Since we started thinking about replacing our old natural-gas furnace with the geothermal heat pump, we have really been thinking about where the heat leaks in and out of the house. We have 17 aluminum frame windows in the house still (a previous owner installed vinyl windows in the bedrooms and all the south-facing windows), and some of these old window frames have noticeable gaps allowing air to just flow through. So we replaced 10 of the aluminum frame windows (the ones on the first floor) over the course of this year with energy-star vinyl windows. That should tighten up the bulding envelope considerably, and make it more likely we can get through the coldest days of winter without having to use the backup electric resistive heater.
Man, I wish we had done the windows before we had the painters replace so much of the window trim last year. Live and learn, I suppose.
EDIT 2/1/2022. We've had a number of days in the single digits (F) since installing these windows. The old windows would actually ice over with frozen condensation when we got down to about 15 degrees F. The new ones just feel mildly cold. We are really pleased with how much better the new windows are.
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