the middle zone of the central region of the Urals there is almost no difference - it is so small that it is not worth taking into account.

Now about noise protection. The three-chamber design protects against it 20% better than the two-chamber design. This figure was obtained by artificially creating noise of more than 120 decibels. Sounds coming from the street do not reach this level. In cities, noise does not exceed 70 dB; in the private sector it is usually no higher than 20 dB.

Argon, which is blown into the space between the glasses, helps reduce heat loss by 20%. According to an independent expert, this event does not affect heat loss at all. In addition, if the installation of the window structure was carried out perfectly, after 4-5 years the gas will be completely replaced by air.

Another advertising “advantage” is silver plating. Manufacturers claim that it reduces heat loss and minimizes heating from the sun by 25–40%. Yes it's true. However, not all is well here either. If the windows face the sunny side, then the coating fades in four years, and structures installed on the shady side “get rid” of such coating in 6–7 years. After this, the double-glazed window becomes ordinary.

Conclusion: there is no difference between window profiles with different numbers of cameras for the average resident of central Russia, provided they are installed correctly.