Storm door panel metal slider broke off in side sash, can't get out!

by Linda
(Ontario Canada )

Please , I need help! I have nice three year old storm door, has two glass panels and the screen.

The inside panel that slides up and down, a metal slider broke off one side. Door only guaranteed one year. Company sent me the parts...with no instructions on how to get this broken piece out of the side sash.

I'm pretty handy "for a girl" lol, but this has me stumped.! Used needle nose pliers, small Philips screwdriver.....on my back with a light and magnifying glass! Only got the spring out. It doesn't have the corner pieces I saw on here.

The latch is just the metal slider, a spring and a very small pin.
Any ideas on how to get the stuck piece out of the side sash ?? The panel will Not lift out. That'd be too easy!

Thanks!

Hi Linda;

Thanks for taking the time to post pictures !

First make sure there are no old broken latch pieces in the bottom rail of the sash that moves up and down.

Its best to have the old sash out and flipped upside down. Look at the sash and you will see a tiny rectangular hole on both left and right. The holes are closest to the ends of the latch rail.

That hole is where the tiny nub in your picture of three parts is going to clip into

Next take the new panel clip / latch and orient it in the way that it slides into the groove but dont slide it in yet. You need to load the spring into the groove in the bottom of the latch key.

Start sliding the latch about half way in, the end of the spring should still be visible.

The tiny nub has a rectangular portion that snaps into the hole on the latch rail, so make sure that portion is pointing up.

The angled portion of the nub should be pointing away the sash rail. Now carefully slip the end of the nub onto the end of the spring and at the same time slowly push all three parts into the sash rail.

The nub should click into the rectangular groove and stop the panel clip from coming out.

To get it out again, push down on nub with a pin or unravelled paper clip

All fixed, money saved, no tools required !

You can do it !