Do-it-yourself heated wipers: how to quickly warm up and heat the wiper blades

How to quickly warm up wipers

If a difficult situation arises, do not tear the frozen wipers off the glass so as not to damage the rubber band. Lightly moving the brushes may help, but not always. We have to resort to other defrosting methods.

Methods for heating windshield wipers:

Turning on the heater. This must be done simultaneously with turning on the engine, so that the air flowing onto the glass warms up slowly. Otherwise, the windshield may crack due to sudden temperature changes.
Using antifreeze. To melt ice, you need to spray it on the surface or pour it onto the brushes directly from the canister.

If after such actions the brush does not thaw, then you need to wait some more time. Typically the process takes 15-20 minutes.

It is better to take some measures in advance. For example, if the car will be left outside in bad weather, you need to carefully bend the brushes so that they do not touch the glass. Then wipe off the accumulated snow and wipe dry with a rag.

But it is better to install heated brushes. Such windshield wipers will save time and make life much easier for any car enthusiast.

How to make heated wipers with your own hands

Many people refuse to purchase ready-made kits because of their high cost and are looking for ways to make heated wipers themselves.

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Today there are three popular ways to implement this task:

Using nichrome thread. Do-it-yourself heated wipers made of nichrome are the most popular solution. This wire is very often used in various heating devices. It can also be used for frame brushes with hollow rubber bands. In special cases, nichrome can also be installed on frameless wipers, but it is not always possible to secure the threads in such a way as to prevent a short circuit.
Using MGTF wire. This is a special heat-resistant wire with a cross-section of 0.03 mm², the insulation of which is made of fluoroplastic. Thanks to the use of this material, the wire becomes refractory, frost-resistant, and can withstand even acids and alkalis. But with a sharp temperature change, its insulating properties may deteriorate. In addition, the MGTF wire should not be used in areas where it will be constantly moving, as this may expose the cable. Usually a special heating element is made from MGTF, which is hidden under the casing of a frameless brush.
For those who do not want to look for ways to make heated wipers themselves “from start to finish,” you can use ready-made heating plates. They are sold as special kits. The rated voltage of the plates is 12 V; you can also use a 24 V network if you connect both plates in series.

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Types of heating elements

There are several options for solving the issue of brushes freezing in the cold season using heating elements.

The following types exist:

Overlay film thermocouple. On one side it has a sticky layer. It is glued to the surface of the windshield where the wiper fits. Then they connect the wires to the contacts, which are connected to a separate button or cigarette lighter. But it is best suited for the rear window of a car, which undergoes heat treatment at the factory and is not afraid of temperature changes in different zones. The windshield may crack.
Ready-made models of windshield wiper blades , which have built-in heating systems.
Heating elements built into brushes. You can buy them or make them yourself.

There is no point in making completely heated wipers with your own hands. The thing is that there is a large assortment of ready-made models for any car on sale. They are durable, flexible and inexpensive.

The peculiarity of such equipment is maximum convenience with minimal problems. Some models even have a control panel. They differ from ordinary ones in that they are frameless.

DIY installation

If purchased models are selected, detailed instructions are included with each one. Therefore, there should be no problems with connection. It's a little more difficult to create the heated brushes yourself.

In order to convert regular windshield wipers into a heated version, a thin wire is placed inside the blades. When electrical voltage is applied, it heats up and ice does not form around the brush. At the same time, the rubber part does not lose elasticity and other useful characteristics in frost.

Tools

Such a device can easily be made in a few evenings.

To make it using frameless brushes you will need:

20 meters of wire;
scotch;
board (you need to measure the same length as the brush);
nails (2 pcs);
40 centimeters of copper wire;
soldering iron;
foil;
heat-shrink tubing.

The first step is to remove and disassemble the wipers. And then make heating elements.

Making a heating element

The next step is to create a heating element and connect it to the wipers.

Creating a heater tape:

Take a prepared board and hammer two nails into it along the edges.
A wire is wound onto the board in turns. You have to make sure it doesn't get twisted.
The wires are connected with tape every five centimeters. The joints will look like flat noodles.

Heating element connection:

Copper wire is cut into two pieces of 20 cm each - these are two wires.
They are soldered to the resulting heating element.
The fastening points must be insulated with heat-shrinkable tubing.
After all the manipulations, the finished element must be wrapped in foil.
Then prepare the wipers: remove the plastic and rubber bands from them. Insert the heater inside and reassemble.
Solder terminals to the wires.
To insulate the wipers, you need to put a corrugated tube on them.

Connection

The resulting product is connected to the car system via a relay. It is designed for a current of 10 to 15 amperes. The control wire must be connected to a contact into which electricity is supplied after the ignition is turned on. The switch is located on the dashboard of the car.

A fuse is also required. It is installed on a wire that goes to the relay for turning on the device from the battery.

Functionality check

You will need a thermometer to check. Advanced wipers first turn on for 10 minutes. Measure the heating temperature. Then turn it on again for half an hour and measure the temperature again. It should be higher than the previous one.

It should be taken into account that if the check is carried out in winter and on the street, then the wipers will not heat up to a high temperature, a maximum of 50 degrees Celsius. This is quite enough to clean the ice. In warmer times of the year and in a garage, the figures will be higher.

There will be no instant heating; this requires waiting 10-15 minutes. The windshield does not warm up.

