Which spiral balance?

Quick Learner

Aug 15, 2014 4:45 pm

My existing spiral balances are 3/8" in diameter and 29" long. I took the sash off and weighed it - 18 pounds. Which color tip spiral balance do I need?
Thank you!

4 Replies

Tom from SWISCO

Aug 18, 2014 10:37 am

I see you were looking at our S900-29 spiral balance. Is that what you have? If so, I recommend the Green Tip for your sash weight.

Quick Learner

Sep 2, 2014 10:42 am

I got the green tip spiral balances, and they seem to match the existing old balances exactly. I installed the new balances, charged them with two turns and inserted into the shoe. They had tension and all was looking good. Got my sash back into place and closed the window. When I opened the window instead of staying up it came right back down. Both spirals stripped out of the 3/8" tube. Any ideas what went wrong? One of the tilt latches is broken, the other is working.

Paul from SWISCO

Sep 3, 2014 12:42 pm

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble. The spiral in the 29" tube might not be long enough. Some companies used to use balances that contained a longer spiral inside the tube. When you installed the new balance, did the spiral reach down all the way to the sill? If not, you will need to move up to a 30" long balance. For the broken shoe, please send a photo with dimensions and we will try our best to find a replacement.