OK, for those of you that live where its warm, you can just stop reading, this doesn't apply to you.

It snowed here last night, and its continuing now in the early afternoon. The stuff was kind of slushy when I left to come to work at 6:00 AM. When I went out for lunch at noon, it was freezing up and getting ugly. Wiper blades encrusted.

I'm not aware of any aftermarket heated blades, but I'd probably be in the market for a set if they made them. Might be a power supply problem because the wires would take a lot of flexing and maybe break over time.

But just as good would be 2 runs of heat tape, like they use on the back windows of Jeep hardtops. Applied on the inside of the windshield, right where the blades rest when not turned on would probably pass enough heat thru the glass (both layers?) to at least melt off the ice. It'd even be easy to hide the wires between the dash and the windshield frame.

Has anyone seen after market tapes like the kind used on rear window defrosters?

In the past I've fabricated deflectors for my front defroster out of cardboard. Just deflects the air out of the vents toward the area I'm trying to see thru. Doesn't work real well. A permanent tape applied to the inside of the glass would be great.

Anybody?

thats a good idea. would be just as happy if i could find good wiper blades small enough for a jeep. the best ones that i can by in my city are the cheapest ones on the market. the next best to the cheapest is buying the replacement strip that has 3 blades in one. still garbage. your idea would solve many problems cuz then i could get away with the lowest quality wipers and still get a clean window. im with you and i would also purchase a pair of heated wipers or your tape idea. sounds like a good idea for a patent for you.

Man thats a idea. A heat strip on the driver side vert. edge where the ice builds up also.

They used to make add on kits for window defrosters that you put on the back window - try someplace line J.C. WeHaveJunk and see it they
are still sold ... Then try them out.

I have had heated wiper on my semi a few years ago. They had a heat strip down the middle of the blade. Came with everything needed to install. I hadn't seen them for a while, then at an auction the other day I found a set and 2 sets of replacements blades. Down fall is they are 18". However if you would like I would be willing to sell everything I bought for $20. I don't have anything with 18" blades.

Man I am so far out of it - in the ZONE - It might take ten years to get 18 inch of anything...
We have some snow up North - I can see it on the mountain tops when I look north. It was so cold yesterday that I had to wear a coat... Must have been down to 45 at least.

I looked into the same ideas and there are several companies making this sort of product. The two I liked the best are from Everblades who offers heated wiperblades and North Wind who makes a stick on heater element that attaches to the glass behind the wiper.

I like the north wind. I'll be calling them.