You can Take Steps to Prevent AC and Heat Pump Theft at Your Home
In recent years, a certain type of crime has increased significantly in suburban America – people stealing the outside units of heat pump and air conditioning systems. These criminals typically abscond with HVAC compressor/condensers, not because they want to use them for cooling or heating. Instead, they covet the valuable copper, platinum and other metals that these units are manufactured with, which can be sold for a modest profit.
Portable and window AC units are also vulnerable to theft. Copper heat-exchange coils are used in all window, central air and commercial-sized air conditioning and heat pump units to provide efficient cooling and heating for homes and offices.
In some cases, the thieves are stripping them of desired metals on-site, though some are so brazen that they’ll pull a truck right on your property and take the whole unit. This, of course, is more likely to happen with homeowners who live on rural roads without many neighbors and/or passing traffic.
Thefts at Institutions and Homes
This crime has received the most attention when it occurs at institutions such as churches, medical clinics and daycares. A New York Times articles in 2011 documented numerous cases where AC and heat pump outside units were ripped off.
In one case cited in the article, nine air-conditioning units were stolen from the back of a large Houston church. The thieves stripped all nine industrial-sized units and drove off. They left some $60,000 in damage just so they could make off with about $400 worth of scrap metal, most of it from the copper heat-exchange coils inside the units.
But it’s not just churches and the like that are being hit with this crime. Homes also are vulnerable. From the thieves’ point of view, if they can reap $60 or $70 for an hour or two of work, they’re not doing too bad.
In discussions with fellow companies that provide local HVAC service, repairs and installations, we have found that these types of theft are rare, but do happen in Greater Cincinnati.
The good news is, it’s not rocket science to prevent this from happening on your property. Following are some effective ways to discourage or stop thieves:
Five Methods to Prevent Outside AC Theft
- In the area near where the outside unit of your split-system AC or heat pump is located, install motion-detecting lights. Thieves usually will take off if their nefarious activities are suddenly exposed by bright lights.
- If possible, make sure the outside unit is installed in a fenced yard. It’s even better if a large, loud dog occupies that yard. Lock the gate, too.
Some experts favor locating the outside AC or heat pump unit within clear view of the street if you get regular traffic driving past your house. Thieves aren’t crazy about being easily spotted by passersby. You can also place your outside unit in a place where it’s hidden by furniture, landscaping or fencing, though a perceptive thief might still guess that you have an outside unit that’s hidden from view.
- Secure the outside unit to a concrete base that’s been firmly anchored into the ground. Connect the unit and the concrete base with a sturdy metal chain and bolts.
While thieves can defeat nearly any security steps, they generally won’t select a target that’s difficult and time-consuming to steal, especially if there’s easier prey just down the street.
- Consider purchasing a custom-made steel cage for the outside unit. These products typically will have a hatch for easy access to the machinery for repairs and maintenance, which can be secured with a sturdy lock. These cages can be pricey, so you might want to consider more inexpensive yet still effective options for protecting your outside unit from thieves.
- Install an alarm that can sense when anyone is messing with your outside AC or heat pump unit. For example, one type of alarm will go off if the refrigerant line is cut or detached, something that will happen when a thief is trying to swipe the outside unit.
You also may be able to connect the alarm to your home’s security system.
Before you make a large investment in security measures, discuss your options with a security consultant or the company you trust for your HVAC maintenance and repairs.