Assembling homemade heating

To make heated wipers, you need to understand how factory-made products are designed. The design is as follows: a film heating element is glued to the metal strip that serves as the base of the brush, whose contacts are brought out approximately in the middle (where the mount with a lock is located). The heater is covered on top with a rubber windshield wiper. Hence the conclusion: it is necessary to make the same flat elements and integrate them into standard brushes.

For work you will need the following materials:

MGTF brand wire – 0.03 mm2 in an amount of about 10 m for the heater;
the same, brand MGShV or PV-3 (0.12 mm2) for connection;
heat shrink tube for sealing soldering;
aluminum foil.

Note. The resistance of the heating wire for one wiper must be at least 5 ohms. This will give a thermal power of about 35 W at a circuit current of 2.5 A.

To make a heating element with your own hands, the first thing you need to do is remove and disassemble the wipers. The goal is to accurately measure the length and width of the future film heater, guided by the dimensions of the metal base. Then proceed like this:

Drive 2 nails into the board at a distance equal to the length of the brush base.
Cut a piece of resistance wire (indicated above) and wind it between the nails so that the ends are centered.
Secure the resulting train with tape, remove it from the nails and wrap it in foil.
Solder the ends of the MGTF heating wire to the PV-3 connecting cable. Place an insulating heat-shrink tube over the joint and heat it with a lighter.

When finished, place the homemade heater inside the brush, pressing it with an elastic band and a plastic retainer. Further assembly and connection to the vehicle on-board network is carried out according to the algorithm described in the previous section.

Advice. During operation, use homemade heating for a short time so as not to discharge the battery. Turn it on for 3-5 minutes, enough to defrost the glass.

Pros and cons of homemade heating

Heated brushes have their advantages and disadvantages.

What are the benefits of windshield wipers with a heating element:

the ice crust melts faster;
the wipers do not freeze due to the fact that the liquid remaining on the glass and in the wipers does not freeze;
suitable for work in any weather;
They are easy to mount, install and connect.

Materials for manufacturing are readily available. To make heating for windshield wipers with your own hands, basic technical skills are enough.

But the disadvantage of these devices is that even warm wipers will not help if the glass is too icy.

Installation can be problematic if the car owner decides to install the heating device not through the cigarette lighter.

Is it necessary to do the heating of the wipers yourself?

Comparison of brushes with and without heating

What to do if your wipers squeak annoyingly on the glass? Read more in this article

To make heated windshield wipers with your own hands, you need to understand concepts such as current strength, short circuit, resistance, relays, and be able to connect electrical equipment. If you don’t have these skills, it’s better not to take on such an event. In this case, there are alternative options:

Purchase ready-made wipers that are heated. There is a wide variety of such products. Some are equipped with a control module that provides automatic adjustment of the device, others are not. Heated wipers are connected to the cigarette lighter module. This means that the installation scheme is as simple as possible.
You can also heat the wiper area. Thanks to it, the brushes will not freeze to the windshield. But such a device cannot be used in severe frost, since due to temperature changes a crack may appear on the windshield .

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Living in the harsh Russian climate requires purchasing additional accessories for the car, and often such devices are not just a whim, but a necessity. Heated windshield wipers fall into this category of accessories, as they provide not only comfortable driving, but also safety on the road.

Driver reviews

Such a device as a heating device for windshield wipers cannot leave any motorist indifferent, given the harsh realities of the Russian winter. Reviews about heating elements are mixed. It is likely that both the quality of workmanship and the climatic conditions in which they were tested play a role here.

I took brushes from Burner for my Chevrolet Aveo. I bought it on the Internet. I don’t have enough knowledge to connect the wipers; my husband did this.
I chose the ones that came with a device that connects to a battery. They operate only at a certain temperature and the machine’s engine is turned on. They turn off as soon as the motor stops or the temperature rises to a certain level. They have enough power from my Chevrolet's generator.
The idea itself is good, but the quality of the brushes is disgusting. Washer streaks formed on the glass and did not wash off. In general, I used them for a season and took them off. We tried to find rubber bands for the brushes to replace the original ones, but nothing worked out.
Tanya, 25 years old (Smolensk)

I decided that store-bought brushes were too expensive. And he did the heating for them himself. As a heating element, I used nichrome in factory insulation, which I took from old seat heating. I disassembled the brushes and installed the elements.
Our winter conditions are quite mild, with a maximum of minus 10 degrees Celsius. Tests have shown that the element heats up in 5-7 minutes. At low temperatures and light snow, such brushes cope quite well.
I was afraid that the glass might burst due to temperature changes on the surface. But this happens due to a sharp change in temperature. I have a smooth heating process. Therefore, no problem.
Maxim, 30 years old (Kaliningrad)
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I installed frameless wipers on my Mazda. I think this is a very useful and effective thing. There is absolutely nothing to break there; the rubber bands can be changed. But our climate has changed dramatically and now there is nothing to freeze. If there is two weeks of frost, then it is not at all necessary to spend money on them.
The windshield wipers were connected not to the cigarette lighter, but to a relay that turns on the heated rear window. It is located under the hood. That is, when the heating in the cabin was turned on, the heating of the wipers immediately turned on. When the glass and the cleaner were heated at the same time, everything that had frozen up immediately “flew off.”
Igor, 40 years old (Bryansk)