TL;DR
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Watch first. Four short videos show the left hinge, the right hinge, the pair side by side and what a closed hinge looks like.Watch the videos
- Find the arrow first. With the black end cap at the top, the arrow is the only direction the hinge opens. One of the pair opens left, the other opens right.Open correctly
- Hold the track, move the arm. One hand flat on the track, swing the arm the way the arrow points to about 90°. Reverse the same movement to close.Written steps
- If it resists, stop. You are pushing the wrong way. Never force it.Troubleshooting
- Opened it backwards? It isn't broken. The slider has come out of the track. It resets in under a minute.Reset it
- 13mm or 17mm? Every universal kit is a 13mm hinge with 4mm packers that build it to 17mm. Three packers per hinge.Stack height
- Standard, egress or easy clean? Match what is already fitted. A release tab means egress easy clean.Hinge types
- Fitting a replacement pair? Support the sash, fit in pairs, track on the frame, arm on the sash, arrows agreeing. Full step-by-step below.Fitting guide
Watch first
See the hinges opened the right way
Hold the hinge with the black end cap at the top and follow the arrow. Left opens left, right opens right. Each clip is under 20 seconds; press play to start.
What "closed" looks like
When the hinge is fully closed, the angled metal nose on the arm sits inside the shaped black guide at the end of the track. If yours doesn't seat like this, it hasn't closed along the arrow path.
01 · Start here
Open your new hinges the correct way
These steps are for a loose hinge straight out of the box, before it goes anywhere near the window.
- TrackThe long flat bar with the screw holes and a black end cap at one end. Fixes to the window frame. A small slider runs along it.
- Sash armFixes to the opening part of the window (the sash). It pivots and swings away from the track.
- ArrowStamped or printed on the hinge. The only direction the hinge is designed to open.
Find the arrow
Hold the hinge with the black end cap at the top. The arrow tells you which way this hinge opens — one of the pair opens left, the other opens right.
Hold the track steady
One hand flat on the track. Keep fingers clear of the joints. The track stays still; only the arm and links move.
Swing the arm in the direction of the arrow
The slider glides along the track and the arm opens smoothly to about 90°.
To close, reverse the same movement
Guide the arm back along the same path until the angled metal nose seats in its black guide.
If it resists, stop
You are almost certainly pushing the wrong way. Check the arrow again — never force it.
One left, one right, mirror images of each other. With the caps at the top, the left hinge opens left and the right hinge opens right. Follow the arrow on each hinge — don't assume both open the same way.
Watch the videos again if you want to see the movement before trying it.
02 · Opened it backwards?
It isn't broken — here's what has happened
Forcing the arm against the arrow pushes the slider out of the end of the track, so the hinge feels jammed, floppy or stuck open. This is the most common thing customers contact us about, and it resets in under a minute.
How to reset it
Find the arrow
So you know which way the hinge is meant to travel.
Hold the track firmly
Grip it at the end where the slider has come out. Fingers clear of the joints.
Work the slider back into the track
Guide it in square so it enters both sides of the channel, moving along the arrow direction. It's a deliberately tight fit — firm, steady hand pressure is normal.
Fold the hinge closed
Move the arm back along the arrow direction. The slider should now travel the full length of the track.
Test it on the bench
Open and close it two or three times, arrow direction only, before fitting.
- a metal arm is bent
- a plastic part is cracked
- a rivet is loose or missing
- the slider won't go back without hammering or levering
Never lever the arm with a screwdriver or hammer the slider. This reset is for a new, unfitted hinge — not for an installed window blown open or damaged by impact.
Watch a reset being done
Two short demonstrations of guiding the slider back into the track and checking the arrow before opening again. They open on YouTube in a new tab.
Hinge looks different from the videos?Search YouTube for upvc window friction hinge opened wrong way reset and pick any video that matches your hinge.
03 · What's in the universal kit
13mm or 17mm? Understanding the packers
Stack height is the thickness of the hinge folded flat — the gap it fills between sash and frame. It is not the length of the hinge or the width of the track. UK uPVC windows use 13mm (most modern profiles) or 17mm (older or deeper-rebate profiles). Wrong one and the sash either won't close, or rattles and lets in draughts.
You don't need to know which before you order. Every universal kit is a 13mm hinge supplied with packers that build it up to 17mm.
| Your window needs | What you do |
|---|---|
| 13mm | Fit the hinges as supplied. Leave the packers in the box. |
| 17mm | Clip three 4mm packers onto each hinge (six per pair), in the positions shown in the kit instructions, then screw through hinge and packer together. |
One pair of hinges (left and right), six 4mm clip-on packers (three per hinge), and fixing screws. The packers are not 17mm thick and they are not spares. Don't add them to a hinge that is already 17mm.
Need packers on their own?
