But it's just a Prius. Who would mind?
Posted on 01/28/2012 11:46:30 PM PST by nickcarraway
A SoCal woman says the energy efficient window installed in a neighbor’s condominium is melting the plastic components on cars parked in her carport.
Heather Patron of Studio City was dealing with a mystery regarding her Toyota Prius.
“The side view mirrors were melting,” says Patron. “Anything that was plastic on the car was melting.”
Toyota told Patron nothing was wrong with the car. After having the mirrors replaced, she noticed the mirrors on the car parked next to hers were also melting.
Patron then observed a powerful beam of light that was reflecting off the window of a next door condominium, casting a concentrated beam over her carport.
CBS2’s Randy Paige placed a thermometer in the pathway of the beam on a partially cloudy day. The temperature registered over 120 degrees in less than five minutes.
“I’m positive that this window is what is causing the damage to my car,” says Patron.
Patron is not alone. Reports across the country have alleged damages brought on by concentrated sunlight reflected off of energy efficient windows. The National Association of Home Builders is now conducting a study on the matter.
“I just don’t feel like it’s fair,” says Patron. “I feel like it needs to be known that this is happening. And a lot of people probably have damage out there, that they aren’t aware that it’s the windows that are causing this.”
The Los Angeles City Department of Building and Safety says even if the window is the source of the damage, there are no code violations involved. The department says it’s not against the law to install a window that reflects sunlight.
“Anything that was plastic on the car was melting.”
That means everything except for the ashtray.
I suspect the work of Dr. Evil and his “laser.”
Irony is ironic sometimes, ironically enough.
However I am surprised the Prius is coming to any more harm in these energy efficient window reflections, than it would come to in direct sunlight. Unless the energy efficient windows act like a concave (not flat or convex) mirror and produce a focused reflected ray. That would not just be a problem for Priuses but for people.
Yet another example of what happens when Liberals are allowed to enact their beliefs. They create a hell on earth for all of us.
What, like a series of unfortunate events (great movie, btw).
Green Windows Melt Polar Ice Caps
Energy efficient windows— the true source of global warming....;
I don’t think cars come with ashtrays anymore. I haven’t seen one in the past 10 years.
Sorry lady, it's the sun, not the window. No law suit today.
It’s that little tray you use to throw change in!
But it's just a Prius. Who would mind?
Priuses are good, sturdy cars. I have 2. I only wish they were American-made (and still good quality). Never had a problem with either of them and both have well over 125k miles.
even if the window is the source of the damage, there are no code violations involved. The department says it’s not against the law to install a window that reflects sunlight.
But I’ll just bet it will be against a law very soon.
I’s the curvature of the windows...caused by pulling a vacuum between the two glass panes....focused reflection of the sun....ergo...hot spot.
Yes,we’ve stayed at the Aria and the pool to the sister hotel is directly across the street.
I’ve experienced the same thing at a new condo complex recently built nearby. You can’t stand in the path of reflected light. Its like a magnifying glass.
Someone with a degree of ingenuity could have a great deal of fun redirecting this beam of light.
“The department says it’s not against the law to install a window that reflects sunlight.”
IIRC, all that is necessary is to show damage caused by the defendant in the civil suit.
Cops are for criminal situations, not mere tort situations.
Killer glass there was a hotel in Las Vegas that had the same thing installed there. People at the swimming pool at a hotel next door were getting burned by the solar reflection from the windows. Not sure what the final outcome was but there was talk about dismantaling the offending building as it was at that time vacant. I think since it has been occupied.
However I am surprised the Prius is coming to any more harm in these energy efficient window reflections, than it would come to in direct sunlight. Unless the energy efficient windows act like a concave (not flat or convex) mirror and produce a focused reflected ray. That would not just be a problem for Priuses but for people
The cheap Mexican double pane windows I've seen around Tucson are not very flat - you can easily see visible distortion.
Perhaps this window actually does have a bit of concave distortion in it...
Indeed - beautiful cinematography!
Would that be like kids killing ants with a magnifying glass...The sun doesn’t do it, its what reflects the sun...
1) A few months after she bought it, the battery died and she had to wait two hours in the airport parking garage for a licensed dealer to come jump it b/c it won't take a regular jump.
2) (this is so funny), she was driving to work one day and her car was shaking all over the place. She made it to a local dealer and discovered that the river rats (she lives on a river canal- ya know, one of those poor people) had eaten through all those earth-friendly materials that the cables are made from. Cost her a fortune to have it towed to a dealer that could fix it!
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