window replacement

[towncarblue]

i recently moved into my new home[condo] . the age of the home is 10years old. the windows are double hung windows double pane[ two thin glass]. the glass feels thin, id say less than 1/4 in. the total thickness is 3/4 in.
i would like to replace the window [ glass only ] with better ones [more energy efficient, like Low-E with argon]. the frame looks pretty good [no damage ] its just that these windows dont do a good job of keeping the cold out.

would it be a good idea to do this or am i stuck buying and installing a whole new window set??????
also is argon gas worth it or is it better to buy triple pane windows?

[HayZee518]

I don't know what the benefit is of using argon. The manufacturer's could've used dry nitrogen for that matter, or any inert gas at low pressure. What we're dealing with is the transmission of heat through a substance. take a simple window - one pane. Apply cold to one side and radiant heat to the other. one side is going to condense moisture and freeze. ok, a double pane window with some gas inside. one side will be cold, the other will be hot or warm. something inside between the two panes has got to happen - a warming or cooling effect. Ideally the absence of any gas seems more plausible. In a vacuum there's nothing there to heat up or cool down, so you're not transmitting heat or cold in or out. For framing, wood seems the best. It is a natural insulator. one side can be warm to the touch and just 1 1/4 inches away the other side can be ice cold. Plastic composite windows will transmit coolness and/or heat by conduction alone, same as metal [aluminum] with a foam center.

[towncarblue]

what about ' window insulation kit ' . its pretty much shrink film that is supposed to insulate .
does this work or is it a waste of money????

[towncarblue]

what is the best thing i can do to protect my home from the cold [in regards to the windows??]??

[HayZee518]

are aesthetics important to you? if not then that shrink plastic window treatments should work. I've used it here on my double hung windows. That's the stuff that uses a double faced tape and you stick on the plastic and shrink it with a hair dryer.

[HayZee518]

I live in that part of new york state they call little siberia so when it gets cold IT GETS COLD!