I watched someone pour hot water over their car to clear the snow. It worked, but is this bad for the car? Will the water later freeze and cause visibility issues? – Jordan
All windshields are laminated with two pieces of glass separated by a resin layer of polyvinyl butyral. When boiling or hot water is poured on the windshield, the outer layer will expand slightly ahead of the inner layer. Vehicles from a couple of decades ago will not fare so well, but contemporary glass is designed to accommodate rapid temperature change with manufactured-in expansion zones. However, there could be a problem if the outer layer already has a small crack or chip. The rapid expansion can wreak havoc on that weak spot, forcing you to witness a small imperfection transform into a crack that spans the entire windscreen.
Personally, I don't get it – but I, too, know people who swear by this method. Warm water might be of some use on a not-so-cold day when a light layer of ice is present. However, I can't see how fetching and dispensing of hot water would be any quicker than simply reaching for the ice scraper. And, on an extremely cold day, the water would freeze quickly, adding another layer of ice that requires additional scraping time.
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