Is it a myth that if you use hot water to clear ice/frost from you car windscreen and windows it will crack the glass. I always use a jug of hot water to clear the windows and i've never had any problems. Has it actully ever happened to anyone you know?
2007-12-20 00:13:06 · 17 answers · asked by Gaz 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Modern bonded windscreens have no room to move, unlike earlier ones mounted in rubber, and can be under substantial stress already. If there's a stone-chip there that you may not even have noticed, that can be enough to trigger a crack given just a little more stress.
Yes, it can happen & I've seen it several times, in fact the neighbour's screen exploded with a bang when he poured a kettle over it. I suspect you might get away with warm, as opposed to HOT, water. You MAY be lucky, in fact you clearly have been so far . . .
2007-12-20 05:08:17 · answer #1 · answered by champer 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I would first allow an extra 10 minutes to defrost the car by starting the car and turning the heating on and the rear windscreen heater on, then after about five minutes free the stuck wipers from the windscreen, once this has been done I would then use my windscreen scraper to remove the frost from the windscreen which should be softening up, don't try the washer as this could be frozen, very soon you will see the frost on the windscreen disappearing, but never ever use hot or cold water on the windscreen for it could crack the screen and not only that the water will freeze just as quickly making the job of clearing the windscreen a whole lot harder, having all the windows clear from frost makes it a lot easier to see out of making you a safer driver, for how many times have you seen a driver peering out of a little bit of cleared screen trying to see their way while driving not very safe for yourself or the other road users, OK then take care and remember that the road conditions will be icy as well so drive careful with this in mind, another reason to allow extra time before starting of before driving.
2016-05-25 03:55:00 · answer #2 · answered by jeniffer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While you may not damage the a good windshield by pouring hot water on it, if there is a flaw in the glass, you can cause a crack to grow greatly! Even a small rock chip that you would not notice without close examination can become a major crack in seconds! I have seen it happen more than once. You can actually see the crack in the glass growing!
If you insist on using water to clear ice or frost from your windshield, use warm, not hot, water and be careful. Also be prepared to have the windshield replaced if it cracks!
2007-12-20 01:28:11 · answer #3 · answered by fire4511 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is very interesting. You see my mother uses hot water to ckear frost from a windshield, but this has never been a problem. My father shuns the idea, and says that the glass will expand under the heat and eventually crack. It has never actually happenned to anybody I know, and it is the most effective way to clear windscreens from ice or frost. I would advise to keep using hot water until you actually have proof of this happenning to another person.
2007-12-20 00:19:44 · answer #4 · answered by Ig I 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋
it really depends on how hot water is. Principle is heat of water causes cold glass to expand rapidly, cracking it, but depends on speed of increase in temperature and thickness of glass, and if there are any flaws in windscreen already. The only person I know this has happened to had a old MPV, I think age of car combined with size of screen may have caused it. At any rate, it is best to use cold water as no danger of cracking, and it actually does the job better as it is not warm it doesn't evaporate and freeze quickly.
2007-12-20 00:52:03 · answer #5 · answered by Norman de'Plume 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
IT DOES!!
My boyfriend did that a few days ago and cracked the windscreen right down the middle.
Mind you..he did use the water from the kettle! (that had just boiled)
He was not happy, but i thought it was quite funny
2007-12-20 00:35:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
If you use warm, or even hand hot water there shouldn't be any problem. If you use a freshly boiled kettle then expect a crack. Also if there is any damage to the screen (stone chips, small cracks &c.) expect problems
2007-12-20 04:03:08 · answer #7 · answered by The original Peter G 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No idea and am not prepared to find out by using hot water.
2007-12-20 01:44:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Use water at a temperature you can put your hand in NOT a kettle of boiling water and you should be OK.
Some screens with very sharp curvature - that on my old boss's car - would shatter in cold weather just by having the heater on but then it was a Ford!
RoyS
2007-12-20 03:55:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
My Hubby has done this for years & never had a problem. He works at a car dealership so you can imagine how many cars they have to clear each day in the cold weather.
I think that it may be one of those modern myths" that circulate, spread by De-Icer manuafacturers!
2007-12-20 00:18:25 · answer #10 · answered by christine460986 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