Replies

1. 
   calvin | Dec 27, 2011 06:29pm | #1

   Beats me

   Installed too tight?

   no gap in the sash frame?

   Too big a pane for the ga. of glass?

1. 
   jackooo | Dec 30, 2011 02:04pm | #5

   Milgard
   None of the above. A contractor installed them into the frames he built. The size of the window was 3 x 2 feet.

1. 
   calvin | Dec 30, 2011 02:07pm | #7

   jack

   Installed into the frames he built?

   or

   Into the openings he framed?

   If the openings are too tight, it could happen.

   If there is undo heat applied (like the reflection of other objects onto the windows-consistantly, it could happen.

1. 
   jackooo | Dec 30, 2011 02:13pm | #9

   Milgard
   He constructed the addition and bought the windows and installed them into the frames he built.

   This is 5 yrs. later that this happened.

2. 
   oldhand | Dec 27, 2011 07:51pm | #2

   what type of glass?

   Is it tempered glass or regular? They have very different weaknesses.

   I wouldn't even bring that up normally in a window discussion except "explosion" is a frequent discription of tempered glass demise.

1. 
   jackooo | Dec 30, 2011 02:06pm | #6

   Milgard
   Definitely tempered. 3 x 2 feet. The 2nd one exploded at 8:30 at night. Temperature about 55 deg.

3. 
   DanH | Dec 27, 2011 11:03pm | #3

   They explode because the house next to you has a window that is focusing the sunlight on your windows.  (Or maybe not, but it's a definite possibility.)

1. 
   jackooo | Dec 30, 2011 02:08pm | #8

   Milgard
   No house next door and this happened at 8:30 at night.

4. 
   davidmeiland | Dec 27, 2011 11:47pm | #4

   Another possibility

   is depletion of the argon fill gas between the panes. The argon molecules can leak out but air can't leak in as easily, so a partial vacuum develops and stresses the glass. I've heard that this can be significant enough to cause the two panes to make contact in the center of the unit. Most likely that only one side of the glass breaks. Take a look near the top of this page http://www.thesnellgroup.com/WhitePapers.aspx  "A unique thermal problem..."

   Granted, not so likely on windows of your vintage, but you never know...

1. 
   jackooo | Dec 30, 2011 02:18pm | #10

   Milgard.
   The windows do not have gas. The explosion was not an

   implosion.

   I am wondering when the rest will blow?

   The company gave me a duhhhh as far as cause when I called.