Cool Trick! Isolating one solar water panel?

[shaniac]

Greetings, I am relocating my two panel solar hot water system and I am thinking about adding a third panel to up the BTUs during the winter days. My question is, should I consider setting the glycol panels up so I can turn some valves to shut off one panel during the summer or is it better to just get a controller that can manage the heat loads during the summer for me and some how keep them from getting too hot. I do know that I will need to drain the isolated panel during the change over and it will be a pain, but the goal would be to have more hot water during the winter. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[PaulJ]

   I put a reflective cover over one of my panels in summer, it's simple, no valves or messing around with draining glycol. Works a treat.

   Paul.

[TomW]

   I put a reflective cover over one of my panels in summer, it's simple, no valves or messing around with draining glycol. Works a treat.

   Paul.

Paul;

Excellent idea!

Simple, cheap and effective.

Tom

[shaniac]

Don't you just love it when your are over engineering an idea and someone comes along and says" Um, how about just doing X? and you feel like a complete nimrod because you had not thought of that? Well I am there right now.   

As always this board is a wealth of great ideas, no matter how pure and simple. THANK YOU!!!!!!