What is an espag window handle?

First off lets explain what an espag is. An espagnolette (shortened to espag) locking system is the metal strip which runs up the locking side of a window and moves when the handle is turned. They most often have round studs on them called mushrooms which move up and down (or side to side depending on how your window sits). The mushrooms catch into a metal plate on the window frame called a keep. In the centre of the espag is a gearbox with a square hole in it, the spindle from the handle goes through this hole and when the handle is turned it operates the mechanism.

So the handle which moves an espag mechanism is called an espag window handle.

The double glazing industry has made some parts of an espag handle standard – the fixing holes are always 43mm apart and the spindle is always 7mm wide. The length of the spindle will differ and can range from 10mm up to 40mm. Some companies occasionally used longer spindles but these have been phased out generally.

Just to spoil the descriptions the espag handle also operates other types of systems in upvc windows such as gearboxes and shootbolt systems. But these systems have stuck to the standards and are operated using espag window handles.