ID window balances and latches

Contractor from cape may

Jul 16, 2018 3:29 pm

New customer. Home is a manufactured home...maybe 20 years old. The Jeld Wen decal is on the sliding door. Windows have nothing that tells me manufacturer. I?m guessing manufacture of home use same company thru out for windows and doors but thats only guess. Anyway what does the guru of window / door parts think? Who made the windows and do u have the parts? Need coil balances, feet and shoes.
Thank u

3 user uploaded images

10 Replies

Paul from SWISCO

Jul 20, 2018 9:01 am

Hello. I am afraid we do not recognize the window manufacturer, but we do recognize the hardware in the window. See if our 15-188 pivot shoe matches up with yours. This picot shoe is not used with coil springs, but rather with a channel balance like the Series 770 or a spiral balance like the Series 600. For the pivot bars, start your search with our 26-226 and 26-352. See if your measurements are compatible with ours. Lastly, for the window lock and keeper, you may want to consider our 90-274 and 90-278.

Contractor from cape may

Aug 7, 2018 8:29 am

Ok it appears we have the spiral balances with 26-226 pivot bars...but color is missing end of balances so I will need to weight the sash.

I also need to do dads that release the window when u want to tilt in. Can you point to part?

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Tom from SWISCO

Aug 13, 2018 10:09 am

Thanks for getting back to us. The do dads in question are the tilt latches. I'd look at our 26-243 and 26-244 to start out to see if either match up to what you have. You may want to remove one to confirm the style and measurements are the same.

As for the color tip, we do recommend weighing your sash, yes.

Contractor from cape may

Aug 21, 2018 5:12 am

I?m getting warmer. Pictures show what I ordered and what was pulled from window. Close but no cigar. Bar will not fit into the shoe / part I ordered. Can u point to correct part?

original part measures 2 1/8 long, 1/2 inch thick,1 inch wide

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Tom from SWISCO

Aug 22, 2018 9:30 am

I recognize this shoe. This is an old discontinued version that is no longer made.

You mentioned you bought one from us but that it didn't work. Can you specify what you ordered? Did it happen to be our 15-167? This is what we usually recommend to replace your old shoe. The caveat is that you also need to replace your pivot bar, since your old 26-226 won't work with the 15-167 shoe. We recommend the 26-241. Let me know what you think.

Tom from SWISCO

Aug 22, 2018 10:57 am

You could theoretically try to alter the pivot bars you have now. It may be worth a shot, though if it doesn't work then they would probably be useless afterwards. If you're throwing them out anyway then there's no harm in trying.

Contractor from cape may

Aug 22, 2018 11:38 am

yes it was the 15-167. I was first thinking of just cutting to ends off the bars u sent we with the shoe. But didn?t want to do without checking. Maybe I will just order the new bars.

Tom from SWISCO

Sep 17, 2018 10:03 am

Great, glad to hear the shoes work!

Aside from lubricating the track itself, you could apply white grease to the spiral balance rod. Are these balances new? If so, ours come pre-lubricated so that shouldn't be necessary. It could be they're just a little stiff from sitting on the shelf and need a little time to break in. This is assuming you purchased them from us. If they're your original balances, try white grease on the rod.

We have two spiral balance sizes: the 3/8" diameter Series 900 and the 5/8" diameter Series 600. We usually recommend sticking with what you have. For example, if you have Series 600 balances, I wouldn't recommend going with the skinnier balance as it may not be strong enough for your window.

Contractor from Cape May

Sep 17, 2018 10:55 am

The new shoes worked great...no more popping out.

Some of the windows are a bit on the stiff side (up / down). I tried spraying the vinyl window frame with Teflon spray (not the spiral balance itself) ...helped a small bit but... Any ideas on how I can improve up / down function?

Shoes slide around real good. When I drop them into channel / track they dropped straight to bottom of window frame which would indicate to me there is no friction / resistance. . As far as the spiral balances, don?t seem to be interfere but what do I know...all new too me. The balance is within the channel. The only thing that pushes into the channel is the window catches but I wouldn?t think that is issue. Someone else told me that sometimes the shoes don?t release and you have to tilt windows in / out in order to get lock to release. This is assuming thats the issue.

If you think its the spiral balances do u have smaller diamator ones?