# Warm water on icy windshield



## hyperslug (Jan 21, 2009)

Has anyone ever actually seen an icy windshield break from lukewarm to warm water (warm means I can submerge my hand in it comfortably)?

I clear my windows many times this way. Anyone else?

I've seen a non-tempered glass pitcher break with boiling water, but I've never seen or met someone who actually cracked or shattered their windshield with warm water.


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## MSaxatilus (Jan 21, 2009)

I do it all the time. Never had a problem.

MSax


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## Sgt. LED (Jan 21, 2009)

I've done this before too but never with hot water.

I once had to pee on a windshield because the ice was too thick and I had to get moving ASAP.


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## Carpenter (Jan 21, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> I've done this before too but never with hot water.
> 
> I once had to pee on a windshield because the ice was too thick and I had to get moving ASAP.



:sick2:

I've used warm water in the past, the only problem I had was when I got going, that warm water got ice cold and refroze to the windshield. Had to stop and wait the entire windshield to warm up anyway. :shakehead


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## LED_Thrift (Jan 21, 2009)

I've done this too - no problems. Generally glass has a lot more problems being cooled rapidly, as this puts the surface in tension. Heating the surface put the surface in compression, which glass and most ceramics can take a lot of. 
Carpenter - what works for me is to squigee it off right away. 
This might be a good question for _Car Talk_.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jan 21, 2009)

Carpenter said:


> :sick2:
> 
> I've used warm water in the past, the only problem I had was when I got going, that warm water got ice cold and refroze to the windshield. Had to stop and wait the entire windshield to warm up anyway. :shakehead


had that happen too. They used to make a thing you could wrap around your heater hose and hook to the windshield washer to heat it up so in the winter it would clear the windows quicker but haven't seen anything like it since maybe they had it too hot and cracked the glass.


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## jzmtl (Jan 21, 2009)

Lynx_Arc said:


> had that happen too. They used to make a thing you could wrap around your heater hose and hook to the windshield washer to heat it up so in the winter it would clear the windows quicker but haven't seen anything like it since maybe they had it too hot and cracked the glass.


They have electrical version of that now.


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## madi05 (Jan 21, 2009)

u peed on your windshield? lmao 

did u stand on a stool?

madi05


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## alaskawolf (Jan 21, 2009)

hyperslug said:


> Has anyone ever actually seen an icy windshield break from lukewarm to warm water (warm means I can submerge my hand in it comfortably)?
> 
> I clear my windows many times this way. Anyone else?
> 
> I've seen a non-tempered glass pitcher break with boiling water, but I've never seen or met someone who actually cracked or shattered their windshield with warm water.




yes i have seen a few windshields on cars and windows on homes break because of warm water in winter


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## Norm (Jan 21, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> I once had to pee on a windshield because the ice was too thick and I had to get moving ASAP.


What did the neighbours say?


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## Sgt. LED (Jan 21, 2009)

madi05 said:


> u peed on your windshield? lmao
> 
> did u stand on a stool?
> 
> madi05


 
I just aimed extra high and let gravity take over.  I didn't have a source for anything warmer right then. 
Since nobody else has admitting to doing this I'll expand on it and say that I did it another time in the parking lot at work. I had an empty 1 litre water bottle and filled that up then got out of the car and poured it on the windshield. That time my heater went out of whack on me without warning so I did what I figured would work. I had to go anyway!
Maybe I like being self sufficient a little too much?


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## Sgt. LED (Jan 21, 2009)

Norm said:


> What did the neighbours say?


 
Nobody around for a mile or more, I was unobserved for that thawing!


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## LED_Thrift (Jan 21, 2009)

alaskawolf - do you recall what the air temperature was at the time?


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## Raoul_Duke (Jan 21, 2009)

I have used water lots before ~ fairly hot ~ 

Used a mag 623 last night ~ and that works very well ( on the frozen locks aswell ):thumbsup:


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 21, 2009)

LED_Thrift said:


> alaskawolf - *do you recall what the air temperature was at the time?*


I'm also curious. :thinking:

I'm thinking that it's more of an absolute '*difference in temperature*' thing than WARM vs HOT water.


