How to replace a uPVC window handle
Updated: October 2026
The white lever has snapped and a replacement inline handle is on the sill. How to replace a uPVC window handle is a short job when the gearbox still moves, and the wrong job if you fit the lever with the sash closed. The Products Compared editorial team used Everest, Handlestore, JCP and amazon.co.uk reviews from 15 October 2026, not a lab fitting. Listings and prices are on the [window handle comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/window-handle). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The white lever has snapped and a replacement inline handle is on the sill. How to replace a uPVC window handle is a short job when the gearbox still moves, and the wrong job if you fit the lever with the sash closed.
The white lever has snapped and a replacement inline handle is on the sill. How to replace a uPVC window handle is a short job when the gearbox still moves, and the wrong job if you fit the lever with the sash closed. The Products Compared editorial team used Everest, Handlestore, JCP and amazon.co.uk reviews from 15 October 2026, not a lab fitting. Listings and prices are on the window handle comparison. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Spindle | Fixings | Lock | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Home Secure Home Secure multi-spindle locking handle | Lengths not numbered | Screws often wrong length | Key lock | 8.4 | about £7.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Shield Hardware Shield Hardware 5-spindle handle | 5 swappable | 5 screw sets | Key lock | 7.5 | about £6.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Yale Yale YWHLCK40N-WH inline handle | 40 mm on bullet | Fixing pack | Push button | 7.2 | about £6.56 | View offer |
On this page
Before the screwdriver
This sequence assumes an inline espag, not a cockspur. Handlestore's FAQ says an inline handle has to point the same way as the old one, because the lock moves in one direction. Left or right on a title does not mean you can flip the lever. Check type, spindle and centres on how to measure a uPVC window handle before the first screw.
Open the sash and leave the handle in the open position before you touch a screw. Everest and JCP both start there. Unscrewing it with the window shut is how the new handle goes back closed and the lock sits a quarter-turn out. Keep the old screws beside the new spindle. Do not start by cutting a fixed bar. Swapping a spindle against cutting one bar is on multi-spindle or fixed window handles.
Remove the old handle
With the sash open and the lever in the open position, prise off the screw caps. Undo both screws while you hold the handle, so the spindle does not drop into the sash.
Look at the spindle before the new base goes on. Too short, and it will not reach the gearbox, which is the fault Handlestore names when the handle turns and the lock does not. Too long, and it can bottom out so the handle will not sit flat. Match a multi-spindle length to the old bar. If one fixed bar is shorter than the old one, stop.
Fit and test
Set the new handle to the same open position. Insert the spindle, seat both holes, fit the screws and caps, and test while the sash is still open. You should feel the cams move. Close the sash only after that, then check the lock holds.
If you fitted it closed, the lock can sit 90 degrees out. Open the lever to 90 degrees, reposition, and refit before you order a second lever. If the base will not sit flush, the bar may be bottoming out. Cutting a bar you cannot hold is a mistake. If you cannot grip the offcut, swap the spindle or call a fitter.
When it is not the handle
When the new lever turns freely and the window still will not lock, JCP says the fault is usually the mechanism in the edge of the sash. A second lever does not rebuild a gearbox. Stop as well when the sash has dropped, so the handle and the keep no longer meet. Stop when this window is the escape route and the new keyed handle would leave you with no usable key. Read window handle child safety before that lever comes off. A care setting that needs the opening limited is a restrictor, not a second lever. A screwdriver is enough when the lock works and the spindle matches.
Common questions
How do I replace a uPVC window handle?
Open the sash and leave the lever in the open position. Remove the caps, undo both screws while you hold the handle, and set the new handle to that same open position before the spindle goes in. Turn the lever while the sash is still open so you can see the cams move. Close the window only after that test. Everest and JCP treat a like-for-like swap as a short job when the mechanism already works.
Why does the new handle not turn the lock?
The handle was fixed in the closed position, so the lock sits 90 degrees out, or the spindle is too short to reach the mechanism. Open the lever to 90 degrees, reposition, and refit if you fitted it closed. If the spindle is short, a different length is the fix, not tighter screws. If the lever then spins and the cams still do not move, the mechanism in the sash edge is the fault.
The handle spins and the cams do not move. Is that a new handle?
A second handle is unlikely to help. JCP says that if the new handle turns and the window still will not lock, the mechanism in the edge of the sash is usually at fault. Check the bar length first, because a short spindle can look similar. Once the spindle is seated and the cams still do not move, call a fitter or a locksmith.
Can I reuse the old screws?
Yes. Home Secure reviews often found the new screws the wrong length, so the old ones were reused or the new ones were shortened. Shield's bullets say the screw sets match the spindles and should not need cutting. A screw that is too long can foul the gearbox. Keep the old pair until the new base is tight and the handle still turns.
When should I stop and call a fitter?
Call a fitter or a locksmith when the sash has dropped, when the handle spins without moving the cams, when an escape window would lose its only usable key, or when a care setting needs the opening limited. A screwdriver is enough for a like-for-like espag swap when the lock already works. It is the wrong tool for a gearbox.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Approved Document Q, security in dwellings (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- BSI — PAS 24:2022+A1:2024 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Secured by Design — windows (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — Approved Document B, fire safety, dwellings (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- RoSPA — falls (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- HSE — falls from windows (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Handlestore — how to measure uPVC window handles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- ERA — window handles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for these twelve handles, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)