Any downside of removing solar water panels and replace with PVC pipes?

[Eric_yang]

I expect heating efficiency would drop, but still like to double check if there's any other adverse effect, as the water would flow much faster under the same pump pressure.

I have 9 Fafco water collector panels and 2 of them have major leaks and beyond reparable. I'm sourcing Fafco panels locally. Assuming if cannot find or they are very expensive to replace, can I just remove them?
It seems to me that removing panels and replace with PVC pipes should be a DIY level job, as the water panels were connected together via rubber 3x3" pipe flexible coupling which should be easily untightened.

 

[mas985]

Do you not have a solar valve?

Why not just turn them off?

Why do you need to use any pipe? Just cap the pipes going to solar in case you ever want to add it again. But being from SJ, you will want them again.

 

[Eric_yang]

How do you remember I'm in SJ?

I still need to run the solar system to heat the water. I need an easy and quick fix to bypass those two leaking panels. I actually wanted to replace with new panels but the solar company's handyman said the whole system needed to be scraped and quoted me a high price to install a completely new system. It didn't make too much sense.

Do you not have a solar valve?

Why not just turn them off?

Why do you need to use any pipe? Just cap the pipes going to solar in case you ever want to add it again. But being from SJ, you will want them again.

 

[mas985]

Ok so what you want to do is to replace the two panels with pipe? Just use the same pipe size as the header.

 

[pooldv]

How do you remember I'm in SJ?

It is in your location over there <------