MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

Spacer Talk - Swiggle? Super Spacer? What Are They?
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SZILA
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:38 pm

MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#1 Post by SZILA »

AM LOOKING AT MI WINDOWS WITH 366 GLASS BUT THEY HAVE METAL SPACERS ANY HELP ON WHETHER THESE ARE GOOD THE GLASS SEEMS TOP OF THE LINE GOOD RATINGS AND PRICE IS AFFORDABLE AROUND 400 PER WINDOW, ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT THANKS.

Skydawggy.
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Location: Northern Virginia

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#2 Post by Skydawggy. »

Depends on whether the metal spacer is aluminum or stainless steel. Please don't type with all caps, it makes it difficult to read. Why do you think you need 366 glass as opposed to 270 or 179 or even the new 181?

SZILA
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:38 pm

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#3 Post by SZILA »

The window MI Homemaker series comes with 366 and is stainless steel better than aluminum?

Skydawggy.
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Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#4 Post by Skydawggy. »

Depending on where you live, 366 glass can in some cases, actually cause your utility bills to increase as opposed to leaving your existing windows in.

SS is better than aluminum and silicone spacers are at least equal of better than SS.

lf1
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:59 am

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#5 Post by lf1 »

366 is a high performance soft-coat low-e by Cardinal. The spacer is stainless steel. This is a "warm edge" spacer with thermal performance that is almost equal to the best non-metal spacers. Many of the top window manufacturers use Cardinal insulated glass in their products (Anderson, Pella, Marvin...etc.). You can get more information from Cardinal's website.

The center of glass u-value and SHGC for LE366 is as good as you can get in standard insulated glass. Triple and suspended film units will outperform this, but there is probably a significant premiun for these products. Don't worry about this type of glass causing your heating cost to increase. Granted, you won't benefit from the heat gain in the winter, but in the summer you'll be glad you used this product when you are trying to keep your home cool. Your total annual energy cost should be as low as it would be with any other LowE and it could in fact be significantly less if you have central air. You can go to the following website for information on utility costs for various window types and glazings specific to your geographic area: http://www.efficientwindows.org/selection.cfm.

Skydawggy.
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Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#6 Post by Skydawggy. »

Sorry IF1 but you are simply mistaken. You are assuming that the OP lives in a region where reducing Solar Gain in the Summer is a factor and then further assuming the trade-off in reduced Solar gain in the Summer offsets the loss of Solar Gain in the Winter. You have no basis to make such a claim and if you do some research on the site you provided a link for, you will see that using low Solar Gain glass in Nothern Regions will result in higher heating bills. In addition, those of us who have been posting here for years will tell you we have had consumers post on this site that their utility bill actually went up after replacing their old windows with new, low Solar Gain glass. This is why there was such an uproar in the window industry regarding the Stimulus Tax Credit criteria as it imposed a minimum Solar Gain in Northern Regions.

The point is that we have no idea where the OP resides and cannot make unqualified statements such as you have until we have that information.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#7 Post by Windows on Washington »

+1 on Eco's comments.

I have been stressing this to clients for some time now.

masterext
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Location: Window Pro-Serves All of Northern New Jersey. Bergen, Morris, Union, Essex, Passaic, Sussex Counties

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#8 Post by masterext »

MI Windows never used a true stainless steel spacer. they used a tin plated spacer. MI Windows are just poor quality from top to bottom and everything in between.

lf1
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:59 am

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#9 Post by lf1 »

Actually Sky I don't see anything accurate with your post. I gave a summary of the product and provided a link that allows the user to compare the energy cost for their geographic area.

I live in the Northern zone in a house that faces west. The minimal benefit from any heat gain in the winter is lost when I try to cool my house in the summer. Yes, believe it or not, people in the Northern zone do actually have and use air conditioners. If I could do it again, I would certainly choose a moderate or low SHGC coating over the high SHGC coating used in my windows. My total energy cost would be lower.

masterext
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:14 am
Location: Window Pro-Serves All of Northern New Jersey. Bergen, Morris, Union, Essex, Passaic, Sussex Counties

Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#10 Post by masterext »

MI could use the worlds best spacer and it would still be junk. MI make low quality windows so talking about their spacer seems irrelevant . MI has an extremely high air leakage rate and the frame is flimsy.

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HomeSealed
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Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#11 Post by HomeSealed »

lf1 wrote:Actually Sky I don't see anything accurate with your post. I gave a summary of the product and provided a link that allows the user to compare the energy cost for their geographic area.

I live in the Northern zone in a house that faces west. The minimal benefit from any heat gain in the winter is lost when I try to cool my house in the summer. Yes, believe it or not, people in the Northern zone do actually have and use air conditioners. If I could do it again, I would certainly choose a moderate or low SHGC coating over the high SHGC coating used in my windows. My total energy cost would be lower.
lf1, certainly there are other factors that should be weighed here (facing direction and size of windows, landscaping, other design features, etc), but very generally speaking most pros are going to agree with Sky's sentiments on this. A moderate to higher SHGC rating will be more beneficial in a cold northern climate where there is far more $$$ spent on heating the home than cooling it. The will no doubt be a different recommendation for a home with all West facing windows compared to one with South, but again, very generally speaking, 366 over 272 or other equivalents will provide a negligible gain at a premium price, and in some cases actually be detrimental. I have no idea about your background or motivation so please don't think that this is directed at you, but in my experience, it is simply easier for salesmen that are either uninformed, too lazy, or worse, to push the product with the better u-value without regard for other factors.

Oberon
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Re: MI WINDOWS METAL SPACERS 366 GLASS

#12 Post by Oberon »

If1,

Three years to reply? That's gotta be a record.

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