Ever since the price of copper rose in the mid 2000s, copper theft has been an increasing problem, especially in areas like ours where many people have central air conditioning systems that have outdoor condensers. The condenser is full of valuable copper, and copper thieves can remove its cover and take the condensing coil in a matter of minutes.

They take it to metal recyclers and pocket the money, and homeowners are left with a nonfunctional heat pump or air conditioner. If your condenser sits on the ground, you’re especially vulnerable. However, you can take steps to deter this theft:

Place a motion detector above the outdoor condenser. The lights will turn on when someone approaches the unit. However, if your yard is fenced and you’re away after sunset, you still run some risk of losing the coils.

Paint the coils. This alerts the recycler, who may not accept the copper tubing. They may assume that the building’s owner marked the copper, or their end-user may not be able to use painted copper. You’ll have to remove the cage that covers the condenser to apply the paint.

Lock the gate to the backyard fence to prevent copper theft. It’s probably not going to be worth the time and risk for the thief to break the lock.

Tell your neighbors about the increase in copper-related crimes, and agree to be vigilant about suspicious activity in and around the homes in the neighborhood. Alert law enforcement to investigate the activity.

Install a locking cage that surrounds the outdoor condenser. Keep a key yourself and give another to your HVAC professional. This cage also prevents refrigerant huffing a dangerous practice.

Tie your condenser into a home alarm system. You can contact your security provider to see what devices they have that will sound an alarm and alert the authorities. Many of these devices measure the refrigerant pressure and energy consumption and sound the alarm when specific thresholds are reached.

To learn more about preventing copper theft in the Valley and the surrounding areas, contact Cooper Climate Control today.