Outdoor air conditioning units get stolen for the copper inside them. Thieves may get a few dollars of scrap; the homeowner is left with a cut refrigerant line, a damaged system, and a replacement bill in the thousands. A steel cage is the most reliable way to stop it.
Why condensers are targeted
The condenser sits outside, often on the side of the house or in a gangway where nobody is watching. It has copper coils and copper line sets, and it can be disconnected and carried off in minutes. Vacant properties and units near an alley are hit most often.
How an anti-theft cage works
A cage is a welded steel enclosure bolted into the concrete pad or the ground around the unit and locked shut. It is built with open sides so airflow is not restricted and the unit does not lose efficiency. A technician can still open it for service. A thief with hand tools cannot get through it quickly, which is the whole point.
Other things that help
Motion lights and a camera pointed at the unit. Locking the disconnect box so the power cannot be pulled quietly. Keeping the unit visible from the street rather than hidden behind a fence. Marking the unit with your address. None of these replaces a cage, but together they make your house the harder target.
If your unit is stolen
Turn off the breaker to the air handler or furnace so the indoor equipment does not try to run without the outdoor unit. Do not let the open refrigerant lines sit exposed any longer than necessary, since moisture in the lines contaminates the whole system. Call your insurance company and call us. We replace stolen condensers and can install the cage at the same time.
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