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I Know It's Not Winter But Here's A Washer Fluid Heater For Your Car


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Well, I sat here and figured out how to heat the entire washer fluid tank using 330ohm resistors and wrapping it with thermal barrier. Temperature in the tank would be between body temp and hot coffee. But... continuously heating the tank would eventually remove the ethanol/methanol from the fluid mix. It would evaporate off early. And it wouldn't heat up very fast when cold.

 

So I guess an "instant heat" device for 65 bucks would work better. I would wrap the washer fluid hoses with a thermal barrier.

 

Or move South where it's not needed...

 

edit: and oddly, I guess using plain water isn't a good idea: (Wiki)
 

 

On 14 June 2010, the UK's Health Protection Agency announced the results of a preliminary study of 75 patients, which found an association between the use of plain water as wiper fluid and Legionnaires' disease, which is spread by breathing in aerosolized bacteria from infected water. It had been noticed that prevalence of the disease was five times higher among professional drivers.[2][3]

 

 

One more thing. The factory rigs spray out a fine mist. That would help prevent thermal cracking of the cold windshield from hitting it with a shot of hot fluid.

Edited by ReconRat
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The midget KNOWS washer fluid!  

 

That said, I use the rain-x as well.  I tried an off brand rain repellent fluid, and it just isn't quite the same.  I've never had a need for heated fluid though, other than it might de-ice the windshield better.

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Well, I sat here and figured out how to heat the entire washer fluid tank using 330ohm resistors and wrapping it with thermal barrier. Temperature in the tank would be between body temp and hot coffee. But... continuously heating the tank would eventually remove the ethanol from the fluid mix. It would evaporate off early. And it wouldn't heat up very fast when cold.

 

So I guess an "instant heat" device for 65 bucks would work better. I would wrap the washer fluid hoses with a thermal barrier.

 

Or move South where it's not needed...

 

edit: and oddly, I guess using plain water isn't a good idea: (Wiki)

 

 

One more thing. The factory rigs spray out a fine mist. That would help prevent thermal cracking of the cold windshield from hitting it with a shot of hot fluid.

Where are you getting ethanol wwf from, we use methanol in our mix as do all our competitors

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Where are you getting ethanol wwf from, we use methanol in our mix as do all our competitors

Methanol, yes traditional. But the manufacturing trend is switching to a ethanol/ethylene glycol/water mix.

 

edit: ok ok, the ethanol is all bio eco earth friendly shit.

Edited by ReconRat
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Yeah, I looked it up. Hardly anyone is actually switching to ethanol unless they are after the bio green label for their product. Doesn't work well for lower temperatures. Edited previous to add methanol.

Edited by ReconRat
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