Window sticks unless pried open.

I recently bought some window balances, S351-28 (2730) and purchased according to the stamps on the old balance. With the old balance the windows would not open unless you wedged a screwdriver under the window and lefted. After you got it to open it went up and down just fine. However if you closed it all the way again you could not open it unless you used the screwdriver again. This is what happens with the old balances and the new ones. I thought the balances were bad so I purchased from you all that I needed. I put them in and it is doing the same thing. I got 22 inch spring balances because that is what was in there. I am wondering if the prior owner might have put in the wrong size. My window channel does measure 22 inches from the edge of the metal frame up to the plastic catch at the top. Do I have the wrong size and or why won't my windows open?

I have included some pictures of the old and new balance as was requested by you. The old balance is on the left and the new balance is on the right. It appears that they are the same. Could the old balance be wrong as both of them don't work.

Also is there a way to measure to know what lenght you should get without looking at the balance since I think the old balance could have been wrong.

I hope you can help with this,

Christine

Hello,

I had already checked the sashes and the window tracks to see if anything was out of place and or bent or in the way and they are completely clear. I will try to spray with silicone but it does not seem to be that kind of sticking.

It is more like it needs to be wedged open and once it is passed a point it opens just fine. It is like something is in the way but there is nothing there.

By the way, this is happening with multiple windows, not just one so all of them would not have been bent or have some obstruction in the way. This is why I am thinking the window balance is just wrong, even though it is the exact one that was in the window. I think whoever put those there got the wrong ones and I might just need a different one.

It would help me a lot if you could tell me, how to determine from the size of the window, what size your balance should be. I don't want to look at the size of the existing balance because I think it might be wrong. If my window sash is 25 inches should my window balance be 25 inches?

thank you Christine

I would also like to identify this top sash guide

Thank you for the reply. In my previous comment I accidentally listed the wrong balance number. I said I bought 2730 but that was from a different window in a different house and several months ago. That one did work and has no problems. The ones I am dealing with now are 2140. I did weight the sash and it was 40 pounds. I bought 16 balances from Swisco to replace 8 windows that are having the very same problem. Therefore yes I did try to put in two of the new ones in but they did the same things as the old ones I took out. So confused.

Can you tell me if the picture of the top sash guide is one that would work with the balances I got. The balances are S385-22 (2140). I am wondering if the top sash guide is catching the balance in the wrong way when the window is all the way down and then when you pry it up just about a quarter inch, it work just fine. It is almost like it is getting caught on the guide and it takes a jolt to disengage it.

Is there a top sash guide that is usually used with the S385-22 balance?

Thanks for helping, christine

Sorry I misspoke. The sash only weighs 18 lbs. this process has been on going now for a couple months and I weighed it a while back and I don't know why I remembered 40lbs.

I have ordered a top sash guide that I am hoping is possibly going to help. It is not quite so long as the other one and I am thinking the balance is getting stuck on the guide in down position.

Thanks for all your help, Christine