2840J Balance no Clip

Handy Person from Jacksonville

Oct 18, 2018 5:50 pm

From looking at these photos I think I?m in the same boat as this gentleman. My balance looks identical to his. There is a small metal hook on the end of a nylon cord at the bottom. No plastic clip whatsoever at the top. There is a metal cap that screws directly into the side of the window frame which acts as a cover at the top of the balance. The balance is stamped 2840J on the side. The balance is 29 inches in length.

I?ve added some photos. One shows the top of the balance which is still installed. The others show the one I removed (and broke in half). I?m not sure how to get the other one off without destroying it either. Any help with replacing these and getting my window back in working order will be met with thunderous applause and undying gratitude,

3 user uploaded images

6 Replies

Tom from SWISCO

Oct 26, 2018 8:51 am

I think we can replace this, but it would have to be a special order. I think we could use our S770-29 but with the clip at the bottom swapped out for our 62-105 hook.

Before we go any further, can you just tell me how many of these you need? Can you also tell me the exact weight of your sash?

As for removing them, it shouldn't be too hard. That 62-105 hook should be connected to a pivot shoe of some kind. You want to firmly unhook it using needle nose pliers and gently raise it up to the metal balance channel as the cord retracts. It's important to keep a firm hold of it so it doesn't shoot back up. You don't want to lose an eye. After that, it should be a simple matter of unscrewing it from the top where it installs in the track and pulling it out.

Where were you running into issues, exactly? At what point did you break the balance you removed?

Handy Person from Jacksonville

Oct 27, 2018 12:29 pm

When we bought the house two years ago this was the only window giving us trouble. It was difficult to open and wouldn't stay open. There was a great deal of downward pressure and if you let the sash go it would snap closed like a mousetrap.

Another thing I noticed about this particular window is the fact that the balances are mounted at the top of the window frame, whereas all the other windows in the house have them mounted closer to the center of the frame. I demolished the right one trying to get it out since it was already at the top of the window frame and I could not pull it out. It was already in rough shape before I started. The cord inside was hanging out of the frame of the balance. I can try to get the other one out, but it will be difficult because it's already at the top of the frame. I weighed the sash and it's 25.5 lbs. I'm also missing one of the metal clips that goes at the top of the balance ( photo attached).

I'm guessing it's probably smarter to go ahead and replace both of them, so I will probably need two. Thanks again!

3 user uploaded images

Tom from SWISCO

Oct 29, 2018 12:10 pm

Alright, alright, I think I'm starting to get an idea of what we're dealing with here. So, balances used to always be mounted at the top of a window's track like what you have here, but modern installers opt to install them towards the middle these days. What they use is a bushing like our 67-004. This pops in a hole in the middle of the track, and then you install the balance on that mounted lower.

Look in your track for this window. Do you see such a hole? They may even have the bushing already in it. That might be why we're running into issues. Someone might have reinstalled the other balances in the house with this newer method, but skipped this window for whatever reason. Or maybe they never got done with it. I can't say, but it's worth looking into.

If the window is slamming shut, then that means the springs aren't strong enough, or that the balances aren't even attached. Either way, these balances are old and not working properly. I'm going to email you an order link and price quote right now for 2 of these balances. To reiterate, I'll be using our S770-29 with a 62-105 hook and 29D stamp option. These are designed for sashes weighing 23 through 28 pounds.

Let me know if you have that bushing/hole or not. It won't change our recommendation, but it may change how we install these. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Handy Person from Jacksonville

Oct 29, 2018 6:08 pm

I checked out the track of the window and there is a hole about 3 inches from the top of the window frame. It's a very small one and appears to only be big enough for an average size screw. When I took the sash out originally I did find a small plastic bushing laying at the bottom of the window track, but I do t know where it came from. Upon further inspection I found another window that has the balance mounted at the top. This one has the metal cap at the top and a screw mounted into the track beneath the balance, keeping it in place. The cord runs down the inside of the track and is attached to the pivot shoe. I'm assuming my problem window is set up this same way. So I'll need the two new balances , one metal clip that goes at the top of the balance, and a couple screws.

Tom from SWISCO

Oct 30, 2018 9:38 am

Okay, great. I think we can work with that. We can make you that balance, but I'm afraid we won't be able to replace those metal brackets at the top of the window. I'm not sure if they're 100% necessary for the window to operate anyway. If they are, I'm afraid there's nothing that we can provide that will replace them. I apologize for the inconvenience.

In the meantime, check your email for an order link for 2 of these balances. I sent it out yesterday so you should have it by now. Let me know if it hasn't come and I'll resend it.