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## Brock (Jan 21, 2009)

My older brother cracked the windshield on our parent’s car on a cold morning. It was in the mid 1980's and we are leaving for school. I had done this many times with luke warm water, he brought out some "hot" water and poured it on and "SNAP". He swore to my dad it was tap water, so maybe 120F max? It was about 0F outside at the time. I didn't try it again after that for about 10 years and now only use warm water, it doesn't take hot water, just more water if it's cooler.


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## jzmtl (Jan 21, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> I just aimed extra high and let gravity take over.  I didn't have a source for anything warmer right then.
> Since nobody else has admitting to doing this I'll expand on it and say that I did it another time in the parking lot at work. I had an empty 1 litre water bottle and filled that up then got out of the car and poured it on the windshield. That time my heater went out of whack on me without warning so I did what I figured would work. I had to go anyway!
> Maybe I like being self sufficient a little too much?



I can't believe you did that. One of the car prank is pee down somebody's HVAC intake so their AC stinks when used, but you did that to yourself. :green:


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## Superdave (Jan 21, 2009)

Thermal shock is never a good thing.. warm water is pushing it depending on the temp of the glass. Chemical thawing is the only safe way. Windshields are expencive.. lol

i keep one of these in the trailblazer at all times..

(_Moderator note: Hot linked pic removed IAW CPF Rules._)


Works great, even at -25F.


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## MarNav1 (Jan 21, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> I've done this before too but never with hot water.
> 
> I once had to pee on a windshield because the ice was too thick and I had to get moving ASAP.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Jan 21, 2009)

Don't think I ever did that. And where I live I don't often have ice on the windshield.

That said one cold arse morning it was also pissin' rain and that was freezing on the glass. What a PAIN!


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## Sub_Umbra (Jan 21, 2009)

Aside from the damage potential, warm water on an icy windschield is just silly. It's even *more* silly than using a hair dryer -- which some do also. 

I've heard of both of these methods being used in the sub-tropics. It's hard to keep a straight face. For those who don't understand -- it's ok -- your understanding is not required or expected. It's still funny.


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## addictedmatt (Jan 21, 2009)

My car has heated wipers and fluid, and I rarely use them. By the time they are warm, the car is warm and I've had plenty of time to scrape the ice.


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## LuxLuthor (Jan 21, 2009)

Superdave said:


> Thermal shock is never a good thing.. warm water is pushing it depending on the temp of the glass. Chemical thawing is the only safe way. Windshields are expencive.. lol
> 
> i keep one of these in the trailblazer at all times..
> 
> ...



+1

It appears that this contains 62% Methyl Alcohol, 6% Ethylene Glycol, & 32% water. I have seen other recommendations to use 1 part water : 2 parts rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol.


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## Flashfirstask?later (Jan 21, 2009)

Never had any real problems with ice, even with a old ford Tempo that had a bit of a mind of its own in getting the fan _and_ heater working and to top it off having a very slow coolant leak did not help much. I did however recall my front driver side tire was frozen to the cement one day after wondering why I could not move from the spot.


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## MonkRX (Jan 21, 2009)

I've used hot water (too hot to touch).. By the time I get outside its still evaporating (30 second walk at most). Its been working well for me. If it makes a difference, its a '97 car (with many chips and a small crack or two on the windshield, but nothing all the way through - all caused by pebbles).. But so far I've only used it at around 20-35 degrees F. 

I also use hot water if my whole car door is frozen shut. I'm don't think I'll ever take an ice scraper at my door/paint.


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## alaskawolf (Jan 22, 2009)

LED_Thrift said:


> alaskawolf - do you recall what the air temperature was at the time?



usually under 0F


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## Sgt. LED (Jan 22, 2009)

jzmtl said:


> I can't believe you did that. One of the car prank is pee down somebody's HVAC intake so their AC stinks when used, but you did that to yourself. :green:


 
Really? I've never used the AC in that car, I like to roll down the windows!


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## kongfuchicken (Jan 22, 2009)

That's fine sarge!
You only need to pour booze on the windshield next to get rid of the smell; then of course since cops might find the smell suspicious, just use a good dosage of white spirit to drown the smell of booze; and then, if you need to pick up the gf from time to time, just pour a bottle of cologne down the windshield beforehand; and finally when you're going back to work and can't let the co-workers notice the girly smell, just simply defrost the windshield with old trusty again!
Problem solved.

