# Thermostat Thermal Paste/Boiler Sealant recommendations? (Gaggia Classic)



## The Judge (Oct 5, 2010)

I am refurbing a second-hand Gaggia Classic I obtained and thought it best to be thorough so I'm planning on removing the thermostats and soaking the boiler in some descaling solution for a bit since it's quite scaled up. I'm not sold on doing this as I've heard it can cause problems but I'll see how I feel when I come to it. In taking off the thermostats, I'll need to replace them and put new thermal compound so I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for it.

Secondly, I have read that using silicone sealant on the boiler is worthwhile when reassembling things so I was hoping someone would have a sealant to recommend for this too. I'm really not too knowledgeable about these kinds of things and don't want to accidentally poison myself! Thanks in advance.


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## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

Please DO NOT use silicone sealant. if the base of boiler is rough use a belt sander and skim it then use a proper boiler seal to refit. as for heat sync/thermal compound any diy store will sell it. all does the same job

mark


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## Grumpy (Jan 21, 2011)

Hi I believe the law states that all pressure vessel connections should seal without the need for sealing compounds, however ptfe tape should be all that's needed on joints. Don't over tighten joints and if a small leak is apparent it can be just tweaked

Element and boiler gaskets are either Teflon or cardboard. Once installed and tightened (not over tightened) The cardboard expands when wet and seals. The Teflon should be retightened when the boiler is heated again not over tightened just nipped up.

I hope this helps


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