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brainwater314 t1_j6k3333 wrote

Reply to comment by Hagenaar in How do I prevent condensation on the windows from causing water to accumulate on the windowsill? by teddythepooh99

I don't think these trap air. Instead, I think it has to do with the "impedance mismatch" between the glass and plastic making the heat not conduct as well. Put simply, heat doesn't conduct well between different materials. Imagine one material is a bunch of marbles bouncing around, and another is a bunch of bowling balls bouncing around. The energy wouldn't transfer well when the marbles and bowling balls hit each other.

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Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_j6k5qj9 wrote

They do trap air. You tape them to the frame, so there's an air layer between the window pane and the plastic.

It sounds like you're describing something that you'd stick directly to the glass. That's another option, but AFAIK it helps less than the air-trap type of plastic sheeting.

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Hagenaar t1_j6k5hz3 wrote

Plastic film works the same as a glass storm window. There is an element of a physical substance separating the warmer and cooler air, but it's largely the trapped air because it conducts heat so poorly, it's an invisible heat blanket.

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