Keeping your air conditioner safe from theft and tampering is an ongoing concern, especially for homeowners with large outdoor cooling units. Copper and valuable metal has often been stolen from cooling systems, but current trends suggest a new target for thieves: the refrigerant in the system.
News outlets report that refrigerant thefts are on the rise. Young people are using the refrigerant like a drug, capturing it in a container and inhaling it to get high. This type of inhaling, or huffing, has been done with other volatile substances in the past, including gasoline, spray paint and glue. The use of A/C refrigerant as a drug is a relatively recent development.
A segment on the television news program "Inside Edition" reported that air conditioner refrigerant is the fourth most common drug abused by teens. Outdoor air conditioning units present a tempting target for anyone seeking a quick dose of coolant. Refrigerant can be quickly extracted from the system in gaseous form and just as quickly inhaled.
Refrigerant is an extremely dangerous substance that can be harmful to health over time or instantly fatal. Keeping drug users away from your refrigerant supply is well beyond a simple matter of childproofing the system; it requires deliberate attention and specialized equipment to prevent tampering or theft.
Specially designed locking caps are available to prevent theft of refrigerant. They fit on the service valve of your air conditioner where the refrigerant would normally be added to or removed from the system. They are made of very strong materials, commonly high-grade brass and aluminum, and are extremely difficult to break, damage or saw off. A specially designed key is required to remove the caps. The caps are designed to spin in place or otherwise be almost impossible to remove without the specialized key.
Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning has served HVAC customers in the New Haven and Fort Wayne areas for nearly 50 years. Contact us today for more information on preventing refrigerant theft from your air conditioner and keeping your system and the people around it safe and unharmed.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Hartman Brothers services New Haven, IN and the surrounding Fort Wayne area. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!