Posted by Dave on January 21, 2006, 4:13 am
Statesman wrote:
>>However, for the next time, if the weatherman forcasts snow or ice
>>conditions, when you park your car lift up your windshield wipers.
>>That way, they won't get frozen to your car, and it is usually easy to
>>peel the ice off. Heat will also eventually come from the gasoline
>>engine (since it'll be running anyways to warm itself up). Also invest
>>in a good ice scraper. (All that idling of your gasoline engine to
>>warm up isn't good for any car, so get some exercise scraping!)
>
>
> Living in Perth, Western Australia we never have ice problems.
>
> What I found curious is no one here mentioned using warm-hot water from a
> kettle to clear the ice from the window. Does this have large negative
> effects on cars? Having never had an ice problem I have never had to think
> of a solution.
>
>
We did this back in college in the 1970's with a friends VW Beetle. The
water refreezes quickly and there is the possibility of cracking the
windows with the rapid change in temperature on the windows.
Posted by Michael R on February 21, 2006, 4:19 am
I've used hot water for 30 years to defrost windows and unfreeze door locks,
and have never had a problem.
Works great!
> What I found curious is no one here mentioned using warm-hot water from a
> kettle to clear the ice from the window. Does this have large negative
> effects on cars? Having never had an ice problem I have never had to think
> of a solution.
>
Posted by Bill on February 21, 2006, 4:26 am
> I've used hot water for 30 years to defrost windows and unfreeze door
> locks, and have never had a problem.
> Works great!
Have you tried it at -20F?
Posted by Michael R on February 21, 2006, 4:49 am
No, probably 0F was as cold as it got.
There is really not that much difference to pouring hot water on a frozen
windshield compared to cold water on a hot windshield, as when washing a car
in the summer. It's the same temperature difference, and I've never seen a
windshield crack in the summer from cold water either.
And if it is -20F, would you be afraid to turn on your defroster because you
think the 80F air on the inside would crack the glass?
>> I've used hot water for 30 years to defrost windows and unfreeze door
>> locks, and have never had a problem.
>> Works great!
>>
> Have you tried it at -20F?
>
Posted by Bill on February 21, 2006, 4:58 am
> No, probably 0F was as cold as it got.
> There is really not that much difference to pouring hot water on a frozen
> windshield compared to cold water on a hot windshield, as when washing a
> car in the summer. It's the same temperature difference, and I've never
> seen a windshield crack in the summer from cold water either.
> And if it is -20F, would you be afraid to turn on your defroster because
> you think the 80F air on the inside would crack the glass?
Yesterday, at -20F, I threw a glass of water from my second story deck and
only ice hit the ground. At -20F the air that hits my glass initially is
well below zero and gradually warms to the point where it will barely keep
about 90% of my windshield clean. Were I to pour water on my windshield
at -20F it would freeze before I had a chance to switch from the pitcher to
the scraper. I made the mistake of going through the car wash at
approximately -20F and, when I got to my garage, could only open the
passenger side door. At these temperatures, using water to remove ice is
like using gasoline to put out a fire.
XML site map
>>conditions, when you park your car lift up your windshield wipers.
>>That way, they won't get frozen to your car, and it is usually easy to
>>peel the ice off. Heat will also eventually come from the gasoline
>>engine (since it'll be running anyways to warm itself up). Also invest
>>in a good ice scraper. (All that idling of your gasoline engine to
>>warm up isn't good for any car, so get some exercise scraping!)
>
>
> Living in Perth, Western Australia we never have ice problems.
>
> What I found curious is no one here mentioned using warm-hot water from a
> kettle to clear the ice from the window. Does this have large negative
> effects on cars? Having never had an ice problem I have never had to think
> of a solution.
>
>