If you already have 13mm hinges, or the packers from a kit have gone missing, the same 4mm clip-on packers are sold separately. You need three per hinge, so a pack of six does one window.
4mm friction hinge packers
Clip-on, converts a 13mm stack hinge to 17mm. Packs of 6, 12, 18 or 24 — six per pair of hinges.
UPVC 4mm Friction Hinge Packers Window Stay Spacer Convert 13 to 17mm Stack Pack
£5.76 – £8.97
View product
Standard kit sizes and limits
| Size | Opening angle | Max sash weight |
|---|---|---|
| 8 inch | 64° | 10kg |
| 10 inch | 88° | 16kg |
| 12 inch | 88° | 21kg |
| 16 inch | 84° | 22kg |
| 20 inch | 42° | 24kg |
| 24 inch | 38° | 50kg |
All standard kits: 18mm track width, 430-grade stainless steel, tested to BS 6375-2 Class 2 (10,000 cycles).
"Universal" covers stack height, not everything. You still need the right length, track width, hanging type and opening function, and the hinge must be rated for the weight of your sash.
Want to see the packers fitted?Search YouTube for upvc window hinge 13mm 17mm stack height packers and pick any video that matches your hinge.
04 · Three functions, two products
Standard, egress or egress easy clean?
Nearly every uPVC casement window uses one of these three friction stays. They look alike. The difference is how far they open and what you can do once they are open.
| Feature | Standard | Egress (fire escape) | Egress easy clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday ventilation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Opens to around 90° for an escape opening | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sash slides sideways to clean the outside glass from indoors | No | No | Yes |
| Typical use | Top-hung windows, ventilation only | Side-hung windows where an escape route is needed | Same as egress, where outside access for cleaning is difficult |
| How to spot it | Plain arm, no button or tab | Opens noticeably wider than a standard stay | Release tab on the arm — open fully, press it, and the sash slides across |
An egress hinge is not fire-rated. The name refers to the size of the opening: Building Regulations require certain windows to give a clear opening large enough to climb out of (at least 450mm wide, 450mm high and 0.33m² in area). An egress hinge opens to roughly 90° so the sash swings clear of the frame. Whether a window meets the requirement depends on the whole window, not just the hinge — if your old hinge was egress, replace it with egress.
Which one do I need?
- Replacing like for like: match what is already fitted. If the old hinge has a release tab, you need egress easy clean.
- Top-hung, ventilation only: standard.
- Side-hung, in a room where an escape route is needed: egress easy clean. It does everything an egress hinge does, with the cleaning function as a bonus.
- A button doesn't always mean easy clean: some buttons operate a restrictor instead. If in doubt, send a photo of the whole hinge and its markings.
We do not sell a plain egress-only kit. For egress function, choose the egress easy clean hinge.
Standard universal hinge kit
8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 inch. Top-hung. 13mm stack with 17mm packers and screws in every kit.
uPVC Universal Window Hinge Kit Double Glazing Friction Stay PVC 13mm 17mm Stack 8 10 12 16 20 24 inch
£10.99 – £25.29
View product
Egress easy clean hinges
12 and 16 inch. Side-hung. Fire escape plus easy clean. Choose 13mm or 17mm stack at checkout.
12" & 16" Egress Easy Clean UPVC Side Hung Window Hinges – Friction Stay, Fire Escape, 13mm & 17mm Stack Heights
£13.99 – £15.99
View product
05 · Identify before ordering
Check how your window opens, then measure
- Top-hungBottom edge of the sash swings out. Hinges run down the left and right sides.
- Side-hungSash opens left or right. Hinges run along the top and bottom.
- Release tab?If the old hinge has one, you need egress easy clean.
Measure the track, not the arm. Three numbers:
Track length
End to end, in millimetres. Inch sizes (8, 10, 12…) are product names, so compare your measurement with the length listed on the product page rather than rounding.
Track width
Across the flat face of the track. Ours are 18mm, standard for uPVC.
Stack height
Thickness folded flat: 13mm or 17mm. Buying a universal kit? You can skip this.
Don't unscrew a hinge from an unsupported window just to measure it. If the old hinge is too damaged to measure, send us a photo with a tape measure alongside it.
Not sure what to measure?Search YouTube for how to measure upvc window friction stay hinge and pick any video that matches your hinge.
06 · Fitting
How to fit replacement window hinges
A glazed sash is heavy and will fall once its hinges are unscrewed. Have a second person hold it. Work from inside — never lean out or use a ladder outside. If the sash is large, the window is high, or the old fixings are in poor condition, use a window fitter.
Before you start: replace hinges in pairs (a worn hinge on one side drags the new one out of line), and check both new hinges open freely on the bench following the arrow. You'll need a PZ2 screwdriver or driver, a tape measure and a pencil.
