Lidl Screenwash Alternatives?

force_ten

AdrianC wrote: »

Yeh, you'll excuse me for not finding that terribly important, what with living in the UK... I think I can count the number of times I've seen much colder than about -5 in this country on the fingers of one very well-insulated glove. The coldest I can recall was camping in the Fens, one New Year - it allegedly hit about -12 overnight.

The only times I've ever had screenwash - of any brand - freeze are when I've been daft enough to over-dilute it. Damn near any brand, diluted 50/50, will see the worst of even Scottish winters off.

so in answer to the OP,s question what do you recommend as a suitable effective and money saving alternative?

AdrianC

forgotmyname wrote: »

I dont think the antifreeze in the engine is rated at -60?

The coolant? A quick check shows that a typical modern coolant is rated to -52 at 60% concentration.

But since the coldest temperature ever recorded in the UK is -27degC (on three occasions in the last 122 years, most recently 22 years ago), it's fairly academic.

AdrianC

force_ten wrote: »

so in answer to the OP,s question what do you recommend as a suitable effective and money saving alternative?

Whatever is easily, cheaply and locally available.

motorguy

AdrianC wrote: »

Yeh, you'll excuse me for not finding that terribly important, what with living in the UK... I think I can count the number of times I've seen much colder than about -5 in this country on the fingers of one very well-insulated glove. The coldest I can recall was camping in the Fens, one New Year - it allegedly hit about -12 overnight.

The only times I've ever had screenwash - of any brand - freeze are when I've been daft enough to over-dilute it. Damn near any brand, diluted 50/50, will see the worst of even Scottish winters off.

As has been pointed out, other stuff thats as good is usually at least x3 the price (this is MSE you know so price is a factor)

Also, whilst -5 might be a worse case temperature, the wind chill factor on your washer jets of doing 70MPH on a motorway when its freezing will take it beyond that, so you're looking often at frozen jets.

Not the end of anyones world, per se, but when there is a good cheap solution (pun intended) usually available, its not unreasonable to ask advice on an alternative surely?

We've four cars at my house which i top up every weekend, so a 5 litre drum doesnt last very long if its not strong and dilutable.

motorguy

AdrianC wrote: »

Whatever is easily, cheaply and locally available.

And theres the trick - a lot of the cheap ones are naff, and a lot of the good ones arent cheap. Hence - i presume - the question.

AdrianC

motorguy wrote: »

the wind chill factor on your washer jets of doing 70MPH on a motorway when its freezing will take it beyond that, so you're looking often at frozen jets.

Which is precisely why very few washer jets have been exposed for the last couple of decades. They're usually tucked out of the airflow (although it's a low-pressure area anyway), and are quite often exposed to warm air escaping from under the bonnet.

force_ten

AdrianC wrote: »

Whatever is easily, cheaply and locally available.

I take that as "I don't really have a clue so go look for yourself"

Very helpful indeed

AdrianC

force_ten wrote: »

I take that as "I don't really have a clue so go look for yourself"

Feel free to take it as whatever you wish. You can take it as wholehearted support for Donald Trump and David Icke, should it make you happy.

It was intended to be taken at face value, and face value alone.

Head_The_Ball

motorguy wrote: »

..Also, whilst -5 might be a worse case temperature, the wind chill factor on your washer jets of doing 70MPH on a motorway when its freezing will take it beyond that, so you're looking often at frozen jets....

That can't happen.

If the air temperature is -5, the washer jets will cool down to -5 more quickly in moving air than static air, but they won't chill below -5.

Wind chill causes humans and other living creatures to perceive that the air temperature is lower than it is because of the more rapid chilling effect of moving air on the body. We cool down more quickly in a cold wind than in static air and we feel that as a lower temperature. -5 in static air will feel like -5. -5 in fast moving air will feel like -15 but it is still only -5.

Inanimate objects don't 'feel' temperature in the way that living creatures can.

Inanimate objects such as washer jets will tend to cool down to the ambient temperature of the surrounding air. Driving at 70 mpg increase the rate of heat loss but it doesn't cool the jets below ambient air temperature.

Once the washer jets have chilled to the -5 in your example, that temperature matches the -5 temperature of the surrounding air and will not go below it.

Theoretically, the washer jets will never quite get down to -5, partly due to friction heating from the moving air and partly due to conductive heating from the car. They will probably chill to about -4.95 to -4.99.

motorguy

AdrianC wrote: »

Which is precisely why very few washer jets have been exposed for the last couple of decades. They're usually tucked out of the airflow (although it's a low-pressure area anyway), and are quite often exposed to warm air escaping from under the bonnet.

Wont stop them freezing. This is not an uncommon problem, btw. Hence why screenwash is so popular.