We really didn't think of doing a "part 2" for last week's article, but a couple things changed our minds.

First, the problem just keeps growing, even from last week's information. The latest figure is that copper theft will hit the $1 billion mark this year in the United States!

And again, churches are being targeted in a big way, not only A.C. Units (which are the primary target), but anything made of copper from downspouts, 1,000 lb. bells, and even a copper cross on a church roof...unbelievable.

The second reason we decided on a part two on this topic is we had some information that was submitted to us that we thought was very worthwhile in passing along.

A news story caught my attention about a solution that a company in Florida is using to help churches with ready made steel cages for outside A.C. Units. Here is the link to the story and video:

"Steel cages may protect A/C units from theft"
http://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S=14860832

I also received an e-mail from a colleague and fellow Christian that I met while doing a seminar in Houston a couple years back. Rob Smith is a Senior Security Consultant for Stanley Security Solutions and is based in Houston (Rob may be reached at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Here is what Rob wrote:

"I enjoyed and appreciated this week’s article on AC/copper issues.  With scrap copper now up to $4 a pound here in Houston, this is probably the #1 exterior problem Stanley is seeing, and churches are big targets.  We are also seeing a lot of wiring being removed from buildings under construction.  A few months ago I called on a Wings franchise restaurant under construction.  On a Sunday morning along the busiest road in west Houston, in front of a movie theater, a truck with a winch pulled up, and over at least two hours removed and rolled up almost all the copper wiring in the building.  I found out later that this cost the business over $30,000 and delayed their opening by over a month.

Last year I called on a church, an existing customer (about two blocks away from where you did the Houston seminar two years ago), which had their building wire attacked when someone cut through the outside galvanized pipe and tried to pull wire from there.  They were unsuccessful but caused over $1,000 damage.

Churches that have had their AC units damaged/stolen, or other copper-related problems?  In greater Houston, I would estimate that would run into the dozens of cases each month.  One or two make the TV news.  And it’s not just the ground units- we see AC damage on the roof also.

Jeff, to address your specific comments on how to protect AC units, you have come up with a good comprehensive list of ways to reduce this threat.  As a security consultant who visits with 1-2 businesses every week about this exact problem, I can also recommend other technical solutions for my clients. Allow me to list a few more for you to consider that can be provided by many reputable companies:

1.       Cages- They cost about $400-600 each, and need to be bolted down to the concrete pad.  They must have a door for servicing, and that door should have a heavy-duty contact on it that is connected to their inside security system.  It can be programmed for 24/7 activation, which could be turned off temporarily for servicing.  I’ve seen some pretty flimsy cages that can be defeated, however, so my opinion is that if you’re going to install a cage, leaving off the door contact is not a good idea.  A secondary solution would be to “lace” the cage, virtually weaving a cable through the bars that would create an alarm if cut.

2.       Verified Video Monitoring- There are very good hard-wired, IP, and wireless video solutions here, all of which use some form of local detection (it could include that cage contact if available) to trigger a live video monitoring event.  Obviously, cats and coons are ignored with motion/heat type detection, while a vehicle or person in the picture would create a verified dispatch situation.  One totally wireless video monitoring solution I like that utilizes cell transmission to send video is great for construction companies trying to protect their building or overall site during the construction process, and is totally portable so it can be relocated to the next site later.

3.       “Freon” Line Monitoring- This is so simple, yet very effective.  Most vandals will at some point cut this line to bleed out the refrigerant (whatever it’s now called), before trying to remove parts or even the entire AC unit.  Every unit has an in-line “T-Valve” used for recharging the system.  Any AC person can install a second T-Valve behind the first one that has a built-in pressure switch and relay.  This part costs about $35-40, plus the labor to install, after which the existing alarm company can tie into that relay.  Any pressure drop in that line will be immediately alarmed.  A nearby outside horn and or strobe will notify the vandal that they’ve been detected, and hopefully cause them to cease their activity.  Of course, a silent alarm is sometimes preferable if your intent is to actually catch somebody.

Here’s a big “DON’T”:  Putting electronic beams (i.e. Pullnex) on a roof by themselves is an ill-advised solution.  I’ve seen companies lose their alarm permit in less than a month because of all the false alarms.  There is no discrimination with this product, as it flags every bird and critter without any verification available unless a camera is added.  And depending on the length of a beam, it may not even be possible to get it all in a camera’s view.

The three solutions above are very cost-effective, and can interface with a large percentage of existing alarm panels.  Any solution depends on what level of protection is needed based on the perceived threat, or unfortunately more often than not, on a loss event.  I usually cover all three in some detail, then make my best recommendation."

Great advice Rob and thank you for your recommendations!

Have a safe week!

In Christ,
Jeff Hawkins
Executive Director