Here we have Andersen A-Series windows reviews to see if these are a good option for your home. Andersen says these are their best performing and most energy efficient windows. Does that mean these windows are a great choice or is Andersen just trading on their name and reputation in the industry? Let’s find out.
What are the advantages of the Andersen A-Series windows?
Similar to the Andersen E-Series that we reviewed recently, the A-Series is a very nice looking product. That’s going to be the main advantage to these windows over other choices. Here’s a glamour shot from their brochure:
Unfortunately, beyond the good looks there are some downsides to these products that you should be aware of.
What are the disadvantages?
There are a range of disadvantages to these windows. For example, they’ll be considerably less energy efficient than a nice vinyl window. They’re also relatively expensive and the warranty is much more limited, in some respects, than others.
For example, in the brochure they say the A-Series windows never need painting and they hold their vibrant finish.
Then in the actual warranty they say the windows won’t fade for 10 years. Of course most people never read the fine print in the warranty, but we do.
To say the windows will “never need painting” and then say the warranty is only for 10 years feels a little dishonest to me. If they really thought the windows would never need painting shouldn’t the warranty cover the finish for a little longer? Maybe that’s why they want to limit your right to sue them as part of the warranty. We’ll get more into the warranty down below.
So, the main drawbacks of these windows in my mind are the warranty, the efficiency and the relatedly high prices. Next we’ll look at the efficiency.
Are the Andersen A-Series windows energy efficient?
Not really. We know Andersen touts these as being their most efficient windows and the ratings can be decent, but they’re defininltey less efficient than windows you’ll see from other manufacturers, often at lower costs.
For example, in preparation for this article I reviewed efficiency ratings for over 150 configurations of the A-Series casement window. The very best U-Factor available without grilles was 0.24. Lower is better when it comes to U-Factors and 0.24 is ok, but it’s definitely higher (worse) than you’ll see from many other manufacturers. Why is this the very best that Andersen offers? I have no idea.
As you can see the very best ratings we could find for the most efficient option available in a casement window still isn’t particularly great. These are probably more efficient than the old windows in your house but they’re not as efficient as many other available options.
What about the Andersen A-Series air infiltration rates?
This is another area that doesn’t look so great for Andersen. The air infiltration is presented in the chart above as being <0.20 which is pretty underwhelming, especially for a casement window. Most top of the line type casement windows will have air infiltration ratings around 0.02 or about 1/10th of the air that you get through the A-series windows.
To be fair air infiltration is one of the ratings that will vary by size so it’s sometimes challenging to present one rating for one window. The size of the window can change the rating a little bit. Still, 0.20 is super high for a casement window. Most vinyl window options will seal much better.
Is the Andersen A-Series warranty any good?’
Not really. Right off the bat I would be concern that they try to limit your rights in the very first paragraph.
As you can see, right off the bat they say that you give up your right to participate in a class action suit or to have a jury trial unless you go to their website and fill out a form within a year of the windows being installed.
This strikes me as being a little tricky as most people won’t have a problem in the first year so they likely won’t actually read the warranty. If you spend $20k on windows and have a problem 3 years down the road your rights might already be limited. Strange.
We already showed you how they claim these windows never need painting but then say if they fade after 10 years you’re on your own.
There are some aspects of the warranty that are better. For example, the insulated glass is covered for 20 years. They may just provide the glass and no labor, but at leas the glass is covered.
The other components like locks, latches, balances, etc are only covered for 10 years which is also a relatively short time period. They also have no obligation to provide labor for a repair to these components either.
And, labor is not covered at all.
The warranty is transferable and stays with the windows rather than with the purchaser which is a nice feature. Many other warranties make you transfer the warranty to the buyer of the house hoping you’ll forget. Andersen doesn’t do that and that’s a selling point if you ask me.
What’s the bottom line?
Overall I’d say these window are very pretty. They also come with relatively high prices, a very limited warranty and efficiency ratings that aren’t too great.
If you’re in a situation where the look that they offer is worth the tradeoffs then these windows might make sense for you. for everyone else, there are probably better options out there.
Other Andersen window posts you might find helpful:
- Why you should NEVER buy Andersen windows
- Andersen windows FAQ
- Renewal by Andersen Complaints – What’s going on?
- Andersen sells Silver Line and American Craftsman brands
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That part is easy. Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.
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