Anyone installed a washer fluid heater?

[pablo_max3045]

This morning, while scraping the ice off my windows, I was thinking about installing a fluid heater on one of the AUX switches.
I have had heated windows, but never heated fluid, so I am curious if they actually work or not.
Anyone ever install something like the below link on their Jeep ?
https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Winter-Accessories/AlphaTherm-Windshield-Washer-Heater

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[Joe98]

In my life, fax machines, email, smart phones.
Now, wiper fluid heater. I have to say, what will they think of next!

 

[Dyolfknip74]

This morning, while scraping the ice off my windows, I was thinking about installing a fluid heater on one of the AUX switches.
I have had heated windows, but never heated fluid, so I am curious if they actually work or not.
Anyone ever install something like the below link on their Jeep ?
https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Winter-Accessories/AlphaTherm-Windshield-Washer-Heater

In over 30 years of driving in the Great White North, I have never had the need to have heated washer fluid. Proper winter washer fluid and scraping/warming up vehicle has also been sufficient. Personally I wouldn't be impressed about a warm stream of fluid potentially making a crack or definitely making a crack bigger.

On a side note, I did own a Range Rover with a heated windshield and appreciated that. Until the time came to replace it.

 

[Dkretden]

I decided to pass on the washer fluid heater. My funds are limited so I figured getting a blinker fluid heater was more important. Works GREAT. No more frozen blinkers.

 

[goochman]

I had one in my Buick Enclave many moons ago. Barely used it. Remote start to warm your car up and get the defroster going is a better investment if you dont have it.

 

[pablo_max3045]

I had one in my Buick Enclave many moons ago. Barely used it. Remote start to warm your car up and get the defroster going is a better investment if you dont have it.

unfortunately remote start is illegal here. You can, on many models get a aux heater that uses the diesel, but Jeep does not offer that.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

My old chevy had heated washer fluid, they ended up pulling it out in a recall due to fire hazards. I wouldn't normally want to use hot water on a frozen window anyhow.

 

[Vinman]

I often thought about taking a couple of feet of 3/16 copper tubing, make several wraps around the heater hose, cut the rubber windshield washer nozzle hose and re-route the fluid through the copper tubing.
The fluid would be warmed up by the heater hose heat and always have warm washer fluid.
Of course it wouldn’t work until after the engine ran for a bit but once warmed up it would provide endless heat.

 

[Terminex]

I have one.

after a terrifying drive through freezing rain for 4 hours one night, i have installed these on all my vehicles.

i have it wired to one of my aux switches so that the fluid is not heated until i turn on that aux switch.

on my other vehcles that dont have the handy aux switches, i simply remove the fuse from the heated washer fluid harness during the spring, summer, and fall. I put i back in late fall for the winter.

i have considered installing a pair of nozzles to spray the headlights as well.

 

[MrMischief]

I agree with others that it seems like a good way to crack a windshield, or expedite how fast a crack is going to move. As I understand the idea heated washer fluid would be sprayed onto a frosted/iced over windshield to either eliminate or reduce having to manually scrape the windshield. Hot fluid, in an amount sufficient to melt frost/ice, sprayed onto cold glass seems like a way to break that glass. The defroster can cause the same issue, but generally it heats the windshield more gradually so breaks/cracks are less likely to occur.

Can you use a deicing formulated washer fluid instead? I personally haven't noticed a huge improvement when using that stuff, but typically if my windshield is iced over I also have snow covering the washer fluid nozzles. I've seen people with covers they put on their windshield at night. Theory seems to be you lay this blanket looking thing over the windshield at night, in the morning pull it off and the frost/snow/ice is on the blanket rather than the windshield.

 

[goochman]

On my Buick the heated water only worked for a really thin coating of ice. Usually it left alot of fog on the windshield as well that I needed to wait for the defroster to take care of anyway. If you have real ice on the windshield it would almost do nothing - your wipers would get alot of abuse going over the ice trying to break it up with the heated fluid.

Just my $0.02

 

[jellis4148]

GM had heated washer fluid about 10-15 years ago. Good idea, and it actually worked very well. The problem was it had the potential to catch on fire if it was low on fluid so they did a recall and deactivated it.

 

[Heimkehr]

I'm intrigued that the AlphaTherm accessory is available. The low cost blue washer fluid, arguably the most commonly available formula, has a flammability warning plainly evident on the label. GM's recall is instructive here.

I've seen people with covers they put on their windshield at night.

Theory seems to be you lay this blanket looking thing over the windshield at night, in the morning pull it off and the frost/snow/ice is on the blanket rather than the windshield.

We do, and it is.

I give them as Christmas gifts.

 

[jeepdabest]

I LOVE mine!!!

 

[Shibadog]

I agree with others that it seems like a good way to crack a windshield, or expedite how fast a crack is going to move. As I understand the idea heated washer fluid would be sprayed onto a frosted/iced over windshield to either eliminate or reduce having to manually scrape the windshield. Hot fluid, in an amount sufficient to melt frost/ice, sprayed onto cold glass seems like a way to break that glass. The defroster can cause the same issue, but generally it heats the windshield more gradually so breaks/cracks are less likely to occur.

Can you use a deicing formulated washer fluid instead? I personally haven't noticed a huge improvement when using that stuff, but typically if my windshield is iced over I also have snow covering the washer fluid nozzles. I've seen people with covers they put on their windshield at night. Theory seems to be you lay this blanket looking thing over the windshield at night, in the morning pull it off and the frost/snow/ice is on the blanket rather than the windshield.

Hot water on cold glass could definitely cause thermal shock, cracking the glass. I know some do it, but it’s not a good idea

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