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I bought a house that has hot water baseboard heating (house dates to mid 60s). I'm taking the covers off to vacuum the fins. I found a couple of metal clips on the floor. I'd like to understand what they are for and where they go. They're about an inch wide, "squarish" u-shaped. Most baseboards don't have these, but I did manage to find one that does. They're clipped on the underside of the fins near a metal bracket that holds the cover on.

I know there are expansion cradles, but these seem to be made of plastic and they easily slide on top of the lower part of the bracket that holds the cover on. The clips I found are metal and they really don't fit inside the bracket (a VERY tight fit).

enter image description here enter image description here Any ideas?

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    Maybe these are clips for the heat demand register, the bracket you adjust open and closed? just a guess,a picture would be best
    – noybman
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 3:22
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    If it's 1960s US baseboard, might be Slant/Fin. Try this image search: google.com/search?q=slant+fin+baseboard+brackets&tbm=isch
    – Shimon Rura
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 15:09
  • I added pictures. I managed to find one that is sitting over the lower bracket I refer to (see arrow in second picture. I do think these are expansion cradles. I think the lower brackets get bent and they no longer fit.
    – Adirondack Jim
    Commented Feb 8, 2018 at 0:19
  • Thanks for the suggestion Shimon. I looked at the pics. Some of the radiators look a lot like mine, but I couln't find any pics with these clips.
    – Adirondack Jim
    Commented Feb 8, 2018 at 22:48

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I finished removing all the covers and found more clips--most of them were over the brackets that the cover snaps onto. So, that's where I put the rest of them.

Thanks for everyone's input.

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Ahhh...those finns, clips, covers, bring back memories. I’ve tried cleaning those finns by removing the covers and then tried re-installing everything a time or two in the past.

I think the clips are part of an anchor system and adjustable temperature cover system. A few of those clips fell off and I tried putting them back on...then gave up. I’m sure many people before me did the same...

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  • Thanks for your input, Lee. There is a louver for temperature control that runs the length of the radiator, but it sits inside a rotating hinge that is riveted to the upper part of the vertical bracket you see in the second picture. I don't see how these brackets would be used for that (seems to work ok). Or are you referring to something else?
    – Adirondack Jim
    Commented Feb 8, 2018 at 22:47
  • No, that sounds similar. My point is that it’s probably been cleaned many times and probably many parts lost over the years.
    – Lee Sam
    Commented Feb 9, 2018 at 1:52
  • Lee, are you saying the previous homeowner has been putting them back on in the wrong place? (The red arrow in picture shows approximately where most are found). If so, where the heck do they go? Do they go to something that doesn't exist anymore? Should I remove all of them that I find?
    – Adirondack Jim
    Commented Feb 9, 2018 at 23:48

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