Spiral Balances and Pivot Lock Shoes

A home owner from Connecticut says:
Hi,
I think I have found the correct parts for my tilt-in sashes, but would appreciate confirmation.
Regarding the spiral balance, mine in 23.5" long and measures around 3/8". Does it matter in selecting a replacement that mine has the coil around the outside (See pic). I believe I should chose Product Code: S900-23 with the appropriate weight color. Can you confirm?

As for the pivot lock shoes, mine along the pivot lock bar are pictured. Dimension-wise it seems I need Product Code: 15-178. However, can you confirm it will fit a pivot lock bar that measures 1/8" tall by 5/16" wide?
Thank you

Thumbnail of the uploaded file named PXL_20230508_164316815.jpg
Thumbnail of the uploaded file named PXL_20230508_172903973~2.jpg
Thumbnail of the uploaded file named PXL_20230508_164230978.jpg
Thumbnail of the uploaded file named PXL_20230508_164240101.jpg
A home owner from Connecticut says:
One other question related to the spiral balances. Each sash weighs 18.5 lbs. The current balances are red tipped. Can I go to another color to make the sashes easier to lift?
Profile picture of Casey
Casey from SWISCO responded:

Hello,

I agree that the S900-23 could be the correct replacement but these older balances came with a plastic cover that appears to have broken off of your balance. I would recommend checking another window with an intact cover to confirm if it has a diameter of 3/8". If it measured 5/8", you could need the S600 instead. 

As for the colored tip option you'll need, the red tip will support a sash between 7-21 lbs but you could also use Blue (12-22 lbs) or Green (14-26 lbs) based on your sash weight.

Unfortunately, we can't confirm the correct pivot bar based on your 15-178 pivot shoe. If you could remove the pivot bar from the sash to show us another photo, as well as provide written-out dimensions, we'd be happy to look into your replacement options for that part as well. Thank you! 

Dimensions for 15-178
Dimensions for 15-178

A home owner from Connecticut says:
Thanks for your response.

You're correct that there was a plastic cover on the spiral balance. I removed it to take the measure as I thought the diameter of the metal assembly was the critical number. The plastic cover has a diameter of 9/16". Sounds like the S600 is the way to go. Thanks for catching that!

As to the pivot bar, I cannot easily remove it from the window as it has flanges that go behind the vinyl frame. It seems I'd have to pop at least the bottom portion of the sash off to get it out and I'm not sure how to go about doing that. Do you have any videos or other guidance on the process?
Profile picture of Paul
Paul from SWISCO responded:

Based on your photo of the pivot bar installed in your sash, I'm reminded of the 26-425 pivot pin and housing. To remove it, you would need to remove the sash and lay it down on a table. Then, remove the two sash screws on the bottom corners and carefully knock off the bottom sash rail from the glass with a wood block and hammer. At that point, you should be able to remove the bottom sash screw and pull out the pivot bar with the housing.

Alternate view of 26-425
Alternate view of 26-425

Alternate image for 26-425
Alternate image for 26-425

A home owner from Connecticut says:
Yes, my bar aligns to the dimensions of 26-425. With that said, is that bar compatible with the 15-178 pivot shoe?

Regarding Casey's response on the spiral balances, now that it has been established that I require the S-600, with a sash weight of 18.5 lbs, would using a blue tip with the higher starting weight make the sash feel easier to operate than with the current red? The sashes have always felt heavy so I'd like to improve on that if possible.

Thanks for the continued assistance.
Profile picture of Paul
Paul from SWISCO responded:

As long as the specifications of both parts match up to yours, I see no reason why they wouldn't work together. 

As for your spiral balance strength option, either the red, blue, or green tip colors that Casey mentioned would support the weight of your window sash. Which one you use comes down to personal preference since one will not support the sash better than another. 

Please note that these balances need to be charged using something like our 75-006 charging tool. We generally recommend starting with 2-3 turns but you can add an additional turn if the sash is not being properly supported. Just make sure not to exceed 4-5 turns. 

How to replace a window pivot bar
How to replace a window pivot bar
VIDEO
WATCH >
Removing Rusted Pivot Bars
Removing Rusted Pivot Bars
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to Replace Damaged Pivot bars
How to Replace Damaged Pivot bars
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to Remove a Pivot Shoe (Cutout Method)
How to Remove a Pivot Shoe (Cutout Method)
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to remove window pivot shoes
How to remove window pivot shoes
VIDEO
WATCH >
Anatomy of a tilt window
Anatomy of a tilt window
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to replace a tilt-window channel balance.
How to replace a tilt-window channel balance.
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to replace a tilt window spiral balance.
How to replace a tilt window spiral balance.
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to Identify a Replacement Spiral Balance
How to Identify a Replacement Spiral Balance
VIDEO
WATCH >
How to choose the proper spiral balance tip color
How to choose the proper spiral balance tip color
GUIDE
READ >
How to adjust a spiral balance on a tilt window
How to adjust a spiral balance on a tilt window
GUIDE
READ >
Reply to Thread
Use this form to ask a follow-up question or to share your experience regarding this subject.
(your email address will be kept private and is only used to inform you when a response has been made)
Current wait time is 3-4 business days
We promise that one of our experts will personally get back to you as soon as they are able. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding. If your inquiry is time-sensitive, please feel free to reach us at (888) 991-1929 or at help@swisco.com.