Paul from SWISCO responded:
December 19, 2014
Good morning, Eric! Thanks for contacting us. I'm actually not sure what the Y means, but I suspect it's some kind of mark that denotes manufacturer. I don't think it should have any bearing on the strength of the spring. The 5 is what's most important.
If you had S180-5 coil springs work without issue for 10 years, I personally think you should stick with that. If it ain't broke, as they say, don't fix it! |
Paul from SWISCO responded:
December 19, 2014
The typical lifespan of a balance is about 5 to 10 years, depending on how often the window is used. The way your balance broke, and the timing, is pretty normal. Are the other windows as old as this one? Are they also used as often? If so, then you may want to keep an eye out for any wear or future breakage. No reason to jump on it quite yet, but keep it in mind.
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Paul from SWISCO responded:
December 19, 2014
The formula is helpful, but it's really more of a guideline. Your best bet would be to read the stamp printed on the coil springs or to simply weigh the sash on a scale. I find those two methods to be a little less complex! Once you get the sash weight, you can divide that number between the number of coils it uses. For example, if you have four springs in a sash and the sash weighs 24 pounds, you would use four 6 pound springs. If you were to look at the coils for the same example sash, you may see that they are each stamped with "6."
As for cutting in the jamb, you could consider our 75-069 jamb spreaders. See the video below for information on how they work. -For the pivot shoe that goes to the bottom sash, cut a hole at the top of the jamb. -For the pivot shoe that goes to the top sash, cut a hole at the bottom of the jamb. This will ensure that the pivot shoe does not fall through the hole during the window's normal operation. |