Rejecting a triple glazed window unit.

[ProDave]

Short story: 

 

We had planned to get a stained glass unit made for the landing window, so we bought that window from the supplier without glass, and it sat for 3 years boarded up.  Eventually the penny dropped that making a triple glazed unit with stained glass was too complicated and expensive and we needed the window finished for completion of the building.

 

So earlier in the year we paid a local Inverness glazing company to make and fit a plain glass triple glazed unit for this widow.

 

All appeared well to start with, but then we noticed the window appeared "dirty" but it was not dirt that could be cleaned off.  It is inside, as far as we can tell on the inner pane of glass.

 

Now this staining is a peculiar thing, sometimes it is visible, a lot of the time it is not, it is as if the inner surface of the glass mists up but only under certain temperature or other weather conditions.  So far it has defied any attempt to get a meaningful photograph of it.

 

We are wanting to take the matter up with the supplier, but mindful of the fact if they come to look and happen to do so at a time when it does not show, they will dismiss any claim.  So I at least want to wait until I have been able to capture a photograph, or the problem has become more persistent.

 

Separately, the last few nights have been cold, and we have had an overnight frost twice in recent days.  We are now finding on such a cold morning, condensation is forming on the inside of this triple glazed panel at the bottom.  That makes it the only window in the house, 2g or 3g to have a condensation issue, and must point to something being very wrong for that to happen.

 

So my questions are as follows:

 

Is there a time limit to make a claim for a defective glass unit?  At the moment it has been in place less than 6 months and my thinking is we should be safe until at least a year after it's fitting to make a claim.  That might give time for the fault to become more persistent and therefore easier to show.

 

Is the condensation issue alone valid reason to reject the window unit and ask for it to be replaced?  I am only thinking that is easier to demonstrate, they only need to visit early after a cold night to see that.

 

P.S.  I just want to make clear this is only one glass unit we have a problem with that was fitted by a local supplier.  ALL the original glass units supplied by Rationel with the windows have been faultless.

[Declan52]

The seal has failed so will only get worse. You usually get a 10 year warranty with units so you should be well covered. 

[Nick]

Sounds like the seal in the unit has broken down. Yes I would say this is a valid reason to ask for a replacement and you should be covered as long as the glass is under warranty. Would expect this to be at least a few years but all depends on the supplier you used and their Ts & Cs

[ProDave]

Interesting.

 

I have the quotation from which I ordered the glass unit and while it details what I am buying, there is nothing to state the terms and conditions or guarantee period.  I will search their website to see if I can find anything.  but in any event there should be no doubt regardless if I get a claim in before it is a year old I would have thought.  That being the case I will monitor the situation for a while longer 

 

If the condensation (and obviously excessive heat loss) alone is reason alone to reject it then that will be my approach rather than trying to prove the more elusive internal misting issue, though that will probably get worse and easier to see as time goes on.

[craig]

2 hours ago, Declan52 said:

usually get a 10 year warranty with units

Rare, usually 3 to 5 years with most glass manufacturers.

[Declan52]

18 minutes ago, craig said:

Rare, usually 3 to 5 years with most glass manufacturers.

Mine came with a 10 year warranty. Maybe it's a Irish thing.