Before asking, I searched the forum to see if this had been covered before. Nothing found.
Does anybody have any special window cleaning/polishing tricks to prevent wiper blade “chatter”?
Maybe RainX or something like that?
You have window wipers? Well, I guess the Deckhand counts as a window wiper.
The windows tend to get a film on them, similar to bathroom scum. A good soap and plenty of water scrubbing takes care of what windex can’t. Just like the wipers on your car, the blades may need to be replaced. Rain X would help, it’s basically glass wax.
Last time I tried to use the wipers on a boat, the motor froze up, blew a few fuses, and fried the GPS that was for some reason on the same circuit. The same GPS that fed the ARPA.
If you don’t have any new wipers, you could try to wipe the blades with denatured alcohol to clean them, then maybe put wax or rain x on the windows. (Car/boat wax works similar to rain x.)
[B]I used rain-x and worked pretty good, but I just read something not too long ago about a new product out and forgot to post it. It was in Professional mariner, National Fisherman or one of those mags. [/B]
[B]The “chatter” will be reduced by rain-x and new blades, but the angle of the arms is probably more of the culprit. [/B]
[B]Check to see if your blades or the wiper assemblies are too loose or tight. <------ googled that part : )[/B]
[B]Well I checked Workboat and Marine log too, wish I could remember where I read about that new stuff they came out with.[/B]
[QUOTE=seadog!;52975]Before asking, I searched the forum to see if this had been covered before. Nothing found.
Does anybody have any special window cleaning/polishing tricks to prevent wiper blade “chatter”?[/QUOTE]
Tell your AB’s not to talk while they are out in the rain squeegeeing your whinders.
I hate rain-x on the windows. I all ways seem to get a real bad haze caused by them. Don’t know if it’s a reaction with the salt water or from the windex, but I eventually need to send the deckhand out there with some dawn to wash the windows down.
I’m a firm believer in Rain-X. However it requires cleaning the window really well prior to putting it on, and then after it dries, a quick wipe with a wet cloth to take the haze off. but, it does wear out with rain, the more rain/spray the faster it needs renewing. The unfortunate part is, usually when I remember to tell the DH to do it, it has started raining and it’s too late!
I havent had a wiper on this rig in quite some time… but I have the drum of Rain X from BJ’s, dont really need 13 gallons of it, but for $7 I couldn’t go wrong.
I clean them once a week with 409 and squeege thm dry, then rain x, them buff with a clean towel, turning it repeatedly- no haze at all.
If you have bad condensation on the windows and want to get them clear without using the wipers, get some Windex and liberally spray that on the wet side of the windows. Use a paper towel or napkin to smear it around. Don’t rinse or squeegee it off.
The view will be slightly distorted but far less then condensation would be. That should last an hour or so. (Works great at night when slight distortion is not noticeable.)
Lemon Pledge if you don´t have rain ex
When I had the windows tinted in my car the installer used a razor blade to scrape them clean.
I used the same method on my personal boat and it worked well. It removed tons of dirt grime and some paint. Now I can actually see and the wiped seems to be more effective.
The root cause of the wiper blade problem is the Bozo’s operating them.
It’s too difficult to get out of their chair and turn them off or down as the conditions change.
That’s why I’d like to try a polish or wax, so they can run on dry windows.
These are some expensive wiper blades.
Now, I sure don’t mind spending company money,I just hate throwing it away 'cause of laziness.
But you know how wheelhouse guys are.
A few tips from an old hand…
Only use window cleaner on INTERIOR windows.
If window cleaner (ammonia based like Windex) or Simple Green is used outside with water, it will leave a horrible milky haze on every window!
(Trust me on this one, I learned the hard way.)
Most of the time, just a fresh water hose, a scrubber/squeegee combo will get the job done.
A bucket of fresh warm water with only 1 teaspoon of detergent (you dont need to turn the bridge into a bubble machine) is good to scrub and squeegee the windows. rinse.
Detailing the windows with a dull razor or utility knife blade helps.
Paint overspray, splatters, and other unidentifiable, unwashable grime accumulates and affects wiper performance and visibility.
Youll sometimes get wiper-chatter from fresh blades. This is caused by the softer rubber leaving a thin film of rubber on the glass.
Use a “soft” scotch-brite or similar scrubber to get the thin film of rubber off the windows, then follow up with some kind of RainX type glass treatment.
RainX and wax are great but labor intensive and expensive.
You can buff out the haze per instructions (elbow grease), or after it has dried on, a quick rinse/wipe will get the job done.
I found that spray-on auto detailer wax is way cheaper, use it like RainX, also good for inside windows.
Check the tension springs that hold the wiper blades against the window, adjust if necessary.
Lastly, check, test and replace wipers when the weather is good!
Way too often its not until you are in a blinding squall that you realize almost all the blades are rotten, worn out, or just dont work.
I prefer to do this on a sunny day with a following breeze.
Not in the middle of an Arctic squall with 35+ kt winds.
Thats my bag of tricks. Hope this helps!