which channel balance to use

Question

The balance I will need is 31 inches long and would be series 385 i can tell by the winged top and bottom pieces. I am not sure about a weight range. My balance on the bottom shows 31 3 EO i believe or EQ not sure. The windows were put in with the new house in 1997 we are 1st owners. I will definitely both two balances to do both sides.

Thanks
Jerry Quintana

Tom · Accepted Answer

Let's go back to basics here: I need you to re-measure your balance. It's pretty unlikely that a balance marked "31 3" would measure 31 inches. Measure the metal channel, but don't include the length of the plastic ends. I suspect you will end up with 32 inches, but I could be wrong, so measure carefully.

As far as the stamp option, you simply need to mash up the "31 3" code to get "3130". You can remove and weigh the window to confirm that option.

The last thing to verify is the Series 385 identification. Are you sure? Did you measure your shoe? The Series 380 and Series 385 are identical except for the size of the bottom plastic shoe. You'll need to measure the shoe from front to back, as shown below. If you get 1", choose a Series 380. If you get 1-3/32", choose the Series 385.

Comparison of the S378, S380 and S385 balance shoes.