Good Afternoon,
We have a retail store in Elizabethtown, NC in a building that is decades old. We had issues with the windows so we have ordered parts from your store and the men were here today to install the new parts in my old windows. Of the four windows that we have, two of the windows are working, but two of the windows are not working. They seem to be bottoming out and won't close to the final position.
I am attaching pictures of the following:
Order #1, part number S395-36, 395 Channel Balance, option 3540
Order #2, part number 18-018 - 5/8" Sash Guide, Howmet
I tried to call the number listed on the customer service help line and they said that your technicians do not come to the phone and I was to email pictures. This was disappointing to do it this way as now the technicians have to be scheduled to come back and the solution or additional communications have to go through me. I am not sure I can convey the problem or the solution properly. If there is any way you can contact the men directly, I think it would be more efficient.
Thank you.
Mary
Tom from SWISCO responded:
May 9, 2023
Thanks for reaching out to us, Mary. I'm sorry to hear that you're having issues repairing these windows. Based on your photos and your description of the problem, it sounds like there's not enough travel in the balance cord to allow the window to close all the way. These cords can only extend so far. This is usually a result of installing a balance that's too short in relation to the sash. That's where I'm a little confused, though: all of your windows appear to be identical in size. There should be no reason why the same size balance isn't working properly in all cases. One possible explanation is that the cord hook was put in the wrong hole. The way these work is, the hook goes into a slot in the side track and works as a kind of "anchor" for the extension and retraction of the cord. However, some window tracks have more than one slot. It's possible that if you put the hook in the wrong slot, perhaps one at a higher position, that it would result in the cord not having enough travel to close. Another possible explanation is that there is some obstruction in the track that's hanging up the operation of the channel balance. Note that the S395-36 balance that you purchased has tabs on the top fitting that help stabilize it as it operates, but those wings could also be bumping into something inside that you can't see. You should thoroughly check each track to make sure there is no such obstruction. Lastly, the only other explanation I can think of is that for whatever reason, these two windows need a different length balance than the other two. Why they might be, I cannot begin to guess, but I've seen stranger things in this industry. You should triple check the size of the original balances to confirm that they are, indeed, 36" long. As for calling, I'm afraid that is not something I can do. This is a text-only service. Our phone operators can only help with processing orders and returns. For aid like this, I can only help you right here on this page. I apologize for any inconvenience that may cause. |