Are triple pane windows worth it?

[skives]

I’m just wondering if anyone here has triple pane windows and could tell me if they are worth the extra cost?

[bjl584]

I have talked to some people about this.
I was told that there is no real benefit above and beyond a quality double pane window that justifies the cost of the triple pane.

They won't hurt obviously, but any benefit as far as energy conservation and heat/cold loss will probably be negligible in most cases.

[Fishindude77]

In my opinion NO. The glass area of a window is poor insulation value at best. Two or three panes, doesn't make significant difference.
If you want to control energy at windows, make them smaller or use insulated blinds.

[ua_guy]

It depends on what you want them for. They are fairly effective at noise abatement, but not astonishingly more than what a double-pane can do, and that's more about personal comfort obviously.

For energy savings, that's harder to determine, and although they do have limited value there, replacing windows would be farther down on my list of things to do if I wanted to save energy.

First I'd look at my heat/ac ducting, making sure it is properly sealed and insulated. Adding extra insulation in attic and crawl spaces. Interior spray-foam insulation on exterior walls. Getting rid of an older furnace that is only 80% or so efficient. Sealing existing wood-burning fireplaces that are unused. Swapping out a big tank water heater for a tankless. All these things are fairly cheap/easy wins comparatively-- windows is about the last thing I'd do unless they were single-pane. Then that project would jump much farther up the list.

[TexasHusker]

I'm a believer in high-quality windows. We have Andersen wood windows that are 30 years old now and they still look and operate like new.

I'm also a believer in high-quality roofing. I bit the bullet and installed a genuine slate roof back in 2000 or so. Since then, every roof on our block has been replaced at least twice since that time, many of them three times, due to hail or wind damage. I've never lost a shingle.

[Snicks]

I think double panes are fine. I think triple is kind of a marketing gimmick.