Defrosters & Defoggers

Without window defrosters and defoggers, the range of emotions felt when driving on a cold winter day would fluctuate from the sheer terror of hurtling down the road without being able to see, to the annoyance of repeatedly having to pull over and wipe the windows. With the simple push of a button, defrosters and defoggers clear ice, frost, and fog from the windows for unobstructed visibility and safe driving, no matter how frigid the temperature, and without any drama. When it’s a bone-freezing cold winter day or humidity is increased, having these devices in proper condition is a must to maintain a clear view of the road by keeping your windshield clean at all times.

We’re all familiar with the windshield defrosters that have been with us for many years. The blower motor blows fresh air through the heater core containing hot engine coolant, and the warmed air is ducted to the windshield. Manufacturers like Ford and GM briefly experimented with electrically heated windshields that had an electrically conductive film embedded in the glass. These proved to be problematic, however, and were discontinued after only a few years. They were very expensive to repair since failure required replacement of the entire windshield, and the metallic heating element also interfered with electronic devices like GPS navigation systems and radar detectors.

Manufacturers like Permatex® and Loctite® make easy to use kits that can repair either defect. A solvent based acrylic grid repair system consisting of resin, a stencil, and a brush is included to repair breaks in the grid and restore conductivity, while a 2-part, electrically conductive tab adhesive and activator is supplied to reapply the tab to the grid. These kits are inexpensive and provide the material and instructions needed to perform an effective repair. Even the grid repair adhesive color matches the grid color, so the repair will be undetectable.

If you’re looking to instantly defeat the forces of wicked Mother Nature, premium window defrosters and defoggers showcased in our digital store are just the ticket. Arm yourself with that very one that best fits your needs and budget so you can say goodbye to the days of waking up to foggy windows ruining your vision or the need to scrap snow from the windshield. With a top-notch defroster or defogger, the “enemy” will be downed. Check our ultimate selection that includes a diverse variety of top-notch front and rear defrosters and defoggers to clear foggy or iced-over glass, plus switches to enable easily control the device. Some, defroster/defogger switches give you the power of remote control and have an indicator light. Great time- and muscle-savers, defrosters and defoggers are valuable components for any car on the road today, allowing to easily melt ice build-up on the windshield and take away condensation from the windows. Once installed, you can bet a smart device effectively defogs and de-ices your front/rear windshields, or side windows in the blink of an eye.

Some vehicles have been equipped with electric motor and fan wheel rear defoggers, but the most common type of rear defogger is a grid system of conductive material attached to the inside of the glass. When current is applied, the grid heats up, clearing fog and melting ice and snow. However, if any portion of the horizontal grid lines are broken or scraped off, that portion of the window will not be cleared, and if one of the tabs that connect the grid to the vehicle’s electrical system comes off, the entire defogger will fail. Luckily, these defoggers are easily repaired.