Solar water heaters were once very common in rural areas. Many families would install one on the roof. Moreover, solar water heaters are very convenient. As long as the weather is good and the sun is shining, there will be hot water. This saves electricity and money, and there is no What security risks are there, so why is it suddenly "falling out of favor" now?
Solar water heater
Solar water heater is a heating device that uses solar collector to convert sunlight into heat energy. This device generally collects heat in two ways: flat plate heat collection and vacuum tube heat collection. The flat plate heat collector directly places the collector in a box similar to an "oven", with the glass directly facing the sun.
The vacuum tube collector is the tubular solar water heater collector equipment we often see. The heat loss caused by convection cannot pass through the vacuum, so it forms an effective isolation mechanism to keep the heat in the collector tube. This It is also a way to reduce heat loss.
Solar water heaters have become very popular after being introduced to China. In addition to convenient water use, there are many advantages: First, it saves money. After installation, it can produce hot water as long as there is sunlight, and there is no need to consume electricity or gas for heating; The second is high safety, because solar water heaters are generally installed on the roof or roof, using natural heat to avoid potential safety hazards such as electric shock.
Third, the service life is long . Generally, the service life of electric water heaters is about 8 years, while the service life of solar water heaters is more than 10 years. If the usual maintenance is in place, it can be used for more than 15 years. Fourth, the area is wide . In some places with inconvenient transportation or remote rural mountainous areas, many people cannot afford electric water heaters, so solar water heaters can solve this problem very well.
Compared with electric water heaters, solar water heaters still have great advantages, so why is their popularity so low? Why did
solar water heaters suddenly “fall out of favor”?
With the continuous development of second- and third-tier cities, many small single-family buildings have been turned into residential buildings or communities, and some small counties are also demolishing old buildings and repairing new ones, turning small high-rise buildings into elevator rooms. In addition, solar water heaters cannot It is installed on balconies, bay window sills and other areas, so there are fewer and fewer installations.
In addition to installation problems, solar energy also has some inevitable shortcomings: One is the weather problem. Sometimes it is affected by the weather and cannot continuously supply hot water. Solar water heaters rely on absorbing sunlight to convert it into heat energy. Once there is no sun, There is no hot water. Especially in winter, if there is not enough light during the day, the water temperature will be difficult to increase, and the water will basically still be cold at night. Therefore, relatively speaking, an electric water heater that can supply hot water 24 hours a day is more suitable for everyone's needs.
Second, it is easy to be damaged . The water pipe of the solar water heater is very long and exposed. After long-term exposure to wind and sun, it is easy to be damaged somewhere. This also causes many people to feel that it is very good in the first few years of use. The closer you get to the back, the more problems there are. Either there is a break here, there is damage there due to external reasons, etc.
Third, maintenance is troublesome . Solar water heaters are divided into internal units and external units. Most of the water pipes placed on the roof are water pipes. Once one part is broken, they must be dismantled and repaired, and most of them are on the roof. It is also necessary to dismantle them. It is very troublesome, which will increase maintenance costs, which is one of the reasons why solar water heaters are gradually being replaced.
What are the safety risks of today’s water heaters?
At present, the most commonly used gas water heaters on the market are gas water heaters and electric water heaters. One is heated by gas and the other is heated by electricity. Compared with solar water heaters, the advantages are fast heating, stable hot water, and can be heated at any time. Will be affected by weather. However, there are certain safety hazards in use of these two types, such as electric leakage or carbon monoxide poisoning.
In recent years, accidents caused by water heaters have often occurred:
In October 2018, a 54-year-old man in Guangzhou was unfortunately electrocuted while taking a shower. After inspection, it was found that the cause was a leakage of electric water heaters.
In December 2020, a woman in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province was poisoned by carbon monoxide while using a gas water heater to take a bath. Fortunately, she was discovered in time and the woman was rescued.
In September 2021, a 12-year-old boy in Henan was unfortunately electrocuted to death while taking a bath, and his back was burned.
Also in December 2021, a woman in Linxiang, Hunan Province was unfortunately electrocuted while taking a bath. The cause of the electrocution was a leakage of the newly purchased electric water heater.
Electricity leakage usually occurs in electric water heaters. Normally, it is safe to use water heaters that have passed national safety standards testing. However, in order to save costs, some people will choose some unknown small brands or products that have not passed safety testing, and quality problems are prone to occur.
Therefore, when purchasing, be sure to choose a big brand and a professional installer for installation. In addition, the safe service life should not be exceeded. If the time is too long, the water heater will also age.
There are generally two types of carbon monoxide poisoning. One is the use of direct-discharge water heater . This is a type of gas water heater. It has been banned from sale and use by the country. However, some families or old communities are still using it. use. The exhaust gas generated by this kind of water heater will be directly discharged indoors. If you take a bath for a long time and the ventilation is not good, it can easily lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The second is the installation problem. should be installed in a well-ventilated place, not in the bathroom, and the exhaust pipe should be extended to the outside so that the exhaust gas can be smoothly discharged to the outside. In addition, you must find professionals when installing. The installation process is relatively complicated and has certain technical requirements, so as to avoid potential safety hazards left by unauthorized installation.
According to the current trend, electric water heaters are more in line with the needs of the public, but they are relatively expensive to use all year round, while solar water heaters are relatively energy-saving, and there are no safety hazards from a safety perspective, but sometimes it is inconvenient to use water. There is generally no good or bad between the two types of water heaters, you can choose according to your needs.
Okay, that’s it for today. Follow the passers-by and listen to what the passers-by said. See you in the next issue.
