How to Stop Thieves from Stealing Your Outdoor AC Unit
by Dillon Patterson Article PublisherAir conditioners have two major
components – the indoor air handler and the outdoor condenser. Both of these
must work together to remove heat and humidity from the air inside your
home. Unfortunately, many outdoor
condenser units contain metals that can bring thieves a pretty penny, which
makes them targets. Here are a few different ways to secure your outdoor AC
unit and prevent theft.
Why Do Thieves Want Condensers?
Air conditioner condensers serve a
very important purpose. Heated refrigerant that has travelled through the air
handler in your home enters the condenser as a vapor under high pressure. The
condenser’s job is to allow the refrigerant the opportunity to pass its excess
heat through air moving through its fins. This cooling allows the refrigerant
to return to a liquid state, where it can then re-enter your home to collect
more heat and humidity from the air.
Most outdoor air conditioner units
contain a significant amount of copper, which has proven to be one of the best
materials to allow for this transfer of heat. Though the price of copper
fluctuates, it has gone up significantly in recent years. As of the time of
writing, copper prices were just over $3 a pound. Condenser units contain 15 to
20 pounds of copper tubing, which means for every unit stolen, thieves can make
$45 to $60. Considering that your condenser costs much more than this, it is
worthwhile to protect it.
How to Protect Your Condenser
There are a few different steps you
can take to protect your condenser, and each one makes it
increasingly more difficult for thieves to gain access to your unit.
Lock the electrical panel - Most of today’s modern
condenser units have outdoor electrical panels that allow you to safely
disconnect the unit from your home’s electrical supply. Because thieves must
disconnect the unit to prevent electrocution, if you block access to the panel,
they will likely just move on.
Light up the area - Thieves don’t want to
get caught, so they will typically target homes with condensers that are in
dark parts of the yard. By adding some additional lighting around the area, you
will discourage them.
Lock your property - If you are lucky
enough to have a high fence around your property, be sure that you lock the
gates at night with a padlock to keep intruders out. Though they may be able to
jump the fence, it will be incredibly difficult for them to hoist the unit over
the fence when they can’t open the gate.
Use a cage - The most common means
of preventing condenser theft involves building a locked cage around it. AC Cages come prefabricated in many
sizes, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The cage should be large
enough to allow for adequate airflow, and it should be secured to the ground
with concrete. Simply sitting the cage over your unit doesn’t work; thieves can
easily pick it up and move it to the side.
As copper prices continue to climb,
there is little doubt that thieves will continue targeting outdoor air
conditioner units to make some quick cash. The tips above will help you secure
your unit and deter the thieves, potentially saving you hundreds (if not
thousands) of dollars.
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Created on Jul 13th 2021 09:41. Viewed 357 times.