Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 31, 1999 05:51pm | #1

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   Boy, I've thought about this for years. Why not design a miror with embedded 12v heat elements like on a rear car window? Thermostatically protected of course to satisfy safety and code concerns.

   Seems to me before Detroit made these a standard item the auto accessory catalogs had some kind of stick on retro-fit gizmos.

   I'd be glad to hear any ideas on how to rig this up if no one manufactures it.

2. 
   MJ | Jan 31, 1999 09:19pm | #2

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   Hey dan,
   How about spending your time searching "bathroom mirror defoggers" on the web. Hope for your clients sake that you are a little more reasearch savvy.
   Good luck, matt

1. 
   Doug_Huebner | Feb 04, 1999 04:46am | #3

   *In the hotels in Japan, they appear to run the hot water through the back of the back of the mirror [or a section there-of] and then through the towel bars. I would think if you ran a length of pipe from the HW supply through an insulated cavity behind the mirror [assuming no cabinet], it would keep it warm enough not to steam. You might consider a constant circulating pump.If you cannot find an answer, it is time to experiment.

3. 
   Guest_ | Feb 04, 1999 06:44am | #4

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   Dan, Our electrician installed one for us that a client provided (her daughter worked for a plumbing showroom) not sure of the brand, but you can find info at http://www.demista.com. Sure that there are other manufacturers. Good luck. Buy the way the thing did work.

4. 
   Bruce_G._Wu | Feb 04, 1999 08:15am | #5

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   Robern has the option for most of their medicine cabinets to have defoggers. They also have lockable interiors and electrical outlets. Top of the line units with top of the line prices. http://www.robern.com

5. 
   Guest_ | Feb 04, 1999 01:53pm | #6

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   You're right, there are retrofits. I got one 20 years ago and stuck it on my rear window. Not as see-through as the thin-wired factory ones, but it worked fine. They are still available from J C Whitney (312-431-6102) for $34 to $44 with auto-off 12-minute timer.

   But then you need a little 12-volt source and it'll be hard to get that past the inspector, especially in a bathroom (even if it's on a GFCI). I like the hot water pipe approach. If your water heater is below the bath, you can thermosiphon hot water through a loop. Insulate the whole run except behind the mirror. Put in a swing check valve to prevent backflow once hot water is used. This will also give you instant hot water at the shower and sink which I've really enjoyed when I've retrofitted it in.

   You could alternately direct a heat lamp at the mirror. Infared is absorbed by most glass (look at a campfire with and without your glasses on). The absorbed infared would warm up the glass.

   I must stay in cheaper hotels because I'm always applying a thin film of soap to the mirror to break down the droplets and defog the mirror.

   We'll keep the light on for you. . . -David

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 04, 1999 05:05pm | #7

   *The thermosipon or constant recirculating pump ideas are really elegant, but if waiting a few for the HW to come up is not a problem, the system sounds pretty self regulating. The mirror fogs when you introduce steam into the cold room, but the steam comes from the running shower or faucet and that would circulate HW to the mirror at just the right time.

6. 
   Randy_Navarro | Feb 06, 1999 09:04pm | #8

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   the vent fan in our bath pulls out enough air that
   steam and fogging the mirror isn't a problem.
   we've got approx. a 75 sq. ft. bath. with a 100
   cfm fa

7. 
   Guest_ | Feb 06, 1999 09:14pm | #9

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   It would be a good idea to try to control the steam first with a properly sized exhaust fan -- something like 1 CFM per SF. If water is condensing on the mirror, it is doing so everywhere else, too, and could well lead to mold, mildew, rot. A fan is relatively cheap and easy too.

   Another option is to add a bathroom space heater, GFCI'd and all of course. Raising the air temp reduces condensation and is really nice on a cold morning too. We used a Nutone under-cabinet model, wired in parallel with the exhaust fan on a mechanical timer circuit. I added a thermostat to control the heat.

   I highly recommend R&I Nutone Products Look at Broan too.

   Hey, while off the subject, the Greenwood Inn, a hotel we stayed at in Calif. on our honeymoon, had a couple loops of the hot water pipe next to the shower as a towel bar/warmer. A burn hazard, but the warm towels were awful nice. It was obvious the owner had done a lot of the upgrades, which were shoddy but always interesting.

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 06, 1999 09:47pm | #11

   *A ceiling fan would probably help a lot, and would be an interesting addition to the bath, since it is rare in there. I only know of one, but it works great at drying the place up!Rich Beckman

8. 
   Dan_Palmer | Feb 06, 1999 09:47pm | #10

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   I have a client who wants his bathroom mirror to have a defogger. Is there a unit available? I do have some ideas, but if something is already perfected and on the market why spend the time. Your answers will be well received.

9. 
   alldefoggers | Jun 20, 2011 01:42am | #12

   Bathroom mirror defogger make your mirror fog free forever!

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