Channel Balance Broke on Installation
Home Owner from TX
Oct 26, 2015 5:36 pm
On 10/13/2015I placed order an order for the S385-33 with a 3250 option. Last weekend I went to YouTube.com and watched the installation video about four times. My husband and I followed directions and when we pulled the window down to
7 Replies
Home Owner from TX
Oct 26, 2015 5:37 pm
BTW - both channels measure 33" - the new and old one.
Paul from SWISCO
Oct 27, 2015 2:07 pm
I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble. Before we recommend a solution, could you show me a picture of the old and new balances side by side, with the exposed spring facing up? Can you also confirm the weight of your sash?
Home Owner from TX
Oct 27, 2015 3:04 pm
Here are a couple of pics of the channels old on left and new on right.
Weight of sash is: 24.4 lbs.
One pic is side by side, the other zeroes in on the pulley/spring area.
Weight of sash is: 24.4 lbs.
One pic is side by side, the other zeroes in on the pulley/spring area.
Paul from SWISCO
Oct 29, 2015 9:17 am
Thank you! I think the key here is sash weight vs spring strength. You chose the correct option based on what was installed originally (3250), but it appears this is too strong since your sash weight is only 24.4 pounds. The 3250 is only meant for sashes weighing 28 to 32 pounds. Did you ever have problems with your old balances? I am not sure why the original installers would choose such a strong spring. You run into all kinds of problems when the spring is too strong.
The 3240 would be the better choice. This can hold a sash weight of 23 through 28 pounds.
The 3240 would be the better choice. This can hold a sash weight of 23 through 28 pounds.
Home Owner from TX
Oct 29, 2015 1:35 pm
I went by the instructions to use what was printed in the channel as the guide. They were broken when we purchased the house.
Do I contact Customer Service to return the two that didn't break??
Do I contact Customer Service to return the two that didn't break??
Paul from SWISCO
Oct 29, 2015 2:49 pm
Ah, so the old balances were already broken. I think it's safe to assume how that happened.
It's usually a safe bet to go by the stamp on the old balances, but that's only under the assumption that the original installers knew what they were doing. It seems in your case the original installers made a mistake, which is of course not something anyone can anticipate. Fortunately, we have a chart on each balance page showing how much weight each option can support. That can always be used as a fail safe.
You can return the undamaged balances whenever you wish. You can see more information in our Return Policy.
It's usually a safe bet to go by the stamp on the old balances, but that's only under the assumption that the original installers knew what they were doing. It seems in your case the original installers made a mistake, which is of course not something anyone can anticipate. Fortunately, we have a chart on each balance page showing how much weight each option can support. That can always be used as a fail safe.
You can return the undamaged balances whenever you wish. You can see more information in our Return Policy.
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