Ply Gem Series 800 Angst

We have a new home with seemly relatively young Ply Gem Double Hung Series 800 Windows. Not sure when the actual manufacture or install date was.

First, wondering if you sell the window stops, as pictured in the attached.

Second, despite cleaning. lubricating and many attempts to adjust the spiral balance on our windows, most are still difficult to move, and removing is just as problematic. While I can eventually brute one side of the window up and angle the widow out, returning it is even more difficult.

When I remove the windows from the spiral balance and move the balance shoe manually, but twisting the notch, it moves quite freely. So, it doesn't appear to be an shoe issue...or does it?

One of the windows had broken stops, so the upper sash went beyond it's length, and pulled out of the balances. So, I've ordered replacements that should arrive in a week or so. Sorry, it was from Home Depot, before I discovered your amazing website.

So, we'll be replacing the both balances in that one window, which may lead us to a solution to the rest. However, it seems unlikely that nearly every window could have bad balances, leading to this epidemic.

Can you advise on some steps to take, to eliminate culprits?

I've attached the installed and removed stop, as well as the only identifying tags on the windows (inspection and specs)

Thanks,

D. Foster

Thanks Paul. That's interesting and possibly welcome news that the manufacturer is different from what I thought. It will be helpful when approaching them, should I need to.

I think I've found a perfect stop replacement in the form of a raised nylon finish washer a at a local hardware store.

I'll tackle the balances again, and perhaps use single turns. However, it's so difficult to get them seated back into the shoe, which barely moves...I suppose because it's basically locked.

Stay tuned...

Afraid I wasn't clear. What I meant was it's a trial getting the window back into the shoe, because it barely moves once the window's out...and before. Already have the balance tool, and can't imagine adjusting the balance without that...

Paul. After instilling a new set of spiral window balance in the upper pane, its appears that the culprit with my very sticky windows was just that - bad balance. Seems odd, since the windows appear relatively new. But then, I have no idea when they were manufactured, let along installed.

Anyway, decided to just replace all the balance in all the windows.

But I have a question.

Is it normal for a dual-paned, tilt window with panes of equal size (and feels like equal weight) to have two different colors of spiral window balance? They're two different lengths (26" & 29"), but seems odd that they are two different colors.