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March 9, 2010

Hi, I saw the letter about the trouble with a sticky window and a spiral rod that turned randomly in a tube in the window frame. I had to fix something similar in my windows and it wasn't easy finding information. I wasn't able to find the brand of window I had online, but I found something close with installation instructions for contractors that had good pictures and instructions on how to take it apart and put it back together. It's called a spiral rod balance or a spiral balance, and sometimes one end comes loose, which is what happened to mine and sounds like the problem your questioner reported. I was able to detach the bracket from the frame on the end where the balance came loose from. Then I had to take a couple of turns on the spiral part of it to tighten the tension up again. I used a crochet hook in place of the "rod tensioner tool". Then, holding my mouth just right, I put the bracket back and replaced the mounting screw that went through both the bracket and a hole in the end of the balance to hold that end in place. It took me a couple of tries before I could get the screw tightened before the spring jumped loose, but I figured out how to hold it still so I finally got it. The tension adjustment is not quite perfect, but it works to hold the window open when I open it and keep it from slamming down when I close it, and the window glass doesn't try to flop around and jump off the track now, and it doesn't take all my weight behind it to move it up or down anymore, so I am calling it a victory and moving on. I love the work you guys are doing and I appreciate how nice you are and don't call us stupid old women because we don't know what to call a particular shape of pipe fitting and stuff.

Thanks for helping us,