FEBUARY WEATHER

[the big welshman]

Is there anybody out there that has been effected by the weather I myself have not been able to work for 15 days so far this month due to snow and wind chill

[h2oman]

I am not sure what part of the country you are in but I am in SW Missouri and our cooler temps have been very uncomfortable with some record breaking temps and yes some snow & ice. It is certainly more difficult to do repairs in the colder temps especially if you are strictly mobile (which I am). I may not do as many repairs in the colder temps but I do keep marching forward. Sometimes I make a few more calls on my existing base and other times I still build relationships with my current accounts. One thing that has helped me out is to invest in the Bubble Dome UV Shield. With the Dome I can still do outside jobs by keeping the opening on the backside of the direction of the cold wind. I simply explain to the customer that they may have to keep their car running with the defroster on to warm the glass to temps you can work with. It's no secret that a lot of folks may not want to work as hard when it's cold but, if you need the work you must find a way to work things out. It may be cold but when the snowplows get out they throw a lot of sand on the roads and for me that means more business and I rarely turn it down do to the cold. Good luck and hope your business pick up for you.

Chris

[Dave M]

It has been a tough month in Maine/New England. About every third day we've had snow, two of which were blizzards. according to local weathermen, it will go down as the coldest February in Maine since records have been kept.

[screenman]

Insulated coveralls are my secret weapon, if I do not feel cold then the job is not a problem. I have known people talk themselves out of a job because they were not dressed properly. At about $50 they are a fantastic investment, I have been using them for 26 years now.

[Dave M]

Staying warm myself is not the problem. Doing a repair when it's below zero is the problem! Anyone can chime in and suggest doing this or that to warm up the w/s but for me, outside and that cold a repair is not going to happen. Too many variables to try to control.

[clearquest]

I would encourage you to use caution when it comes to running the defroster as a source of heat during a repair. Yes, it may be necessary to run a vehicle in order to bring up glass temp but I suggest using the heater to heat the interior space of the vehicle rather than a direct shot from the defroster. May take a little longer to bring temp up but beats a crack out from the extreme temp variance.

[t4k]

I would encourage you to use caution when it comes to running the defroster as a source of heat during a repair. Yes, it may be necessary to run a vehicle in order to bring up glass temp but I suggest using the heater to heat the interior space of the vehicle rather than a direct shot from the defroster. May take a little longer to bring temp up but beats a crack out from the extreme temp variance.

How long does to take to heat a frozen windshield using only the cabin heat? Being from the south, I hardly ever run into this problem.

[screenman]

If it was the heater in one of our cars all of February is how long it would take.

[the big welshman]

Guys It been very cold here on the EASTERN SEA BOARD with Temps @ 0 and wind chills -10 and snow fall totals for FEBUARY APPROX 24 inches as DAVE in MAINE advised it seemed to snow every other day ?? The Replacement people are Replacing Windshields INSIDE WORK ONLY I am wondering if there are any other Repair or Replacement Guys been affected BY THIS 2015 February Weather-- PS THIS POSTING CONCERNS REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT WEATHER ISSUES ONLY

[clearquest]

I cant really give you a trime frame for heating up a frozen widshield using a cars heater. A car with a V8 will heat up much quicker than a car with a 4 cylinder engine. My point was to use caution against blasting a frozen windshield with a direct shot from the defroster. The warm up process needs to be gradual, not abrubt. Call ahead to the customer whenever possible and ask them to start the car for you with heather only on. Personally I carry a small electric adustable heater with a blower and an extension cord during the winter. In most cases I can find a nearby 110 outlet. If not I use these other alternatives.