In the 80s of the 20th century, rural areas of China lived a self-sufficient life. Taking a bath, which now seems to be an extremely simple daily life, has also become a headache for ordinary people.
Whenever it was time to take a bath, Aunt Zhang always went to the backyard an hour in advance to fill a bucket of water and put it on the fire to heat it. When the water boiled, she carefully moved into the bathroom, and then quickly crouched down and poured a few buckets of water fiercely, so that she could barely finish the shower.
The whole process is troublesome and time-consuming, and it is even more cold in winter. "Hey, it would be nice to have a water heater, so that my old arms and legs don't have to suffer from this. Aunt Zhang often sighs like this.
Just when Aunt Zhang hoped that one day she would be able to take a hot bath easily, the solar water heater came into being. When Aunt Zhang first saw the solar water heater installed on the roof of her neighbor Uncle Wang, she was surprised and excited, and immediately asked Uncle Wang about the ins and outs.
"This is a new technology product that can directly use the sun's light and heat to heat the water tank, and then we can directly use hot water to take a bath!" Uncle Wang proudly introduced.
With its pollution-free and environmentally friendly characteristics, solar water heaters immediately attracted the attention of rural people. Soon, solar water heaters began to appear on the rooftops of the village, and everyone scrambled to keep up with the fashionable new technology products and taste the fun of advanced life.
A solar water heater may seem tall, but it actually works very simply.
Let's take a look at the vacuum tube solar water heater, which consists of two parts – rows of solar collector pipes angled to the roof and a large water tank. The solar collector tube is like the thermos cup we usually use, with two layers in it, and there is a vacuum state in between.
The outer layer is made of glass, which allows sunlight to pass through; The inner layer is coated with black lacquer that absorbs heat. When sunlight hits the collector tube, it is absorbed by the inner layer and converted into heat energy.
This heat energy can be leaked and trapped in the pipes, slowly heating the water inside. The hot water then flows into the large connected tank, where people can turn on the tap to get the hot water.
If you look at the flat-panel solar water heater, it is structured like a small roof, covered with hoses that can absorb heat. These hoses are filled with cold water and will also get hot in the sun.
Hot water also flows into the tank, on the same principle as a vacuum tube.
Regardless of the type, solar water heaters cleverly utilize the sun's light and heat, saving the hassle of boiling water artificially. But then this seemingly high-tech product exposed its flaws and failed to stand the test of time.
At first, the solar water heater solved the pain point of boiling water for ordinary people, and was warmly welcomed by rural people. But when the solar water heater is used for a long time, various problems are also exposed, and it turns out that it is not a 100% perfect product.
First of all, solar water heaters are very dependent on weather conditions. When it rains, it can barely save water; In winter, the efficiency of solar water heaters can be greatly reduced due to short sunlight hours and cold weather.
Now the people are back to the old way of boiling water.
Secondly, in some parts of the north, the temperature is as low as minus dozens of degrees in winter, and the collector pipes and water tanks of solar water heaters often cannot withstand the severe cold, resulting in ice damage.
Aunt Zhang's water heater had a problem in the first winter, and it cost a lot of money to repair it.
In addition, the tap water used in solar water heaters accumulates calcium and magnesium ions in the water quality, which will form scale in the pipes of the water heater, seriously obstructing the flow of water.
A few months after Uncle Liu installed it, the water output was affected and he had to find someone to clean it up.
Finally, the joints that connect the tank to the collector pipe are prone to rust. These locations are high and difficult to reach, and it is very cumbersome and time-consuming to have to find a professional to repair them.
A series of problems followed, and the solar water heater frequently needed to be repaired, and the rural people began to be exhausted.
At first, rural users were enthusiastic about the newly installed solar water heaters, believing that they were the result of technological progress and could make life better. But after experiencing it firsthand, everyone gradually lost faith in it.
Uncle Wang was the first person to install a solar water heater, thinking that it would solve the problem of boiling water in the bath once and for all. Who knows that after using it for more than a year, the solar water heater will start to be good and bad, and it often needs to be repaired.
Uncle Wang spent a lot of money, but he didn't expect the effect to be unsatisfactory.
Aunt Zhang was still envious of Uncle Wang's solar water heater, but after hearing him repeatedly complain about the maintenance costs, she also dismissed the idea of buying it. "It's still reliable, I heard that the uncle's family installed an electric water heater and boasted about it for a long time.
Aunt Zhang turned her attention to the new electric water heater.
Uncle Li's family even fell into blood mold, and less than a year after buying a solar water heater, his family's water pipe froze and cracked. A few days after the repair, it broke down again. Uncle Li was furious, directly dismantled the water heater and threw it away, and resolutely decided to return to the era of boiling water.
Users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the solar water heater, believing that it is not intelligent enough and is too uncomfortable to use.
Just as the reputation of solar water heaters is getting worse day by day, electric water heaters have entered the public's field of vision. This new product quickly occupied the market and became people's new darling.
Unlike solar water heaters, which can only be placed outdoors, electric water heaters are installed indoors and are not affected by the outside weather. It is stable, the water temperature is adjustable, and it provides continuous hot water.
This is undoubtedly a blessing for the common people.
In addition, the electric water heater is small and installed in the wall, unlike the solar water heater, which occupies a large area and is more beautiful and generous. For a time, many farmhouses were equipped with this "indoor elf" interest.
The advantage of electric water heaters is that they can provide a stable water supply, while solar energy is limited by the weather and is difficult to meet the demand for hot water in rural areas. As a result, electric water heaters quickly replaced solar water heaters and became the new darling of rural bathing.
The arrival of electric water heaters has accelerated the demise of solar water heaters in the rural market. The solar water heater that was all the rage was still eliminated after all.
The rise and fall of solar water heaters in the rural market reflects the interaction between a product and an era.
At first, solar water heaters, as a new technology product, met the yearning of rural areas for environmental protection and life-changing, so they quickly became popular. But then it exposed various problems, which showed that the technology did not fully match the rural use environment at that time.
The birth of electric water heaters just meets the needs of users for stable water supply and easy maintenance. Its reliable performance is more suitable for rural reality, so it is accepted by users.
It can be said that the disappearance of solar water heaters in rural areas is the general trend of history and the inevitable result of market choice and technological development. The elimination of old products by new products is also a sign of social progress.
Looking back, we recall the small blessings that solar water heaters have brought; Looking to the future, we look forward to more products with stronger applicability to benefit people. Everything is moving in a better direction.
What enlightenment does the rise and fall of solar water heaters in rural areas bring us?
First of all, scientific and technological products should be adapted to local conditions. The technology of solar water heaters was not suitable for the conditions of rural China at that time. We must recognize that no technology is perfect, and it must take into account the specific use environment and user needs in order to be most effective.
Second, the choice of the market is difficult to predict. Solar water heaters were all the rage at one point, and no one thought it would be replaced quickly. This shows that the decisions of the market and users are often unexpected.
Enterprises cannot rely on the current heat, but to do long-term technology accumulation.
Moreover, user needs are the foundation of enterprise survival. Solar water heaters cannot meet the requirements of rural users for a stable water supply, so they are abandoned by users. Businesses must keep in mind the user-centricity and can't ignore their real needs.
Finally, history is generally progressive. From the era of boiling water to solar water heaters to electric water heaters, bathing methods are progressing, and people's lives are improving.
Scientific and technological innovation will always push history forward, and we must maintain optimism.
Looking forward to the future, we have reason to believe that science and technology go hand in hand with humanity, and will create more perfect products for the benefit of society. We will continue to witness the beauty of life being expanded little by little.