Window Coil Balance Replacement
We always recommend sticking with the same style you have now. Yours in particular looks like an older version of our 15-192 pivot shoe and Series 170 coil spring. Look these parts over and let me know if you had any questions. You will need the stamp off the old spring to confirm the best Series 170 option.
That's a tough one. There could be a few different issues. One is that there could be debris clogging up the works; sometimes, especially in high winds, debris can sneak in from outside specifically in that track. Another possibility is that it's simply old and a little stuck in there, in which case you could try lubricating with silicone spray. That should be the first thing you try.
The last possibility, and most problematic, is that the lock pads are stuck and won't retract. That will make removing this shoe very difficult. Fortunately, this is not very common. The most tried and true solution with this problem is to cross our fingers and hope that's not what it is! It usually works for me, anyway. Try the silicone spray and let me know how it goes. If it's more than that, we will deal with it accordingly.
That's fantastic news! I'm glad you were able to get them out. Looking at them here, I am confident that the parts I mentioned above are correct. Yours look a little different but I think you just have older versions of what we sell. They should still function the same way.
I had one more question-so I have the same type of windows all in my house. What can cause the bottom sash of a window to be super hard to open? It's so tight that I can't even get it to lift up at all!
There could be a couple reasons why that happens and it all pretty much comes down to the balances. The first thing you should do is check the side tracks and make sure there's no dirt or debris that may be clogging up the operation of the balances. Wind and weather commonly blow dirt, leaves, and whatever else up and into these tracks over the years.
Next, after you clean them, get some silicone spray from a local hardware store and lubricate the tracks so that they slide more easily. Sometimes older balances just get a little stuck and lubrication helps get them going again.
In most cases that will fix the issue for you. However, if it persists, then it's time to replace the balances entirely. The springs have probably failed due to age and use and have to go.