Alcoa vinyl tilt windows

Question

I have removed the spiral balance springs from my Alcoa tilt windows. I have 6 windows (identicle) that I need to replace the spiral balance springs. I weighed the window sash and it weighs about 15lbs. The balance in them are 34 1/4 inches long. They have black tips. Do I get the red tip or black tip and what length do you recommend? Also I need several replacement shoes. Mine are 9/16 thick, 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. I found item #15-173 that looks like the correct replacement but there is no width shown on the picture. Is the 15-173 The correct replacement?

Tom · Accepted Answer

Thanks for contacting us. It sounds like you need a 5/8" diameter Series 600 spiral balance. As for the length, you might be okay going with 34", but it's hard to tell. Are you making sure to only measure the outer tube? It looks like your outer tube is missing, perhaps broken off. See if the other identical windows still have their tubes that you can use as a reference.

As for the color tip, black might be a bit much for a 15 pound sash. Using the S600-34 as an example, two balances with a black tip can carry sashes weighing 31 through 40 pounds. That's WAY too strong for a 15 pound sash. You may want to get the exact weight to be sure. We have a chart on all our Series 600 store pages that tells you how much weight each color option can support.