Casement window handle, removing. Casement window stuch in the "ventilation" mode

Are you sure that the mechanism hasn't expanded in the heat and it will release early morning when its cooled down a bit.

I have one window that almost does this. The handle /lock is ok in the morning but after a day like we have had in the past week if left in the small air gap position the handle is VERY stiff to move at the end of the day. I don't believe its the handle but more likely the locking mechanism expanding in the heat and binding up.

I assume you mean an espag window handle. I've probably fixed this over a dozen times with my conservatory fanlights, and it gets me mad each time. The problem is the stupid piece of plastic used to disengage the handle lock (not the key lock). It's weak and fails after a few years. A stainless steel piece of the same design would last forever, but then there wouldn't be a market for spare handles, eh? :-(

The trick is to get something small between the moving and fixed part of the handle. This has to be a very thin and stiff piece if metal - and old 1.0 (or maybe 1.2mm if the gap's big enough) jeweller's screwdriver is ideal. It's best to open a working handle first so you can see what is required. As you push the lock button, you'll see a piece of metal move back into the body of the handle. When the piece of plastic is broken, that piece of metal does not move. You have to push the screwdriver blade in at an angle until it makes contact with the end of the metal and then tilt it back to push the metal back - at the same time trying to rotate the handle with your other hand. Eventually you'll get the metal piece far enough back to get it to disengage with the bit of the casement handle fixed to the frame. Don't force the blade back! If it's in the right position it will move back a little and the handle might move a fraction.

Failing that, you'll have to use a hacksaw or Dremel to cut off that edge where the piece of metal is to allow you to get access to it.

I bought ten replacement handles from Amazon to keep as spares for this design fault

Thanks. Very useful. T'Internet has loads of conflicting information, including forcing it in order to break the plastic bit. I have never encountered this before in years of double glazing use, but searching turns up loads of conflicting information, all if which claim that this is a common fault. As in your case, where you have fixed over a dozen.

It may be a few days before I can get at it, but at least it is letting in a breeze during hot weather, not during a freezing winter day.

Just found:

I don't have the steel cable tie used in the video, but it looks the appropriate tool. So much so I've ordered some as they are dirt cheap.

Cheers

Dave R

Uduh! I forgot (see how this ties together) that I am so old that I have feeler gauges in my toolbox. Cable tie order cancelled. Window handle now working with additional assistance from slim metal.

Thanks again, Jeff L, for the help.

Phew!!

Dave R

Looks to be a simpler way than I use. I'd never heard of those steel cable ties. I hope that it works for you.

I was going to suggest a ring pull from a drinks can.

I've used the stainless steel cable ties for a couple of outside job. I've found that even good quality plastic/nylon ties go brittle in a few years. It a tiny bit harder to get the SS ties really tight as they are stiffer than plastic but those cheap cable tie guns have worked for me. Similar to

I have had exactly the same problem. If you look at a working handle and push the button in while the handle is in the open position you will see a small plastic pice that moves in and out, this is the latch. Over time internally the plastic breaks so when you press the button it no longer retracts the latch and Sod’s Law it is usually when you have the window closed.

To get it to open slide a thin metal piece in the gap where the latch is positioned this will push the latch back and allow you to operate the handle. The trick is to attack the sloping end of the latch or diagonally. I use one of those continental type filler knives as they are usually quite thin and flexible to get in the gap.

The only way to repair it is mend it with a new handle. I have found these people very useful to get an appropriate handle;

You're welcome - and you've done me a good turn, as I have a set of feeler gauges (somewhere...) which would save me having to use the jeweller's screwdriver.

By the way, I've noticed that the "metal piece" I referred to was actually an extension of the plastic rather than be made of metal. It was still strong enough to stop the handle turning!

But.. but... but...

The last thing you want to do in this weather is let in the hot midday heat. It should be closed all day, along with your curtains, and open at night!

Andy

I've found that the various suggested schemes make very little difference to the temperature in my house. Part of the problem in a 1908 house with 9 ft ceilings and very large (DG) windows front and back.

Unfortunately I live in an area where leaving the downstairs windows open more than the ventilation crack is inadvisable during the coolest part of the night. :(

Even upstairs, once the temperature inside has reached 24+C it's unlikely to fall below 22C with all the windows open and the outside temperature claiming to fall to 16C

Here my upstairs has settled at about 25°C with around 23 °C downstairs.

Mots curtains are drawn all the time but I have got around to opening all the windows at night.

IIRC the last 30°C + weather the ground floor settled at around 27°C which is tolerable

But...but...but... I could neither open nor close the window. So I could exert no control whatever your chosen theory.

My point was that admitting hot air was probably less of a problem than admitting freezing air. And I would get cool air in over night.

We tend to dump daytime heat in the evening when the outside temperature falls.

Cheers

Dave R