Argon gas, what is it?

In a double glazed system, the performance of the glass can be significantly increased with the use of a pressurised argon gas cavity. As you may already be aware, a double glazed system has two panes of glass separated by a cavity. Unless argon gas is specifically requested, most glazing companies will provide you with an air gap between the glass. This unfortunately, performs poorly for reducing both heat and sound transfer through the glass. In addition to this, cold external temperatures can also create condensation streaks between the glass, which can unfortunately never be cleaned.

Argon will add the energy efficiency of the window or door, by minimising the transfer of heat through the argon gas-filled gap. This gas will also add to the noise reduction of the glazing unit. But ultimately, argon gas will reduce if not eliminate the risk of condensation between the panes of glass. Because once you get condensation between the panes of glass, there is no way of cleaning it, short of replacing the entire glazing unit.

Lots of people ask if argon gas will explode or if it will cause health implications. The short answer is no. Argon gas is the third highest concentration of gas in our atmosphere after oxygen. We are breathing argon gas every breathe that we take.

If you break a glass pane, the argon will escape, but not cause any harm to anyone, nor will it explode, as the pressure is not high enough for that.

In comparison, the use of a pressurised argon gas cavity significantly increases the thermal efficiency of the glazing unit. Argon is a noble non-toxic gas, which we breathe in every day. It is the third most abundant gas in our atmosphere and is completely safe for glass production, as it undergoes almost no chemical reactions. Argon gas is denser than air, and as a result, heat and sound movement through the glass is reduced. The size of the cavity is also important, as the wider the glass cavity, the more argon gas is used, and therefore it will perform even better.

As a minimum, Oknalux windows will always have argon gas between every glass pane, but customers have the option to upgrade to krypton gas for increased overall performance. Our customers can always be sure they receive exactly what they paid for, with a certification stamp on all our glazing units. This stamp, located between the glass states; the manufacturer’s name, the manufacture date, glass selection, and the glass certification code. Many of our competitors don’t specify this information, and their customers have to trust that the company has accurately provided the correct glass specifications.

If you want to know more about our double glazed windows, please visit our website at www.oknalux.com.au.