How to discourage heat pump theft?

Due in large part to the failings of the current administration's economic policy, there has been a rash of heat pump thefts in and around my neighborhood. What is a good way to insure that my two relatively new units don't fall victim?

I've considered adding some motion-detectors coupled to floodlights, and I'm mulling the idea of some sort of alarm. Maybe a wire attached to the unit that would sound an alarm when severed?

I discovered yesterday that in addition to one house very near mine, there have been maybe a dozen similar thefts within a 5-mile radius in the last 30 days.

I noticed some neighborhoods in Memphis have bars on their doors/windows and a similar cage of bars around their heat pumps.

I was astonished that someone would need to lock one down, but apparently it's a real issue.

• Lee

Here's a picture similar to what I was talking about.

• Lee

you START the thread with a flounder? (...and do it in the first phrase of the first sentence?) Wow, way to win at internetting.....

JoeyM wrote: you START the thread with a flounder? (...and do it in the first phrase of the first sentence?) Wow, way to win at internetting.....

Thank you! Thank you!

Large dog, a shotgun and a 6-pack of redbull?

Get theft insurance

Bobzilla wrote: Large dog, a shotgun and a 6-pack of redbull?

Interestingly, I have learned that many of the thefts have occurred in broad daylight.

Lag bolt it to the cast in place concrete pad. Then spot weld the nuts to the bolts. No expensive cage to worry about. When they need to replace it in the future, they/you will just have to use an angle grinder to knock the welds off.

Or, ya know, Move.

wire the hot side to the case

Could you just put a note on it explaining that it's a very expensive unit and it would cause a hardship if you had to replace it? Maybe also mention that your neighbors heat pump is larger and worth more money?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: wire the hot side to the case

Yeah, but with kids about, I'd be afraid to do that. I think mine are old enough (and smart enough) to get it, but I couldn't safely assume that about the rest of the neighborhood kids.

And I should mention that the "pads" they use nowadays are lightweight fiberglass/plastic.

Sadly anything not welded in place, (and some that are) can and will be stolen.

I can see the daytime theft angle of it. Most people would unknowingly just assume a repairman was replacing it...

So replace the cheap pad with concrete. Crib up the condenser taking care not to crimp the lines and what not, hand mix concrete, 2x4 frame and fill it with concrete. Rent a hammer drill and anchor it to the cured pad.

If you got a cage to surround it, how would they not just pick up the cage if there's nothing to to bolt it down to?

Place several severed heads on stakes around it with a sign that says " thieves will be executed" ?

A cage makes it look locked up and not worth the trouble, so the potential thief would just pass? I used to not have the code to a bike lock and would just wrap it around the bike frame and what I was "locking" it to. At first glance it was locked up. Wouldn't stop someone who is real motivated to steal that unit but if they might be able to get two in the time they would deal with a locked cage, they'll probably move on

1988RedT2 wrote: Due in large part to the failings of the current administration's economic policy, there has been a rash of heat pump thefts in and around my neighborhood.

Yeah, nice flounder. That's been a problem for decades. It's really more of a success in recycling metals so they're more valuable. A real crash where even scrap metal was valueless would mean no theft of metals.

Along the lines of GPS' idea, a 20+ mile electric fence charger. Grounded near the heat pump hot wire to the case.

You'd probably have to isolate the shell/case from the rest of the unit or you'd likely zap yourself every time you adjust the thermostat.

Use the most powerful fence charger you can get, like one with an upside down cow on fire as their logo, it'll take a lot of juice to discourage a seasoned tweaker.

• Lee

Disguise it as a dog house.

Motion sensor floodlamps are actually pretty effective, more effective than an always-on light is. Plus they're actually really nice to have when you're walking around in the dark. So I'd put some of those on anyhow. Every light on the outside of our house is motion-sensitive, it's very convenient.

As for people lifting them in broad daylight, well, I'm a fan of the electric fence idea as well. Even just a "DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE" sign might be enough to make a would-be thief go next door instead.

Weld up a simple bar frame around it out of out of 12 sticks of channel and then bolt it down to the pad. I have seen hundreds of these thefts and I have only seen two that were stolen that had a cage around them. Both of those were commercial units where the theives had lots of time and lots of tools.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Disguise it as a dog house.

LOL ... I think this is the easiest and effective solution.

I assume it is being stolen for scrap?
Does the cage and thereby more metal make it more attractive to the thief?

Yeah, gonna rule out the fence charger. With my luck I'd blow the thermostat up or something.

Definitely will expand our motion-lighting. I have several units now, but none on one side of the house.

Regarding the sign, I'm thinking that maybe a "protected by video surveillance" sign might make a would-be thief think twice. I think my unit already has a "high voltage" sign on it, since it's 240-volt. Maybe a sign that said "EXTREMELY high voltage!"?

JohnRW1621 wrote: I assume it is being stolen for scrap?

Possibly, but I suspect that in certain circles, they have greater value as "used" equipment.