Air Conditioner Theft on the Rise in Charlotte

Thieves, who are taking advantage of the high price of scrap copper in NC and stealing home air conditioners and heat pump units is nothing new in Charlotte. After all, if someone can enter the yard of an empty house, cut the copper tubing that c0nnects the air conditioner to the house and be gone within 10 minutes, it’s a very attractive, and high value item to steal from your home. According to a report today from Robyn McGlohn, you need to take care to prevent theft!

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police have been investigating several air conditioner thefts over the past weeks here in Charlotte, and with summer in full swing, its only going to get worse! Once you factor in that an hour or two of stripping the unit can result in $50-$100 worth of scrap copper, we should all revisit having a contractor install an air conditioner security system!

In this Charlotte HVAC article, lets take a look at the different ways you can prevent home air conditioner theft, and also what to do if your ac unit is stolen from your Charlotte area home.

Ways to Prevent Air Conditioner Theft

We reached out to several Charlotte AC companies and heard back from Eddie Burkhalter, Owner of B&E Heating and Air of Charlotte. Eddie said that they often install anti-theft devices for air conditioners around Charlotte, and that theft can be prevented with the following methods:

  • Get Anti-Theft Stickers that warn of an Alarm
  • Install a Refrigerant Pressure Alarm that Monitors the Unit for Cut lines
  • Install an Electric Alarm that monitors for Changes to the Power Supply
  • Have a Security Cage installed to Surround the Unit and Prevent the Thieves from Getting to it!
  • Get a Real Big Dog and Leave it Outside as Often as Possible
  • Reach out to Neighbors and Form your own Neighborhood Watch
  • Make Sure you have Motion Sensing Lights to Scare off Bandits
  • Move Your AC Unit

What If Yours Was Stolen?

Call your Homeowners Insurance company to see if they cover the theft. If they do, you are likely going to have to wait for an adjuster to come out and handle the claim. While you wait, you should reach out to local HVAC contractors and get a few quotes so you are well aware of the extent of the damage that was caused. B&E HVAC told us that most of the time, if the unit was fairly up to date, they are able to replace just the outside condensing unit and then repair the other damages left behind to the duct, line set and electrical. Learn more about when you may be able to replace only the outside condensing unit, versus the entire system.

What Happened to Yours?

Was your unit recently stolen? If so, share your experience below with readers.

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