frozen doors

[RavenOnTheNethervoid]

tips, tricks, advice for preventing vehicle doors from freezing and/or successfully opening once they've frozen, please? (in particular, sliding doors)

 

[Odin]

not sure about auto doors... but with cellar doors a rubber mallet might fit the ballot

quote the raven nevermore

hhha

 

[travelingheathen]

Common fix seems to be to smear a bit of petrol jelly on the door seals.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Hot water? Be sure your not using it on the glass windows. As it can make them shatter

 

[RavenOnTheNethervoid]

not sure about auto doors... but with cellar doors a rubber mallet might fit the ballot

quote the raven nevermore

hhha

doesn't seem to fit the automatic sliders (the way they freeze); might try it if i find one laying around. I'll keep that in mind for cellar doors, though.

"nevermore" is far more profound than anything this raven would say right now (or ever, maybe).
i might do well to stick that script.

What quoth the odin?

 

[RavenOnTheNethervoid]

Common fix seems to be to smear a bit of petrol jelly on the door seals.

seems likely to work on other doors -- i wonder about the sliders, though. it seems they freeze more between the outside and the inside, somewhere along the track and/or somewhere near a latching mechanism. we haven't been able to figure out exactly where. I've chiseled snd scraped along the edges of the door, cleared snow and ice from the door's outer path -- the door tries to open on auto, but catches and closes. (sometimes it starts to move the door a bit, but closes right away; sometimes it basicslly just cycles through its open and shut, with the door remaining closed). if the auto switch is turned off, pretty much nothing happens -- the handle is plastic, and .. (trying to think of how best to explain it) .. you don't get to just unlatch the door and pull it open with strength: you bssically have to ask the plastic handle to open the door for you, even with manual open. it's kind of counterintuitive. sorry if I'm not explaining well. anyway, all that to say i wouldn't know where to apply the pj, except to smear it all over, and even then i'm not sure i could access the place that needs it. I'll definitely mention this as a possible solution though. thanks.

 

[RavenOnTheNethervoid]

doesn't seem to fit the automatic sliders (the way they freeze); might try it if i find one laying around. I'll keep that in mind for cellar doors, though.

"nevermore" is far more profound than anything this raven would say right now (or ever, maybe).
i might do well to stick that script.

What quoth the odin?

apologies, forgot to say thanks.
thanks.

 

[RavenOnTheNethervoid]

Hot water? Be sure your not using it on the glass windows. As it can make them shatter

thanks for the suggestion.
hot water can be a trick to come by at times.
it will eventually turn to ice, so there's concern for leaving ice on the lot (which we try not to do, no pouring out liquids nor rinsing nor washing outside), and concern for it causing more freezing afterward.
yes, probably a very good idea to keep it away from the windows (which would make it tricky to get around the top parts). more importantly, I'm not sure this would work for the freezing 'inside' the door (explained somewhat, above). i will pass this along, though, too. i appreciate the help.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

thanks for the suggestion.
hot water can be a trick to come by at times.
it will eventually turn to ice, so there's concern for leaving ice on the lot (which we try not to do, no pouring out liquids nor rinsing nor washing outside), and concern for it causing more freezing afterward.
yes, probably a very good idea to keep it away from the windows (which would make it tricky to get around the top parts). more importantly, I'm not sure this would work for the freezing 'inside' the door (explained somewhat, above). i will pass this along, though, too. i appreciate the help.

If your in freezing temps I would assume you'd be wanting to have a stove handy. Some good life advice.

 

[v0nz]

I usually just tap on the doors a bit with something hard and if that doesn't work you can pull out the hot water!

 

[Bobbas Thomas]

I usually kinda put my shoulder into the door and put my bodyweight behind it to "nudge" it hard, repeatedly, and break the ice. Then open and close it the first few millimeters back and forth working it so I don't crack any plastic handles/rip the rubber door seal etc.

 

[iamwhatiam]

I have used hot water or often times a mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it into and around the edge of my door, key hole, and i spray a frozen windshield with it too if I'm in a hurry to get it to defrost