Remove the old hinges
Photograph the old hinge in place
Its position, which way it opens and any packers already fitted. This is your reference.
Open the window and support the sash
Your helper takes the weight now, before anything is unscrewed.
Unscrew the sash arm, then the track
Once the second hinge is unscrewed the sash is free — lift it out and lay it glass-up on a soft surface.
Remove the second hinge the same way
Fit the new hinges
Set the stack height
Clip three packers onto each hinge if you need 17mm. Leave them out for 13mm.
Screw the track to the frame
Track always on the frame, arm always on the sash. Use the existing holes where they line up with the new hinge; don't fully tighten yet.
Offer the sash back in and screw the arm to the sash
Screws must not reach the glazing. Repeat for the second hinge, making sure the arrows on both hinges point the same way relative to the window.
Close and check
The sash should sit square with an even gap all round, and the handle should lock without forcing. If it catches on one side, loosen that track, nudge it, re-tighten.
Open and close several times, then fully tighten
On easy clean hinges, test the release tab and check it resets on closing.
Adjusting friction
Most friction stays have a small adjustment screw on the slider. Clockwise makes the window hold open more firmly; anticlockwise makes it easier to move. Adjust both hinges equally. Friction adjustment doesn't fix a wrong stack height, a badly positioned track or worn fixings.
Common mistakes
- Track on the sash and arm on the frame (reversed).
- Packers in the wrong place.
- One hinge fitted upside down, so the arrows disagree.
- Fitting a hinge that was never opened correctly on the bench first.
Prefer to watch a full replacement?Search YouTube for how to replace upvc window friction stay hinges and pick any video that matches your hinge.
07 · Not the same as a reset
Using the easy clean feature
On egress easy clean hinges, the cleaning position is an extra movement after normal opening.
Open the window fully
Into its normal wide-open position.
Press the release tab on each hinge
Then slide the sash sideways along the frame, keeping the movement even at top and bottom.
Clean, then close the window
Closing resets the mechanism automatically. Open normally once more to check it has re-engaged.
Don't force the sash sideways without pressing the tabs, and don't lean out or put your weight on the open sash. This is a different action from resetting a loose hinge opened the wrong way — use the instructions for the problem you have.
Want to see the easy clean slide?Search YouTube for egress easy clean upvc window hinge how to use and pick any video that matches your hinge.
08 · Check before forcing anything
Something not right?
| What you notice | What to check next |
|---|---|
| New hinge won't open at all | You're lifting against the arrow. Turn it round and lift from the other end. Open correctly. |
| New hinge feels stuck open or floppy | The slider has come out of the track. It is not broken. Reset it. |
| Window catches or won't close after fitting | Check stack height, orientation and track position. Don't force the handle to pull it closed. |
| Window has dropped or the gap is uneven | Usually hinge wear or alignment — friction adjustment won't cure it. Replace the pair or send a photo. |
| Easy clean position won't return to normal | Close the window fully and check it re-engages. If it won't, stop and send a photo. |
| Bent metal, cracked plastic or a loose rivet | Don't fit or keep using it. Support the sash if it's installed, and send a photo. |
09 · Quick answers
Common questions
Is my hinge broken because I opened it backwards?
Almost never. The slider has come out of the track and needs putting back. Check for visible damage first, then reset it.
Does egress mean fireproof?
No. It describes the size of the opening the hinge allows, not fire resistance.
What's the difference between egress and easy clean?
Both open to about 90°. Easy clean also lets the sash slide sideways to clean the outside glass from indoors. All the egress hinges we sell are easy clean.
Can I fit a standard hinge where an egress hinge was?
Not if the window is an escape route. Fit egress easy clean so the wide opening is kept.
Do I still need to check stack height with a universal kit?
Only to decide whether to fit the packers. Measure the old hinge folded flat, or compare how the sash closes.
Do the kits come with screws?
Yes, every universal kit includes fixing screws and the 17mm packers.
Can I buy the packers separately?
Yes — the same 4mm clip-on packers are sold in packs of 6, 12, 18 and 24. Three per hinge, six per window. View hinge packers.
Will a universal kit fit every window?
No. It covers both stack heights, but you still need the right length, track width, hanging type, opening function and weight rating.
Can I replace just one hinge?
Replace them as a pair. A worn hinge on one side drags the new one out of line.
Is the easy clean reset the same as fixing a hinge opened backwards?
No. Easy clean resets by closing the window. A hinge opened backwards is a loose, unfitted part — see reset.
10 · Product advice
Still stuck? Send us photos
A UPVCSTORE product expert will confirm the size, stack height and type before you order — or talk you through a reset.
- The whole hinge and how it is fitted.
- Close-ups of any stamps, logos and numbers, and the end of the track.
- A tape measure alongside the track.
We reply during staffed hours. Bought from us already? Include your order number so we can see exactly which hinge you have.