Jeld Wen Balance Springs
Handy Person from Dunedin, FL
May 16, 2022 3:02 pm
I have a small tilt window (Jeld-Wen, I think) which never has worked easily. I measure the spring as 3/8" x 17", yellow color code. Sash weighs ~20 Lb. One of the shoes seems damaged and may be jamming (shoe is relatively small, ~1" wide, ~2" high and ~1/2" thick). I have tried adjusting tension, (no real help). I have not removed shoe but can do this, per your video.
From what I see on your site, I should probably go to a blue code spiral, and replace the shoes. Other advice? Do you sell a shoe in this size range?
5 Replies
Tom from SWISCO
May 18, 2022 2:27 pm
Hello! Sounds like you have an S900-17 spiral balance. If your sash is 20 pounds then the Yellow Tip option would be way too heavy. Blue is more appropriate but you should get an exact weight to be 100% sure. I advise against estimations for this kind of thing just to be safe.
As for the pivot shoe, we don't have anything in those dimensions. Once again I think it's best if you get more precise numbers rather than estimations, which will require removing it. A photo of the pivot shoe would also allow me to pick something our from our inventory.
In the meantime, you can see our 15-173, which is .546" thick and 31/32" wide, and our 15-167, which is 9/16" thick and 1" wide. Height doesn't really matter for these parts.
Handy Person from Dunedin, FL
May 20, 2022 12:47 pm
Hi Tom, shoe measures .514 X .954 X 2 so it is not exactly dimensions you show. It is identical to your models 167 and 179. The old shoe was damaged and may have caused most of the problem.
What would you suggest? I do not know how much tolerance is allowable, I could possibly sand down to get a better fit.
The spiral spring is 17", yellow tip and the sash is almost exactly 25 LBF. I am not adverse to trying Blue.
Your advice here is much appreciated!
What would you suggest? I do not know how much tolerance is allowable, I could possibly sand down to get a better fit.
The spiral spring is 17", yellow tip and the sash is almost exactly 25 LBF. I am not adverse to trying Blue.
Your advice here is much appreciated!
Tom from SWISCO
May 23, 2022 8:51 am
Based on your dimensions, I'm personally leaning toward the 15-179. This is close to the numbers you gave. I figure that your old shoe just wore down a little over time, so we can safely assume that your dimensions were a little larger than what you're getting now. If you wanted peace of mind, you can see our return policy here.
As for the spiral balance, with a sash weight of 25 pounds then the Yellow Tip would be the best option after all. A pair of balances with a yellow tip carries 24 through 34 pounds.
Handy Person from Dunedin, FL
May 23, 2022 2:09 pm
I think you are right on all this, if the shoe is worn and not fitting well it might be twisting in the channel and causing jamming. I am going to order two shoes and spirals for a complete rebuild. Thanks for all your help and advice!
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