Security / Traco sash balances?

Home Owner from Miami, Florida

May 14, 2020 7:16 pm

You may know just by giving you the window company name. 15 years ago I purchased replacement balances from the company in Miami, FL. They have since gone out of business. The windows are likely 25-30 years old (at least). Your S371 looks very similar. The main difference appears to be the use of a screw at the top of my sash that secures down into the top or each balance, through a small aluminum flange attached to the sash. I cannot tell from the photos of your plastic top pieces if any of them accept a screw... [The bottom piece of the S371 appears to match identically.]

I thought I would ask if you have known experience using your balances on these Security windows. If so, I will dismantle one of the windows in order to get pictures of the various components... The balances are 1/2" across, and a typical marker is 3540. Nearly all of the sashes are 36" tall; many are 36" or 32" across.

I hope you can help. Thanks!

6 Replies

Bob from SWISCO

May 18, 2020 12:43 pm

Can you show us a picture of this screw setup? That would give us a better idea of what you're working with. Many thanks.

Home Owner from Miami, Florida

May 18, 2020 5:50 pm

some pictures attached. hopefully this makes it more clear...

Bob from SWISCO

May 19, 2020 9:39 am

Perfect, thanks. These balances have to be custom made due to their unique combination of nylon fittings. It looks like you need 36" balances with a stamp option of 3540, and with the 19-042 Top and 15-002 Bottom attached. I'm emailing you a custom link to order (2) of these balances to start. If you need a different amount, or different sizes and stamps for different windows, give us that information and we'll send you new links accordingly.

Home Owner from Miami, Florida

May 21, 2020 12:14 pm

I decided to take apart one of the windows I rebuilt 15 years ago, with balances from the original company. Those tops and shoes are slightly different, but since those windows are working fine, I figured those would be the best pieces to use, and I found the exact matches on your site. Therefore, I need the following balances, all constructed with the 19-041 top, the 15-005 shoe, and the heavy duty hook 62-105:

20 balances - 3540 (for 10 - 36"-tall sashes)
2 balances - 2720 (for 1 - 28"-tall sash)
2 balances - 2420 (for 1 - 25" tall sash)

Plus I need 6 of the take-out clips 16-002.

Thank you for your assistance, and your terrifically-detailed website!

Bob from SWISCO

May 22, 2020 1:48 pm

Thanks for bearing with me. Sure, I'd be happy to write up this order for you. Just to be crystal clear though, you want to use balances that have the 15-005 Bottom and 19-041 Top, rather than the 19-042 that I originally recommended, correct? Keep in mind that if the windows with balances that had the 19-042 top instead were working perfectly fine for ten or fifteen years before they broke, and unless you're absolutely certain they were different from the original balances in the window, then I am not certain they were indeed different from the original balances; they may just be windows that had different balances originally.

The reason I raise this is because it's pretty rare that a balance with totally different fittings than the original balances would work well for so long in the same windows. On the other hand however, you always want to replace the original hardware wherever possible, so if you're certain the 19-041 was used by the original balances throughout the house, and if the windows with replacement balances have been giving you trouble this entire time, then yes, replacing them with that you're deeming to be the original balances for this house (with the 19-041).

Sorry for belaboring this point, but since custom balances are not refundable I always err on being as thorough as possible when coming to a decision. Let me know how you wish to proceed and I'll get these custom order links written up for you as soon as possible. Many thanks.