I picked up a radiator from a scrappie. It's the exact size I want, but it doesn't have the usual mounting lugs on the back. Can anyone enlighten me as to how to mount such a rad? I've never seen one with no lugs on the back before! As a last resort, I do have an arc welder which I could probably use to weld on some lugs with, but I've got almost no arc-welding skills.
TIA Al
That why it's at the scrappie?
Frankly I'd use CarBodyFilla (RM) to stick lugs on it
If you grind back to bare metal its one helluva bond
What type of radiator is it? If it's cast iron, it would need brackets which clamp to the tubes. Some bathroom radiators have legs, and stand directly on the floor.
If it's a 'normal' sheet steel radiator, does it look as if it's ever had lugs? I wouldn't try welding it - chances are that you'll make a hole in it and cause a leak!
None of my radiators have lugs on. There are clips that fit over the tops and bottoms of the radiator, and that fit into the tops and bottoms of lengths of metal channeling that is bolted to the wall. The clips are actually spring-loaded, but they're encrusted with paint and I've never had reason to investigate in detail. See
Chances are it was scrapped because the lugs had broken off ;-)
You can (or at least could) get brackets that grabbed the lip of the rad top and bottom.
Is it a single or double panel? With or without heatsink fins?
If its a single with fins, then you can safely weld to the fins without fear of holing the rad.
If it were mine, I think I would fabricate a couple of feet so that the weight was supported by the floor (could be plywood or metal) and a couple of straps to support it at the top, or the sides near the top, to prevent it being accidentally tipped away from the wall. If it is a single, and finned, the latter could neatly engage with the fins keeping the top looking "clean".
newshound wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Thanks to you all for the replies. To clarify, it is a single-skineed modern-style radiator, but with no fins.
It's one of those times I wish I had brazing gear...
Al
Chris Hogg wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Yes - thanks. Your image shows what I've probably got.
Al
Roger Mills wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net:
It's a 'normal' sheet steel rad and it looks like it never had lugs.
Perhaps I'll take it back to the scrappy and wait for a lugged version to turn up...
Al
"AL_n" wrote in news:XnsA540BDC6CFDA6zzzzzz@
130.133.4.11:
PS.. except that mine is a single and without fins.
The Natural Philosopher wrote in news:n0o7k6$m01$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net:
Interesting idea - thanks.
Al
We have a single in the bathroom; same type of mountings.
One slightly odd radiator I removed from here a few years ago had brackets with a sort of "claw" arrangement that gripped around the top and bottom seams and held it to the wall ...
Probably designed to be mounted with sprung brackets. The lip at the bottom of the rad sits in a slot in the bracket and the top lip is gripped by a spring loaded clip. Good idea but a bugger to remove when they have been painted over.
Mike
If it doesn't have mounting lugs and no sign of them being broken off, it likely used a different method. Some might have brackets that clamp on - others may just sit on them.
Chances of finding new brackets on their own may be poor depending on make.
Probably cheaper to just buy a new complete one if you can't fabricate something cheaply yourself.
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