Ice Removal Myth #1 - Boiling Water

Myth: Pour hot water on the windshield and/or auto glass to melt the ice. Make sure to cover the ice completely.

Reality: It's not just the ice that's frozen, the glass is frozen as well. When an extreme temperature change happens, the glass shatters. The same thing can happen if you start your car, wait a couple minutes for it to warm up, and then turn the defroster on high heat full blast. The interior side of the glass is frozen too. This is especially true if there is already a chip in the windshield glass. That chip will run into a crack fast.

For all you science geeks, you probably know that glass is a unique state of matter, it is called a "liquid solid." That means even though it looks solid, it still has some properties of a liquid, especially expanding and contracting with the air temperature. Glass also has no insulating properties - it lets heat and cold pass right through. That's why your home can get condensation, because a single-pane window will have the same outside temperature on the inside. That cold temperature of the glass can take water vapor out of the indoor air and turn it into condensation on the glass. Double-pane insulated windows prevent condensation and save energy costs.

So you got a 2-for-1 deal today - you learned why windshields crack due to temperature changes and why single-pane windows produce condensation. As a full-service glass shop, Glass Doctor can help fix both of those panes.