33 inch channel stamped with 32 4

Home Owner from Washington

Apr 7, 2020 1:07 pm

My channel balance is 33 inches long, stamped 32 4. I was having trouble finding the right sash for the inside of my window, no tilt single window raise. In the picture I have one that has a spring and the other does not. The one that does not won't catch the channel balance on one side so it had damaged the balance over time. Need help finding the right top sash and another balance with the same top and bottom attachments.

Thank you

5 user uploaded images

8 Replies

Tom from SWISCO

Apr 8, 2020 1:51 pm

Hello! We can supply this balance, but it will have to be a special order due to its configuration. Before we go any further, can you tell me how many you need? Once I know that, I'll email you an order link and price quote for that quantity.

As for your top sash guide, I believe our 18-171 is the replacement you want.

Home Owner from Washington

Apr 8, 2020 3:36 pm

Great thank you. I will need two channel balances, two top sash guides like the ones you sent me to in your last response (will they have a spring at the top like my old ones?) and two of the takeout clips

Tom from SWISCO

Apr 9, 2020 10:24 am

Sure thing! I'll email you an order link and price quote right now for 2 of those balances. That will allow you to add them to your cart as if they were a standard product and then you can continue shopping for whatever else you need as normal. The top sash guide and take out clips (16-002) would be sold separately.

Speaking of the top sash guide, you mentioned a spring in the top. I apologize for overlooking that detail in your photos; I had assumed that that was just an errant piece of metal. I didn't know it was part of the guide itself. Our 18-171 doesn't come with a spring and to be honest I've never seen such a spring used this way. What does it do, exactly? I assume it braces the sash against either side of the window track. Could these springs be reused? We won't be able to supply them.

Home Owner from Washington

Apr 9, 2020 11:54 am

Yeah the one without a spring was the reason why one of my channels was flying up the window seal. When I took down the window I noticed there was no spring or metal around that top of the bad channel side window

Tom from SWISCO

Apr 9, 2020 12:14 pm

That is peculiar. The way this top sash guide is supposed to operate is that the top nylon fitting of the balance kind of notches under that tooth that hangs down from the top part. Does that make sense? This side profile may give you an idea of what I mean.

Alternate image for 18-171

Do you see that overhang? The top balance fitting fits right in that little nook. It shouldn't be going past the face of the top part at all; in other words, if your top sash guide was working properly, then your balance would never go near that spring.

If your balances do rely on those springs to stay in place, then your top sash guide isn't working like a top sash guide should. I'm not sure why that might be, though. I have to stress that I've never seen anything like this before. It might have been a custom alteration made by the original installers, but that's just a guess.

Home Owner from Washington

Apr 9, 2020 1:25 pm

So hopefully replacing both channels and top guides should eliminate this awkward configuring I would assume

Tom from SWISCO

Apr 9, 2020 1:55 pm

That's my hope, as well, but I can't say for sure. There is a chance you have a special version of the 18-171 that is designed to use this spring. The original installers may have had a good reason to go this way. That's why I recommend seeing if you can reuse that spring. I'm hoping that you can just pop them into the new top sash guides in a worst case scenario.