| As the summer months approach, offices, shops and | | | | at great risk. In the United States, there have been |
| factories across the country will increasingly place | | | | reports of up to twelve people having been killed in |
| demands on their air conditioning units. Having been in | | | | the act of stealing copper. But valuation aside, why |
| hibernation mode throughout the winter months, | | | | are thieves risking their lives in order to harvest |
| many air conditioning units will have had scant regard | | | | copper? |
| paid to them during this time, and it is during this | | | | In terms of an air conditioning unit - a rich source of |
| period that many units will no longer work - often not | | | | copper - it is the outside of the unit that proves |
| because of mechanical failure, but because of | | | | particularly fruitful for thieves. This is because the |
| thieves, and many businesses won't realise this until | | | | pipes which carry the refrigerant are made of copper |
| it's too late. That's why is vitally important that | | | | and a typical air conditioning unit will possess around |
| businesses which use air-conditioning should check | | | | 24 kilograms of copper tubing. In order to combat |
| their system in order to ensure it is still intact and | | | | the rising tide of copper theft from air conditioning |
| operable. | | | | units, business owners are responding to the thefts |
| Thieves aren't interested in stealing the air | | | | by taking precautions to protect the units by installing |
| conditioning units themselves; while most thieves | | | | cages or erecting fencing around the units as a |
| would run a mile at the mention of 'copper', thinking | | | | deterrent. |
| that you were referring to the police, it is in fact a | | | | However, while this helps protects the business' air |
| different kind of copper they are interested in: the | | | | conditioning units, it unfortunately drives thieves to |
| copper which forms part of the unit. Coinciding with | | | | look elsewhere for copper - new and vacant homes, |
| the current period of high value copper prices, there | | | | churches, schools and offices that are currently |
| has been a worldwide increase in the number of | | | | undergoing air conditioning installations are all prime |
| incidents relating to the theft of copper-constructed | | | | targets for thieves' skullduggery. |
| components - and air conditioning units are a prime | | | | Given the use of copper in the case of residential |
| target. | | | | homes, it appears that thieves put more value on the |
| The thefts of copper components from air | | | | copper itself rather than their own life: copper is |
| conditioning units has affected many industries which | | | | commonly used in piping that is used to transmit |
| utilise air conditioning facilities, including power utilities, | | | | gas-flow and central heating systems into the home, |
| telecommunications, transport networks and the | | | | while thieves have even been known to steal copper |
| construction industry particularly. However, it isn't just | | | | earthing cable from electricity sub-stations! However, |
| industries that are being targeted by thieves as even | | | | as copper is a relatively sturdy metal and requires |
| the art world has been affected with reports of | | | | cutting, thieves are using any means necessary to |
| bronze statues being among thieves' rich pickings. | | | | cut through the pipes in order to snatch their prize |
| Recent valuations of scrap copper place it at up to | | | | away - potentially releasing gas, which could be |
| 90% of the value of newly-manufactured copper, so | | | | ignited by a single spark, or even cutting through live, |
| it's not hard to see its lure for thieves; although in | | | | high voltage cables - putting their lives, and those |
| obtaining the metal, thieves are putting themselves | | | | around them at risk. |