Thermal Paste

The heater elements are held in contact with the metal plates by the metal spring clip. The white paste you see around the edges is not glue - it's actually a thermal paste that helps transfer the heat from the element to the plate. As it the paste ages it goes a bit hard which is why the heater can sometimes feel stuck.

The reason for the thermal paste is that on a tiny scale the plate surface is a bit like a mountain range. You need the paste to fill in all the valleys so that the heater has even contact with the heater plate. That's what the paste is for. Therefore you don't need very much of it at all. Less is actually better!

If you want to apply some new paste when you replace a heater, then we stock some in the shop for £1 - Thermal paste

This page was last updated at 11:02pm on 15th April 2010