HOMEOWNERS Tips For Buying Energy-Efficient Windows (NAPSA)—If heating and cooling bills are making you hot under the collar, consider these hints for finding energy-efficient windows: Check U-values. A measure of thermalefficiency, U-values show a window’s resistance to flow of heat energy. Lower U-values mean higher energy efficiency. ee Buy dual-pane windows. The air space between two panes of glass acts as an insulator. Dual-pane units also help reduce air convection (that chilly draft of air caused by differences in surface temperatures). Consider gas-filled windows.Inert gasses like argon conduct less heat, making gas-filled windowsbetter insulators than unfilled windows. Select Low-E glass coatings. The metallic film in Low-E (emis- sivity) glass reflects heat back into the home while allowing light to pass throughfreely. Choose warm-edge spacers. Located at the perimeter of dualpane windows, warm-edge spacers increase window thermalperformance. Many choices are available, but in general, less metal in the spacer means lower U-values. TruSeal Technologies, Inc. manufactures Swiggle Seal (low metal), DuraSeal” (low metal) and Insuledge™ (no metal) spacers for a variety of U-values. For more information, visit www.truseal.com.
