Heated wipers: how to install a heating element with your own hands

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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:

1. 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.
2. Ready-made models of windshield wiper blades , which have built-in heating systems.
3. 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.

Required materials and tools

Let's start with the fact that experts in the field of automotive technology have already tested this new product and found that industrial designs are in no way superior to homemade heated wipers. Therefore, drivers who have basic skills in working with electricity may well try to save money by purchasing factory heated brushes, which, depending on the size, cost from 2 to 4 thousand rubles.

What is needed for this? First you need to buy frameless brushes that are suitable for the method of attachment to the car (from 300 to 400 rubles), and then go to a hardware store and purchase:

• nichrome spiral for electric stoves with a diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 mm (about 20 rubles);
• 5A fuse;
• a pair of female connectors and the same number of male connectors (optional);
• two-core copper wire in good insulation, about 7 meters long.

In addition, to assemble this device yourself, you will need the following tools:

• soldering iron with solder;
• a small screwdriver with a straight tip (can be replaced with a regular awl);
• multimeter for measuring resistance.

Thus, the total cost of such a homemade product, not counting the tool, even in the most advanced version (with a relay and a three-position button) will not exceed one thousand rubles.

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:

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

Heating element connection:

1. Copper wire is cut into two pieces of 20 cm each - these are two wires.
2. They are soldered to the resulting heating element.
3. The fastening points must be insulated with heat-shrinkable tubing.
4. After all the manipulations, the finished element must be wrapped in foil.
5. Then prepare the wipers: remove the plastic and rubber bands from them. Insert the heater inside and reassemble.
6. Solder terminals to the wires.
7. 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.

Algorithm for manufacturing heated wipers

Heating the brush using nichrome thread

So, let's look at one way to make heated wipers. For example, let's take a windshield wiper tape from HORS. This brush is different in that its design is hollow. It is mounted on a plastic profile, which is also very convenient for installing similar wipers. So, the operating algorithm is as follows:

1. To make the heating element, a nichrome wire with a cross section of 0.3 mm is used. The length of the wire should be double the length of the wiper, to which you need to add a margin of 20 cm. This wire is widely available, since it is used in heating coils of various household appliances. A heating element in the form of a wire is passed through the entire length of the brush and it is ensured that it follows its contour. If this is not achieved, the wiper may begin to loosely adhere to the glass.
2. Nichrome wire is usually sold in the form of a spiral. And this means that it needs to be straightened. To do this, put the spiral on an awl and pull out a piece of the required length with pliers.
3. Next, measure out a piece of wire, the length of which is 2 times less than that of the wiper, and give a margin of another 10 cm. Bend this wire and pass it inside the hollow space of the wiper rubber. The wire should be completely hidden in the elastic band. At the same time, make sure that it does not twist, because then the nichrome will burn out much faster.

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The end of a nichrome thread with wires

1. Holes are made in the plastic case to allow the heater wire to exit. Then connect the heating element to the wire and solder them. The wire is used with a cross section of 2x0.2. The desired length is 2 meters. Soldering must be protected from damage. To do this, glue a piece of the profile using dichloroethane.
2. Then another wire with a length of one and a half meters and a cross-section of 2x0.35 is soldered to this wire. The soldering is protected with a heat-shrinkable tube. Install the female connector for connecting power.

In total, heaters are obtained whose resistance ranges from 8.8 (for 45 cm) to 11 Ohms (for a 60 cm wiper).

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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Maxim, 30 years old (Kaliningrad)

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)

Do-it-yourself heating

They differ in the type of brushes. Their first type is practically no different from ordinary ones, but this is only externally. In order for such a wiper to be more effective, the metal materials of its structure were replaced with plastic ones. It is known that plastic is less susceptible to freezing than metal. They also use special rubber that repels water. It does not freeze to the windshield or rear window and is softer at low temperatures than its regular counterpart. In the case of the first type of brushes, there is no need to change them to regular ones even with the onset of the warm season, and all thanks to their excellent characteristics.

Otherwise, heated wipers can compete with a frame brush, the frame of which is enclosed in a rubber cover. This is the second type of brush. Their unique structure protects the internal metal structure and the rubber itself from freezing at key links. Heated wipers are good, but this type retains its mobility and is completely protected from corrosion. Unfortunately, they are difficult to clean from moisture, since due to sudden changes in temperature, water simply condenses directly from the air on the metal elements. They also lose their effectiveness at high speeds.

And finally, the last winter type of this mechanism is heated wipers. They look like a brush without a frame, but with a built-in special heating element. In addition, they are able to maintain their elasticity for a long time and such brushes are well protected from freezing. However, heated wipers need to be connected to the car's electrical system.

You can install Burner heated brushes yourself. Each brush comes with a set of adapters in the box, as well as detailed installation instructions. There are, in general, several connection methods. One of them is connecting to the network through the cigarette lighter. To carry out this manipulation, you will need wires added to the kit, which are designed specifically for such a connection. Don't forget to connect the Burner wipers to the button that controls the heated rear window. To do this, you will need to purchase a special kit consisting of connectors, special relays, wiring and fuses.

The connection is also made via a radio button. This is the simplest and most convenient option. With the help of a special kit, the driver will ensure driving comfort. The connection is very simple - first we connect the device directly to the battery, and then we take the radio key fob with us. When you press the button, the brushes will turn on. This device has a shutdown timer that will protect the battery from premature discharge.

Many brave car enthusiasts not only undertake to connect purchased heated wipers, but also create them with their own hands. To do this, use a set of ordinary wipers, nichrome thread, a soldering iron, a piece of wire, acid and flux. You will also need heat shrink, a heat gun and some other tool.

Consider the example of frameless winter wipers. Their design is very simple. We place nichrome elastic bands on both sides. The rubber bands can be pushed inward to prevent them from falling out. But this must be done carefully, otherwise they will tear. A good tip is to use a heat gun to connect the rubber band to the metal plate, otherwise the structure may fall apart when putting on the protective casing. I advise you to immediately measure the resistance level. If it is within 8-9 ohms, this is very good. Well, if the number is lower, there is a risk of heating and even breaking the glass. Then we put protective covers on the wipers to protect the structure from destruction when we connect the wiring to the mount.

We place the mount on the wipers, drill small holes into which we insert our wires. We drill 2 more holes in the top cover for the wires. Although you don't have to do this. Wires are sometimes routed through a slot when the lid is opened. To eliminate the risk that the threads may become short-circuited, it is also worth preparing a couple of heat shrinks.

We assemble all the parts, measuring the resistance again. If the indicators are normal, you can solder the wires

It is important to check for weight on the fasteners. If yes, then you need to connect it to the mount too, passing 12V under the hood

Both wipers are connected at the same time, the fuse should be set to 5A, then we take on the relay and install wiper switches in the interior. And, in fact, everything is ready. Every review about this method carries positive information. This is how you can make heated wipers with your own hands, which in 10 minutes will free your car window from ice and snow in winter.