Putting a Halt to the Ever-Increasing Copper Theft Epidemic

Dallas/Ft.Worth- I’ve seen the devastating results of a copper thief first hand. Not only are the building owners out tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and replacement, but now they may go days with no air conditioning and even shut down business while the repairs take place. Essentially, the owner is not only losing the cost of replacing the A/C units, but also the daily revenue, not to mention the fact of inconveniencing clientele with the postponement.You can strike back by installing a theft deterrent system on or around your air conditioning system The succues of a deterrent system is measured by its ability to stop a theft before damage can occur. Here are the types of systems available today:

Fences: A fence around the air conditioner system will only slow a thief down by a few seconds and provide a great hiding place when your system is stolen.

Cages: Cages will detour a thief somewhat, its better then a fence however all cages impede on the serviceability of the air conditioner, in most cases when replacing your air conditioner the old cage will not fit on the new system. Not to mention the unsightly look when someone enters your home or business.

Alarm systems: When talking to alarm companies about copper theft they have a different approach:

Pressure sensor: Installing a pressure sensor that is connected to the burglar alarm system will work by triggering the alarm system only after the refrigerant line is severed and refrigerant charge is lost. This system will detour a theft however the cost to repair and recharge the system could amount to over $600.00.

Voltage sensor: Installing a sensor to monitor the voltage to the air conditioner, connected to the burglar alarm system, will triggering the alarm system when the thief turns the power off at the disconnect switch. This will also cause a false alarm if the circuit breaker trips or there is a power failure to the home or business. False alarms cost hundred if fines.

Self contained A/C alarm system: This system combines the pressure and voltage sensors together. It comes with its own siren and control panel. It will provide better protection then anything above however it has its limitations. When the power fails to the home or business this system shuts down, leaving your air conditioner vulnerable to theft. As a standalone system, that is not monitored you risk not hearing the siren thus no response to the theft. This system will trigger the siren if any of the wires are cut however if you short the wires together the system is bypassed and the thief can steal the air conditioner with ease.

Monitored A/C alarm system: This alarm system connects directly to and is supported by a burglar alarm system, utilizing all of the alarm systems technology and features. When a theft is detected this system sends a signal to the burglar alarm system. At that point the alarm system takes control, sounding the siren, calling the monitoring company and in turn alerting the police. As above this system monitors voltage and refrigerant pressure but in a far more reliable manor. False alarms are eliminated due to this system ability to understand the difference between a theft attempt and a meaningful shut down. It is designed to provide protection even during a power failure. Unlike the above it has the ability to alert you the moment a power failure occurs (this feature could save you thousands if monitoring a computer room or a process cooling system) If a thief shorts any of the wires together it will trigger the alarm system not bypass it. This system is tamper proof, supervised and monitored, providing the most reliable protection available.

There are only a few systems available that provide good protection and only one that provides the best. The monitored A/C alarm system called CopperWatcher. Its ability to detect a theft early in the process combined with the burglar alarm systems reliability makes it the one to look for. Do your home work, find out what system best fits your needs and get it installed. What’s the cost of doing nothing? Doing nothing could cost you everything. A new A/C system will cost between $3,000.00 to $14,000.00. The cost to protect you’re A/C will be around $400.00 to $600.00.

Robert W. Frederick is the owner of RW Frederick and Associates inc. A heating and Air Conditioning service provider in the Dallas Fort Worth TX area. He has over 30 years experience and is well known throughout his industry. www.rwfred.com

Contact Information:
Robert W. Frederick, Owner/Chief Executive Officer
RW Frederick and Associates Inc.
[email protected]
817.268.5334