need window repair help

[Johnbro]

Folks,

Just bought a get-away place. It has vinyl windows, don't look too old, and they have "Insulate" on the latches which seems now to be Ply-Gem. In one room there are 3 single hung windws (all the rest are horizontal sliders). One of the SH windows is hosed, and another is on the verge. In both cases the channels in the sides are loose or disconnected. 

I can't for the life of me see how to top get the sash out of the frame to work on them. Lots of searching on Google and youtube indicates most (maybe) single hung windows have "take out clips" to remove the sash (sorry if my terminology is wrong--I mean the lower half that goes up and down). Not these windows. There's nothing I can see top or bottom that might be used to remove the sash. 

Any ideas?

[Dennis Puskar]

Can you give us a pic ?

[Snipe Hunter]

Folks,


One of the SH windows is hosed, and another is on the verge. In both cases the channels in the sides are loose or disconnected. 

I'm not sure what you are saying. Channel sides, do you mean "balances"? Are these broken parts metal or plastic. A picture will certainly help. I'm thinking you might be talking about "channel balances".

Why do you need the top sash out? If they are single-hung, the top sash is fixed in place and isn't intended to move. Sometimes it's  part of the frame so it can't be taken out.

Unfortunately, vinyl window companies come and go so looking to them for help can be frustrating or futile. Often times they sell off to a family member, change the name of the company just as soon as the "Lifetime Warranty" claims start rolling in.

Their extrusions for the vinyl parts and hardware (latches and balances) are fairly generic so you'll have to find the parts. Local window companies often repair vinyl windows and have access to the catalogues. There's also online suppliers for retail customers.

Generally the parts that fail on vinyl windows are the balances. Usually they are :Spiral balances", "Chanel Balances" or "Spring Balances". You don't see too many spring balances.

Do a search for "Vinyl window parts". I'm assuming you are looking for Balances but I really don't know from our description.

The name on your latch "Insulated" may be the brand of window but the window company probably didn't make the latch. They just ordered them in bulk and had the name put on it.

I haven't personally used this supplier but they do seem to have a wide variety of vinyl window parts available. WindowDoorParts.com

[mike4244]

Folks,

Just bought a get-away place. It has vinyl windows, don't look too old, and they have "Insulate" on the latches which seems now to be Ply-Gem. In one room there are 3 single hung windws (all the rest are horizontal sliders). One of the SH windows is hosed, and another is on the verge. In both cases the channels in the sides are loose or disconnected. 

I can't for the life of me see how to top get the sash out of the frame to work on them. Lots of searching on Google and youtube indicates most (maybe) single hung windows have "take out clips" to remove the sash (sorry if my terminology is wrong--I mean the lower half that goes up and down). Not these windows. There's nothing I can see top or bottom that might be used to remove the sash. 

Any ideas?


I made my windows for my shop using "takeout clips", I call them spring clips. My windows have a wood parting strip , no vinyl side strips. The spring clips center the sash and give friction to the sash. Most windows use the spring balance to adjust the sash for weight. 
If you have a parting strip, remove it. The sash will pull out and the spring clips will fall out.
If there is no parting strip then push the clip down to the sill with a piece of coat hanger or the like. When the clips bottom out , raise the sash. If the clips did not fall out, pull them out with a hook tool you fashion yourself. Most of the time the clips will fall out . Now you can remove the sash by pulling sash to one side and pulling the other side towards you. When you replace the sash I would use patent balances instead of the clips.
mike

[Johnbro]

I'll post some pics when I go back there this weekend. 

There are no clips. The lower half of the window slides up and down. The gizmozs inside that make it go up and down are defective. I can't figure out how to remove the lower half of the window (the opening part) to repair the gizmos in the sides that control holding the window in the up (open) position. There are no clips. No nada.

[CLETUS]

I'll post some pics when I go back there this weekend. 

There are no clips. The lower half of the window slides up and down. The gizmozs inside that make it go up and down are defective. I can't figure out how to remove the lower half of the window (the opening part) to repair the gizmos in the sides that control holding the window in the up (open) position. There are no clips. No nada.

I've seen 2 different styles. On a tilt out window, the latches are on top of the sliding window. The other, the clips are in the side of the window frame.

[fixtureman]

On a Pella you just push the jambs apart to swing the window in