# Thermal paste?



## Mulligrub (Jun 24, 2020)

I am replacing the thermostats on my Gaggia Classic.

One for the brew the other for steam 107 and 155 degrees.

Is it necessary to use thermal paste when attaching them to the aluminium boiler?

advice appreciated.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

If you have some use it. If not don't bother. Important, don't over-tighten, it is easy to shear off the pin.


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## Mulligrub (Jun 24, 2020)

El carajillo said:


> If you have some use it. If not don't bother. Important, don't over-tighten, it is easy to shear off the pin.


 Many thanks for your advice.

I will leave it out. Okay about the over tightening👍
cheers.


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## Andy Lewis (Sep 6, 2020)

2p's worth:

Thermal paste would've been used by the manufacture for very good reason: because the two hard metallic mating surfaces between the thermostat and aluminum boiler casting are not perfectly flat - thermal paste is therefore used to bridge any gaps between the two surfaces which would otherwise be air which is an awful conductor of heat. Hence I'd definitely use it otherwise the thermal characteristics to which your coffee machine was originally designed to will now be different. Think of it like this: you wouldn't replace the heatsink on a processor without replacing the thermal paste too now would you? Believe it or not, it makes a hell of a difference!

A


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

go nuts: https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/products/26-conductonaut-en

j/k 😛

i think the CPU scenario is a fairly different application though.


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## Andy Lewis (Sep 6, 2020)

LOL.



facboy said:


> i think the CPU scenario is a fairly different application though.


 Not in my tiny mind: I'm talking about the efficient transference of heat from one body to another and I merely used the example of using thermal paste on a processor to exemplify this.

A


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

yeah, i guess i'm not sure how much the efficiency matters in this case. maybe it does?


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## Andy Lewis (Sep 6, 2020)

increased efficiency = decreased temperature hunting


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## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

Having used thermal paste to improve the conductivity of a thermometer for my la pav group the difference without using it is large. More lag and a few degrees disparity. Different situation but for the cost of £3 off eBay I'd use it


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## Mulligrub (Jun 24, 2020)

TomHughes said:


> Having used thermal paste to improve the conductivity of a thermometer for my la pav group the difference without using it is large. More lag and a few degrees disparity. Different situation but for the cost of £3 off eBay I'd use it


 I ordered some from Amazon 4g tube, should have it tomorrow.

many thanks.


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