hot water bottle in car
Author
Discussion

kazste

Original Poster:

5,926 posts

214 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
Ok so the wife thinks I'm nuts but Shirley this should work.
If I put a hot water bottle in the car it would have much the same effect as the central heating in a house to stop the Windows freezing.

I understand it may create a humid atmosphere, but would this really be worse for the car than the cold.
Feel free to argue the case of the clearly wrong wife by the way.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
If you had a really small car or a really big hot water bottle it would work.

Otherwise your wife is right

kazste

Original Poster:

5,926 posts

214 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
Well hers is a mito so smallish mine is an elise so very small cabin to heat.

So far can't find a normal hot water bottle, bit have found one pretending to be a brown bear! Might try it tonight.

Daaaveee

915 posts

239 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
Can't imagine it will have a significant effect, still, worth a try?!

Stitch

933 posts

233 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
If the car is frosted over in a morning I tend to go out with a hot water bottle and pop it on the dashboard, whilst I get ready.

It certainly starts the thawing process even with the -8 or so mornings we have had recently.

NoNeed

15,137 posts

216 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
Apparently you can get these little ceramic heaters, I havn't tried mine yet as santa doesn't know I have found all my prezzies, but I am looking forward to opening a few and like the look of this one.biggrin

kazste

Original Poster:

5,926 posts

214 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
The problem of putting something on the dashboard is the darned invention of frameless windows, meaning I need to de ice before I can get into the car as hers won't drop and mine freeze to the rubber seals.
Was just thinking if I just had one POP it on the drivers seat to help with drivers window allowing me to at least get in , start the engine and then de ice the rest of the car if needed.

It's going to be a cold night for teddy!

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

198 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
I have a cheap cover for my MX-5 to stop the windows freezing to the seals. Takes 2 mins to pop on and off, and means no scraping...

kazste

Original Poster:

5,926 posts

214 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
I did wonder about getting one of the shower caps for the elise, but for the alfa can't see anything suitable. It's never clean so can't use a full cover. Have made a cover for the windscreen but hasn't solved the door issue.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

198 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
kazste said:
I did wonder about getting one of the shower caps for the elise, but for the alfa can't see anything suitable. It's never clean so can't use a full cover. Have made a cover for the windscreen but hasn't solved the door issue.
Yeah, mine was just a "top cover", was about £30 delivered mail order from www.carcovers4u.com or something similar.

Will be keeping it for my imminent Elise purchase...

MartG

21,859 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
I suspect that if you leave a hot water bottle in the car tonight, all you'll have in the morning is a frozen hot water bottle frown

TheLurker

1,502 posts

212 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
Dont see why it wont do somthing, but I expect all the heat will have gone out of it in an hour. It wont have any adverse effect though.

redtwin

7,518 posts

198 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
If you park close enough to the house then a fan heater running off the mains is your best bet. Leave it in the car on the floor pointing up or not directly at any plastic trim or leather. Plug it into an extension lead that you leave trailing out the hatch (it should still shut even with the wire hanging out). In the mornings about 30 mins before you set off plug it in and let it do its thing.


busta

4,504 posts

249 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
No problems with humidity unless you're gonna be putting the bottle in with the lid off. The biggest problem I can see is by the time morning comes the hot water bottle will be a cold block of ice, as will the car.

redstu

2,287 posts

255 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
redtwin said:
If you park close enough to the house then a fan heater running off the mains is your best bet. Leave it in the car on the floor pointing up or not directly at any plastic trim or leather. Plug it into an extension lead that you leave trailing out the hatch (it should still shut even with the wire hanging out). In the mornings about 30 mins before you set off plug it in and let it do its thing.

+1
I've just started doing this. I've found that 10 mins is ok, but it clearly depends on the size of the car.
Leave the window scraping till it's time to go and it's almost pleasant!

1987

89 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
redtwin said:
If you park close enough to the house then a fan heater running off the mains is your best bet. Leave it in the car on the floor pointing up or not directly at any plastic trim or leather. Plug it into an extension lead that you leave trailing out the hatch (it should still shut even with the wire hanging out). In the mornings about 30 mins before you set off plug it in and let it do its thing.

Trouble is I leave about 10 minutes after i wake. Shower then car.

This surely will be the next big thing in car development (in terms of comfort). Fords quickclear is windscreen only ATM but someone has to sort this out in the next 5 years surely?

otolith

61,942 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
redstu said:
redtwin said:
If you park close enough to the house then a fan heater running off the mains is your best bet. Leave it in the car on the floor pointing up or not directly at any plastic trim or leather. Plug it into an extension lead that you leave trailing out the hatch (it should still shut even with the wire hanging out). In the mornings about 30 mins before you set off plug it in and let it do its thing.

+1
I've just started doing this. I've found that 10 mins is ok, but it clearly depends on the size of the car.
Leave the window scraping till it's time to go and it's almost pleasant!
+2

I have one of these for defrosting the Elise:



Meant for heating greenhouses:

http://the-plant-directory.co.uk/plant-protection/...

Monkeylegend

27,800 posts

247 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
I go with the wife on this one.

k-ink

9,070 posts

195 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
For all the good it will do you may as well huddle round a slice of toast.

kazste

Original Poster:

5,926 posts

214 months

Tuesday 21st December 2010
quotequote all
k-ink said:
For all the good it will do you may as well huddle round a slice of toast.
Sounds like an ok idea to me! Teddy is sat in the car with his seatbelt on (safety first kids) wife thinks I'm proper mental, and doesn't even know that I've tried,and failed in the main, to find people who agree that this is a good idea.

Will ask her in the morning of it helped as while she's scraping I'll be tucked up in bed. And she says I don't think of her!