tube balances - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Pearce Services · 06-21-2009, 06:14 AM

I need to repair a few windows, I found the parts at blaine hardware, they are the spring loaded tubes to counterbalance vinyl replacement windows.

Anyone hear have insight into how these get replaced? I am figuring that you must preload the spring, and saw a tool at blaine that is called a tube balancer tool, but cannot figure out how it works by looking at it in the catalogue.

Thanks in Advance

tomstruble · 06-21-2009, 07:26 AM

you hook it onto the bottom of the spring pull down alittle and turn it in the direction you need,tighten for more force loosen for less

glassman · 06-21-2009, 10:52 AM

1) remove sash by tilting in and removing from cam blocks.then take spiral winding tool,insert under pins in cam block,the pins extend from each side of the spiral balance on the end,gently twist and remove,the balance will be under pressure to twist if is not broken,now you can unwind the balance to take off pressure or if broken just remove retaining screw at top jamb side of window holding balance to jamb.
2) install new spiral balance by installing top screw first,then attach winding tool to spiral pins and turn or crank tool to load tension in balance,this may take anywhere from 4 to 10 complete turns depending on sash weight,do not over crank as this will break balance,insert balance end back into cam block with crank tool locking the pins into it. you can check opposite side balance by unwinding and counting turns,this will give you the amount of turns needed on first side,make them both the same,insert sash,check operation of window,if sash gently slides down under it's own weight then repeat process of adding a few revolutions to each balance and repeat testing function of window operation.
once you do a few replacements it will become pretty routine .

Pearce Services · 06-21-2009, 01:01 PM

Thanks for the quick replies....