A tilt-and-turn window that “won’t close”, “won’t open” or “only opens tilted” is rarely broken to begin with. Often the handle and the sash (the part that opens, with the glass) are in a position the hardware will not let through. It can also be dirt, a worn gasket or a sash that has dropped.
This guide follows a simple order: symptom, cause, what you can try safely and when to call the installer. Normal use and yearly care are in Tilt-and-turn windows and Window maintenance.
First: the misoperation lock
Current hardware has a misoperation lock (in German, Fehlbedienungssperre). According to BauNetzWissen, it stops the handle from going from the tilt position straight to the side-opening position. Without it, the sash would hang only on the lower hinge and fall.
So a handle that will not move with the sash open or tilted is often the lock doing its job. Siegenia adds that, to bring the handle to the closed position with the sash open to the side, you may need to operate the lock, and that its position and shape differ from one hardware to another. Never force the handle against resistance: you can break the lock.
Symptom, cause and what to do
| Symptom | Likely cause | What you can try | Call the installer if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handle will not move | Lock engaged; or a handle with a button or key | Close the sash with your hand on the handle and press it to the frame; then move the handle slowly. If it has a button, Maco says to press and hold the button; if it has a cylinder, unlock it | It only moves by force |
| Only opens tilted, not to the side | Handle with a key; or a model where the sash tilts first (Hueck describes one with a key handle); or the handle is not exactly horizontal | If it was tilted, close it first. Then handle horizontal and pull the sash | You do not know which model you have |
| Will not close: the sash does not go into the frame | Object or dirt in the rebate; new gaskets are stiffer; sash has dropped | Remove what is in the gap. Close slowly, with your hand on the handle (Maco) | You have to push hard |
| Rubs, uneven gaps, no longer sits well | Sash has dropped or the hardware is out of adjustment | Just look: Hueck says the gaps around the sash show whether it “hangs” | Always: adjusting is the installer’s job |
| Handle loose or spinning freely | Handle screw is loose | Siegenia: lift the cover, turn it from vertical to horizontal and tighten the screw underneath | It keeps spinning without moving the hardware |
On closing: Maco says the sash must go into the frame without effort. BauNetzWissen warns that stones in the rebate can damage the middle gasket. Hueck notes that new gaskets need a little more force at first.
If the sash is held only at the bottom
This happens when the handle is moved with the sash open and the lock did not hold. REHAU (in Portuguese) and Maco publish the way back to normal, with the same idea: press the sash to the frame on the hinge side before turning the handle.
- REHAU: leave the handle in the tilt position (up), push the sash toward the hinge side and turn the handle 180° down, to closed.
- Maco (hardware with misoperation protection): press the part near the handle to the middle and hold; push the sash to the frame on the hinge side, and the handle goes to the tilt position; push the whole sash in and turn the handle to closed.
Our caution: only try it if the sash is still firm at the top and the bottom and there is no risk of a fall. If it is loose at the top, crooked, or on a high window, keep children away, do not lean out and call the installer.
Gaskets (the rubber seals)
- Cleaning: water and a mild product. Maco advises against acetone, thinner, alcohols, acids, bases and microfibre cloths.
- Keeping them flexible: Maco suggests petroleum jelly, talc or liquid silicone, about once a year; Hueck, a silicone stick or polymer lubricant, depending on the gasket; REHAU, a silicone stick. The right product depends on the gasket: check your window’s manual.
- Replacing: Siegenia says it may be needed after several years, with no deadline. Maco and Hueck leave checking and replacing to the professional.
- Water between the two panes is not the gasket: see Misted double glazing between the panes.
Lubricating without causing harm
Makers do not all say the same. Siegenia asks for oil free of silicone and acid. Winkhaus (2008) asks for oil free of resin and acid and does not want the scissor bearing oiled. Maco suggests a PTFE spray, one drop the size of a pinhead per point. Hueck says parts in plastic bushes are not oiled. Use what is in the manual of your window. Maco also asks that the hardware be operated at least once a month.
Safety
- Do not force a sash that has dropped or is stuck on one hinge: it can fall.
- Do not take the sash out of the frame. Winkhaus warns it can fall, Maco reserves it for the professional and Siegenia says refitting it badly can damage the lock. On upper floors, never.
- Stop using the window if there is visible damage or odd behaviour, and call a professional (Maco, Siegenia). Faulty glass and hinges are also for the installer.
- Never defeat the lock by force or by taking parts apart.
- In wind, close and lock the window.
What to ask the installer
- Brand and series of the hardware, and the user manual.
- Where the misoperation lock is and how to release it.
- Whether the sash has fall protection. Maco describes one, the Safety Pin, made for a single action: after it acts, all its parts are replaced.
- Servicing: Maco recommends a first check 6 to 18 months after fitting and then every 3 to 5 years in private homes (every 3 years within 10 km of the sea). Ask what the company offers.
- Who adjusts it and whether the warranty covers it.
Warranty: keep the invoice and the manual. Do not open or take apart the hardware. Maco reserves adjustments and removing the sash for the professional, and excludes claims from misuse. Ask in writing what is covered (warranties and certificates).
What I could not confirm
- User manuals from GU, Aubi, Veka and Gealan that describe these problems. From Roto, only a leaflet from 2001.
- Steps from Siegenia, Winkhaus and Roto to release the lock. Siegenia only says it may need to be operated.
- Why a handle spins freely when the screw is not the cause.
- Repair prices: I give no prices without a source.
Sources
- Maco: Bedienungs- und Wartungsanleitung, Dreh-/Dreh-Kipp-/Kipp-Dreh-Fenster, no. 757071DE (in German), created 11/2014, changed 16.10.2023.
- REHAU: Cuidados e manutenção, janelas PVC (in Portuguese), ref. 700700PT, 07.2008.
- Siegenia: Wartungsanleitung TITAN/FAVORIT (in German), 03/2019, for technicians; Siegenia senso secure (in German), 09.2020; Siegenia: tips, undated.
- Winkhaus: activPilot Concept, adjustment and maintenance instructions (in German), 11/2008.
- Hueck: Bedienungs-, Pflege- und Wartungsanleitung (in German), file from 2014, a window maker.
- Roto NT: Bedienungs- und Sicherheitshinweise (in German), March 2001, hosted by a window maker.
- BauNetzWissen: Drehkippbeschläge (in German), no date or author.
What to do next
- See normal use in Tilt-and-turn windows.
- Take these questions to the installer: questions for the installer.
- Other problems: Problems.