WARNING!!! All installation instructions and demonstrations are intended for professionals trained in this type of work. Mobile Screen and Glass strongly recommends the use of a licensed contractor to perform any of these projects. Ignorance of required safety equipment, as well as safety codes concerning these installations, could result in severe injuries to those persons performing these installations, as well as those operating the repaired product!
Replacing the Channel Balance
Move the sash (the portion of the window that moves up & down) all the way to the closed position. Remove any sash stops that may be in the top of the channel that the sash slides. These usually pry out toward the center of the window, or they may be held in place by a screw.
If you look in the track that the sash slides in, toward the top you will see a square, flat metal tab, about ¼” wide by 1” tall, one in each side. Place a flat screwdriver end underneath the bottom of that tab and pry up gently. The bottom of the tab should pop out about ¼”.
Raise the sash up until the top of the sash goes past those tabs about 2-3 inches. This will disengage the sash from the balances and leave the sash loose in your hands. The bottom plastic ends of the balances should now be visible beneath the sash and fully clear of the sash.
Move the sash left or right (which direction shouldn’t matter unless there are impediments to moving the sash left or right, such as alarm magnets) until the opposite side of the sash clears the main-frame of the window, then swing that side of the sash out toward you until it is free of the main-frame. You should now be able to remove the sash completely by moving it toward the freed side, leaving the balances still in the main frame. Gently set the sash aside.
You should now be able to push down on the top of the balance which will free it from the top clip, tilt it slightly toward the center of the window, then raise it up until the hook on the bottom of the balance disengages from the hole that it hooks into. The balance will now be free from the window. At this time you should also inspect the plastic top sash caps on your sash, as they are quite often the source of the problem. Sometimes replacing these tops caps is the only fix necessary to solve your problem. If not, bring your old balance with you into Mobile Screen & Glass so that we can match it up with the correct new balance for your window.
Reinstalling your new balances and reinstalling the sash occurs in exactly the opposite order from directions for removal.
