New Inventions.

I know this is going to descend into smut before long but I was just looking at the rain out of the sun lounge windows when I thought I might go and take a look at the noisy wipers on the muzzy when I had an idea!!! How about a jet of air or a curtain of air blowing up from the bottom of the screen instead of wipers would it work?

Often thought about this, but I don't know if I could drive properly with 3 Dyson blades driers on the bonnet. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised to see something like that on the top end cars coming out sooner or later. However, you will still need something to move the snow and suchlike when it happens.

I think the velocity you would need to keep the screen clear of water using a jet of air would mean the compressor has to be bigger than the cars engine.

Cant see it if im honest.

yeah mud would be a problem but you could have hot air for the snow and water jets for the mud.

It would definately have problems to get over but wipers seem so old fashioned to me and i cant see them going for much longer.

What we could do with is some sort of heater in the windscreen water reservoir. I put antifreeze in there yet on really cold nights it still freezes. We could do with an internal heater (like a kettle element) in the container to unfreeze it really quickly.
I've got a decent car but yet it still freezes.

I'm out

If you're driving at 70 mph which has the same effect as an air jet you still need a wiper, so I'd guess that's a non-starter?

My car has a heated windscreen, its the absolute dogs bollocks. ive not had to scrape it since I had the car.

I think it could work providing the blowers were positioned properly although I think wipers would still be needed for downpours, My Honda Civic has no rear wiper and this seems to clear on its own.

Wasn't there a product called wet off or something similar that you would coat your windscreen with that would help in the rain?

Changing the subject for a mo when i was up in Tabley i used to look in on this old girl just outside and one time i went she'd had new upvc windows fitted which was strange as the others had only been in about  6 years. She told me the nice man had persauded her to invest in the new self cleaning type just out and she would save a fortune on window cleaners. I asked her how that worked and she said she had not seen it happen as he told her it only operated at night time so as not to disturb her 

Angry Dad wrote:Changing the subject for a mo when i was up in Tabley i used to look in on this old girl just outside and one time i went she'd had new upvc windows fitted which was strange as the others had only been in about  6 years. She told me the nice man had persauded her to invest in the new self cleaning type just out and she would save a fortune on window cleaners. I asked her how that worked and she said she had not seen it happen as he told her it only operated at night time so as not to disturb her 

Strangely enough they do exist and apparently work quite well. They are supposedly ideal for conservatories. I'm guessing there is something in the glass?

Reebok Trotter wrote:

Angry Dad wrote:Changing the subject for a mo when i was up in Tabley i used to look in on this old girl just outside and one time i went she'd had new upvc windows fitted which was strange as the others had only been in about  6 years. She told me the nice man had persauded her to invest in the new self cleaning type just out and she would save a fortune on window cleaners. I asked her how that worked and she said she had not seen it happen as he told her it only operated at night time so as not to disturb her 

Strangely enough they do exist and apparently work quite well. They are supposedly ideal for conservatories. I'm guessing their is something in the glass?

St Helens glass do them.

We had our windows replaced in the last 2 years and did a bit of research on the price from Windowplas in town and they really are much more expensive than the standard glass.

wanderlust wrote:If you're driving at 70 mph which has the same effect as an air jet you still need a wiper, so I'd guess that's a non-starter?

Correct.

karlypants wrote:Wasn't there a product called wet off or something similar that you would coat your windscreen with that would help in the rain?

A potato cut in half and wiped on the screen will get you home should your wipers fail.

Soul Kitchen wrote:

karlypants wrote:Wasn't there a product called wet off or something similar that you would coat your windscreen with that would help in the rain?

A potato cut in half and wiped on the screen will get you home should your wipers fail.

That's hoping they fail when you have just done your weekly shop or oddly carry around the odd potato.

But it's a good tip SK!

Used it once many years ago.

The liquid used to clean screens, (can't remember its name, but its been going for some time), works by filling in the microscopic dent s and holes on the screen, making it very smooth. I used to use it years ago, and actually tried driving at 70 without my wipers, and it works ! Obviously the effect wasn't as good down at the 30-40 mark. I think self-cleaning windows works on the same principle, but are made to a much higher spec than normal glass.

I'm sure I read somewhere that there is some chemical in self cleaning glass that reacts to light and removes any deposits?