Your cooling system is not only an investment in your comfort, but a major financial one as well. Opportunistic thieves have begun targeting commercial and residential air conditioners, which are relatively easy to steal and can yield a few hundred dollars in easy money. Unfortunately, the cost of replacement can run you in the thousands, so protecting your A/C unit from theft should be a priority.

Why Steal an A/C? 

With unemployment and copper prices on the rise, A/C units have become a hot commodity. It takes less than five minutes to remove your outdoor condensing unit with little more than a pair of bolt cutters. While thieves used to take the time to break open the unit and steal what they needed, it’s now common practice to remove the entire component. It’s often out of sight for aesthetic purposes, making it even easier for thieves to work undetected.

Protecting Your A/C Unit From Theft

While no security system is completely foolproof, there are steps you can take to make thieves think twice about targeting your equipment. Following are a few recommendations:

• Anchor the unit – The condensing unit of your A/C is already heavy, but you can make it even heavier if you anchor it to a solid cement base. Talk to your contractor to see if they  can provide a poured concrete pad and then set your a/c unit on the pad using at least 1/2″ anchor bolts.
• Install cameras – Security cameras, whether real or fake, may be a deterrent to some thieves.
• Add a cage – Build a steel cage around the air conditioning unit or contact your local HVAC company to see if they can build one for you.  The cage needs to be secured to a concrete pad or concrete footings below grade. The cage should have a lock and be sturdy and large enough for your contractor to remove the cover for maintenance or repairs.
• Install an alarm – Install an A/C alarm.  Your local a/c contractor can recommend an alarm system that will alert you in the event of a refrigerant leak, if the line is cut, or if power is lost.

For more tips on protecting your A/C unit from theft, call the experts at Powers Heating & Air. For over 35 years, we’ve been providing quality service to homeowners in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan, Sharpsburg and the surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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