:nana:


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## abvidledUK (Jan 22, 2009)

Chemical de-icer, windscreen demister, and patience is the best method.

Anything else stresses the glass, may not crack then , but potentially weakens the glass so it is not as protective in an accident.

ie, when something is hurtling towards you.

IMHO warm water is just false economy.


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## TONY M (Jan 22, 2009)

Usually I try to de-ice it slowly by using the engines heat but in a hurry I have poured warm water over the windshield just to clear it quickly, maybe I shouldn't in future...


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## carbine15 (Jan 22, 2009)

Remote start is your friend. You could also try salt water. (salt does quite a number on steel but melts ice just fine. Hey they use it on the roads)


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## Qoose (Jan 22, 2009)

I'm going to second chemical de-icer. I've used both the canned versions that have an attached scraper, and the stuff that I mix in with the windshield cleaner. Although this was in 30ish temperatures, so nothing frozen dead.

Or.. move to California where nothing freezes.. and then stop using your car to get places :twothumbs.


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## LuxLuthor (Jan 22, 2009)

Fixed my quoted hotlink image.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Jan 22, 2009)

Two words: Espar heater. My diesel trucks and my wife's Blazer have Espar's. Set them to come on at a certain time or turn them on w/ a remote, and your engine is preheated and your cab is warm and defrosted shortly later. Good stuff. Not for use in a garage.

I've seen a semi truck windshield break with just the in-dash heater. -20F and 4 inches solid ice on the windshield; idiot cranks up his truck, raises the idle so she'll make heat, and turns the heater on full. Ten minutes later he had a very nice crack all the way across both panes of glass.

I've used warm water for years without trouble. I keep a bottle of deicer handy OUTSIDE the vehicle as it's often necessary just to get the door open.

:buddies:


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## zespectre (Jan 22, 2009)

All I can say is yes, I've shattered a windshield.

My first car (1972 Pinto) which I owned in 1986.
Upstate NY, a -15 degree day and I was late for classes so I dumped a small trashcan full of hot tap water on the windshield.
-SNAP-
and there was a nice diagonal crack.
I drove to class anyway but on the way home (with the defroster running to clear the windshield again) there was another -SNAP- and the crack finished crossing the windshield and the top right corner sagged into the car (the tar/glue kept it from actually falling in). 

Okay it was 14 year old glass and who knows what other stress it had been subject to but dumping that water on it was just stupid on my part.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jan 22, 2009)

I've squirted denatured alcohol on my windshield to defrost it. It worked great. The problem is that in cold, humid conditions, the windshield frosts up again in a few minutes.


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## asdalton (Jan 23, 2009)

Qoose said:


> Or.. move to California where nothing freezes.. and then stop using your car to get places :twothumbs.



California is pretty much the last place you want to be without a car, unless you are living in San Francisco.


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## Search (Jan 23, 2009)

I use the ice as a sign. On those really cold mornings when I'm not doing so well I just look out my window. 

If the ice is there, still cold. If the ice is gone, WARM!


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## Cydonia (Jan 23, 2009)

My father poured warm water on a frozen windshield once (about 20 years ago I recall) - but it was a little too hot I guess - and it caused several long (4-6inch or 10-15cm) horizontal cracks to form near the top edge of the windshield.


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## RyanA (Jan 23, 2009)

I usually use the rain-x orange mix of wiper fluid in the winter. Pretty good stuff.


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## gadget_lover (Jan 24, 2009)

asdalton said:


> California is pretty much the last place you want to be without a car, unless you are living in San Francisco.




Since I live 30 miles from San Francisco, and have had to scrape ice off my windows 4 times so far this year.... I can assure you even California is not immune.

My wife killed he windshield by driving through a car wash on a 105 degree day. Hot window, cold water. Bad!


Daniel


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## raggie33 (Jan 24, 2009)

i always remove the windshield from my car i belive its for hippies and it causes global waming. then i sup up the motor and take of the cat and rev it up as i drive thru the quiet streeta t 5 am thats just how i roll


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