With the continuing intense warmth, automotive inside temperatures can soar. Many automotive house owners decide to put in curtains or apply warmth insulation movie (often known as window tint) to cut back cabin temperature. What are the professionals and cons of every choice? And the way must you select authorized and efficient warmth insulation movie given Hong Kong’s strict laws on window transparency? Kwiksure shares the important thing issues to remember when deciding on automotive warmth insulation movie.
Automotive Warmth Insulation Movie vs. Curtains
Each automotive warmth insulation movies and curtains are common choices for cooling down a automobile. This is a comparability of their advantages and disadvantages:
Automotive Warmth Insulation Movie
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Curtains
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Worth
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Increased
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Cheaper
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Look
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Adheres on to the glass
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Exterior accent
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Operation
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Strikes with window glass
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Handbook operation
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Warmth Insulation
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Will depend on the kind of movie
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Excessive stage of opacity
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Flexibility
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Irreversible as soon as eliminated
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Will be eliminated and put in anytime
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Sturdiness
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5 – 10 years
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2 – 3 years
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Automotive Warmth Insulation Movie Transparency Necessities
In line with Hong Kong’s Street Visitors Ordinance (Cap. 374) and the Transport Department’s laws, automobile home windows should meet particular transparency necessities. As of April 2023, the latest regulations are as follows:
- All home windows (together with the windshield) will need to have a transparency of 70%, except in any other case specified.
- For automobiles with mirrors on each side, the rear facet home windows of personal vehicles, vehicles, special-purpose automobiles, and buses will need to have a transparency of 44%.
- Higher-deck home windows and windshields of double-decker buses should even have a transparency of 44%.
Building of Automotive Warmth Insulation Movie
What precisely is automotive warmth insulation movie, and the way does it maintain the warmth out? Automotive warmth insulation movies (Warmth Discount Window Movies) are made out of a number of layers of supplies, together with PET (polyester film), metallic reflective coatings, natural dye coatings, scratch-resistant layers, and adhesive coatings. These layers work collectively to dam, mirror, or take up photo voltaic warmth, infrared rays, UV rays, and glare, thereby decreasing the cabin temperature of the automobile.
Learn how to Select Automotive Warmth Insulation Movie
Whereas the features of warmth insulation movies are typically related, they arrive with numerous specs similar to transparency, warmth rejection price, and glare discount. Moreover noting these values, you must also examine if the movie incorporates metallic layers, as metallic layers can block digital alerts, affecting units like HKeToll, cell phones, or in-car navigation programs. At all times seek the advice of with the store earlier than set up.
Warmth Discount Window Movie Index
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Total Solar Energy Rejection (TSER)
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Decrease values point out larger transparency. Superior movies could not require darkish tint for efficient insulation; select movies that adjust to authorized transparency necessities.
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Visible Light Transmittance (VLT)
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Increased values imply higher UV safety, which helps defend pores and skin and forestall inside plastic components from growing older.
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Ultraviolet Rejection (UV Blocking)
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Increased values imply higher UV safety, which helps defend pores and skin and forestall inside plastic components from growing older.
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Increased values point out higher warmth discount. Infrared rays are a serious supply of photo voltaic warmth.
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Increased reflection ranges may cause extra picture reflection on the glass, affecting visibility.
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Decrease values point out higher glare discount, useful for nighttime driving.
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Helps cut back glass shattering and works equally as security glass.
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Price of Warmth Insulation Movie
Varied manufacturers supply completely different warmth insulation movies, and costs differ primarily based on supplies and set up strategies. Listed below are the approximate prices for various manufacturers (for a four-door automotive, in Hong Kong {dollars}):
Upkeep of Warmth Insulation Movie
Since warmth insulation movie doesn’t adhere completely to the glass edges, frequent cleansing could let moisture and air into the movie, inflicting bubbles and decreasing effectiveness. Clear with water and a towel gently. Additionally, if planning to steam-clean the inside, inform the service supplier concerning the put in movie to keep away from injury.
Transport Division Exemption Software Process
After making use of warmth insulation movie, you will need to apply for an exemption from the Transport Division to make sure compliance. With out this exemption, even when the glass meets transparency necessities, it could nonetheless be deemed non-compliant throughout automobile inspection. The exemption includes the next steps:
- Fill out the “Vehicle Exemption Application Form.”
- Submit the shape together with a replica of the automobile registration doc to the Transport Division Car Kind Approval Unit, 1/F, Complete Car Inspection Constructing, 18 Sai Tso Wan Street, Tsing Yi, New Territories.
- The Transport Division will ship a reply letter in about 2-3 weeks.
- Name to schedule an appointment to deliver the automobile to the inspection heart for an inspection (no inspection payment required).
- After passing the inspection, you’ll obtain the exemption. Preserve it within the automotive for proof throughout checks.
Supply: Transport Department