Air Conditioner Vandalism Motivated by High Copper Prices
My parents’ commercial property just became the victim of a crime that has spread throughout the nation: copper theft via air conditioner vandalism. With copper prices on the rise (a 6ft’ 1/2″ pipe costs $14 at big orange), air conditioners are becoming a target since each unit can contain more than $100 worth of recycleable copper. (Larger units can contain many hundreds of dollars worth). Police said that a skilled vandal can dismantel an air conditioner in a matter of minutes and be off site before they even get a call. Here’s several pics of the devastation:
A Simple Solution To A/C Vandalism
Since most of these thieves don’t want to stay on the premises too long, the solution is rather simple: install a strong fence around the perimeter of the units. The fence must be strong enough that a truck can’t drive through it easily (as that is often the first step in destroying the units). My parents have already contracted to have the A/C replaced and a fence constructed.
As a back-up, review your insurance plan to ensure equipment coverage at reasonable deducitbles. My parents were fortunate in that they will pay little out of pocket to replace the unit.
In the News
I did some brief research and found this article in the WSJ from 2006 on residential A/C vandalism. Just another thing to worry about, I suppose.
What do you think? Have you or someone you know been the victim of copper theft?
April 15th, 2008 at 9:37 am
How frustrating! Never been a victim of copper theft, but my father-in-law has had lots of steel stolen from his stone shop… luckily it was mostly stuff he was getting rid of and saving to take to the scrap yard.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
A contractor told me the copper was stolen out of a house four times before the remodel was finished. Kinda crazy
April 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I used to work for a mechanical contractor and we had to replace condensing units all the time for small commercial buildings. Unfortunately, it is all too common. We had to replace a lot of copper pipe too.
I now work for a mechanical consultant where I design HVAC systems for large hospitals and have even seen it affect this industry. Mechanical rooms and rooftops are becoming more and more difficult to access to prevent theft and someone contaminating the air. I’m not sure how they expect someone to steal copper tubing from a 23rd story penthouse though.
Love your blog by the way! We’re moving into a “fixer upper” house at the end of the month so I’m sure I’ll be here a lot.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
We have not personally experienced copper theft but my husband’s truck was targeted for catalytic converter theft. http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_8913.aspx
Fortunately, there was a bolt or something that stuck and the thieves were thwarted but the part did come loose and we needed to pay for repair.
Anyone with a pick up truck should be more aware because they sit up higher and are easier to get to than with cars.
More stuff to worry about.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
@Robin-I would think the 23rd floor would be a major deterrent… it’s amazing the length to which criminals will go. You’d think they could put that ingenuity to legal use and make just as much $
@Why S- This just happened in the front of our friends’ house… cost $1600.00 to have a new one put on. My friend was told they go for between $100-$200 black market-which is sad considering the replacement cost-not to mention the hassle. He ended up putting in a new car alarm that has a catalytic coverter sensor as part of the alarm aparatus to deter thieves. I’d never heard of that before.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:51 am
That’s the first I’ve heard air conditioners were a target. In Chicago, it’s becoming more and more common for abandoned/foreclosed buildings and new construction to be stripped of supplies. People have even been losing aluminum siding off their houses.
While I generally applaud the local tinkers, men in pickup trucks who prowl the alleys looking for scrap metal that’s being thrown away, I’ve heard some shady stories and I’ve become worried lately as I saw one parked next to my open garage. The guys very obviously checking out the contents. By the time I made it outside, they were gone. Must have seen me coming!