Tinting windows help cool interior?

SeanQ

Guest
Guys, I unfortunately don’t have Air con in my leon. The one thing I over looked when I bought the car last year. So I’ve been looking at ways to help with the heat a bit and i read that tinting the windows is a good way to keep out the heat. Can anyone comment on this?

thanks :)
 
Aug 16, 2007
666
0
Wolverhampton
Yeah I thought they all had it, what model and year is your car?

I'm not sure if the tints help, it's the fact that the heat gets in and can't get out...

They probably wouldn't do any harm
 

bizzaboy

Guest
Yeah I thought they all had it, what model and year is your car?

I'm not sure if the tints help, it's the fact that the heat gets in and can't get out...

They probably wouldn't do any harm

Agree - you can have the darkest tints, but parked out in the sun there's no way to stop the temperature inside the car from rising (much like a greenhouse). ;)

However, your car might LOOK "Cooler" with tints! :p
 

Deleted member 36158

Guest
i wouldnt say it worked. i used to have proper black tints (couldnt see in or out the car lol) and it was still like a sauna in the sun!
 

bobmcgod

Active Member
Jan 22, 2007
323
0
*Has a think*

The tints would absorb light energy and heat up. And would then heat the inside of the car up.

But clear windows allow the light to pass straight through (at certain angles) so would trap less energy.

Mmmm a-level physics.
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
http://www.windowfilm.co.uk/Commercial3.aspx?CF=Commercial_Prod_1_product

We have many different types of film available; ranging from our standard Reflective Silver through to Bronze, Grey or Tinted. These window films will reduce the heat by around 75%.

The heat reduction capability is obviously greater when on the move than when stationery, but when you have a tin lid soaking in heat you don't have much option. Brother in law had his done last year, and his kids are far more comfortable temperature-wise in the car when on the roll.
 

DeanJ

black topped
Oct 26, 2006
95
0
Birmingham
I've deffo noticed a difference with my standard tints. If I leave a can of pop on the back seat or foot-well it's much colder after a few hours then if I leave it in the front cup holder. Also the arm-rest keeps them colder than I expected.
 

SeanQ

Guest
Thanks for the replies!

In reply to the question about parking in the sun, yes Im sure there is not much i can expect the tint to do but when the car is aired out and i go for a drive i think the tints would work quiet well..

Try the new Crystalline series from 3M. CR 70 is almost clear but with great heat reduction.


I am going to install crystalline to all my windows tomorrow and I'll let you know.

Great, that sounds promising. Did you buy this stuff online? do you apply it yourself?

thanks
 

ares

Active Member
Jun 28, 2008
282
0
Greece, Athens
SeanQ I went today to a professional installer. They are trained and certified for this job so you better find a good professional to do this. Cleanliness during installation and end result clarity is of great importance, plus you get a certificate (for MOT) and lifetime warranty. These specific films are very new offering double the heat reduction than previous generations yet are almost clear but they come at almost double the price. Once they were installed, the car was left on the sun for few hours and when I got in the car I immediately felt the heat difference in the cabin than before. The most amazing thing was that that the windows that were covered allowed almost no heat so I couldn't feel the heat from the sun whereas those not covered you could feel the heat coming through. An additional observation was that the a/c reached the desired temp very quickly and kept it stable with minimum work. I believe that if a film can keep a car cool under Greece's scorching sun it can surely keep your car cool in UK. Although in my country putting film on the windshield is not recommended, it is so good that I decided to do my windshield too because I can't stand the heat coming through it.

For reference check this out:

Crystalline CR-70 (New gen.)..........................Color Stable CS-50 (Previous gen.)

68% Visible Light Transmitted....................................51% Visible light transmitted
50% Total Solar Energy Rejected...............................37% Total solar energy rejected
(59% On Angle)
97% Infrared Rejected..............................................30% Infrared rejected
38% Solar Heat Reduction.........................................18% Solar heat reduction
9% Visible Light Reflection Int....................................8% Visible light reflected
9% Visible Light Reflection Ext.
99.9% UV Rejected...................................................99% UV light rejected
23% Glare Reduction................................................42% Glare reduction
 
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SeanQ

Guest
Thanks for the info Ares. One question, did the installer have the crystalline tints in store or did you buy it and bring to to the garage yourself?

My local tinting place does not metion brands on their website so Im not sure if they are any good. I dont mind paying extra to get the best stuff..
 

ares

Active Member
Jun 28, 2008
282
0
Greece, Athens
The installer were a 3M approved dealer and they had the films in stock. You should search for approved 3M dealers in UK and then find a local one. If you can't find one you could order the film but they come in big rolls (approx. 50 x 1,2 meters) so I don't think it is wise to buy a roll just for your car (plus it way too expensive). Also as a general information have in mind that cheap films have aluminum (to reduce heat) but the seal your car from a signal in or out of the car so antennas don't work and reception is bad. Another negative of cheap tints is that they turn purple after few years so they look like crap. 3M films in general (CS and CR series) don't have aluminum and they don't turn purple after time.
 
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