copper theives

[smurphy]

Hello all,

new to this site, I've notice alot of techs from different countries here. I was just wondering if you were having problems with people stealing cooper line sets, condenser coils ect. Here in the us its a big problem. I once come upon 2 condensers that were gutted, replaced both condensers, then about 6 months later it happen again. Ended up relocating condensers on the roof. So is it happening were you are at, and what have you done to prevent it?

[taz24]

Hello all,

new to this site, I've notice alot of techs from different countries here. I was just wondering if you were having problems with people stealing cooper line sets, condenser coils ect. Here in the us its a big problem. I once come upon 2 condensers that were gutted, replaced both condensers, then about 6 months later it happen again. Ended up relocating condensers on the roof. So is it happening were you are at, and what have you done to prevent it?

It is getting more and more common this side of the pond too.

New copper can be installed during the day and then someone steals it that night.
I have seen whole section full of refrigerant hacksawn through and removed.
It is practice now to hide copper behind top hats and remove most of the machinary to high level (roof) or inside secure compounds.

Cheers taz

[The MG Pony]

I still say hook the copper up to a 700V power line, soon there will be no problem, the SOBs will all be dead or too scared to steal it!

In other words ya, big problem here too, albeit they usualy steal telicom wire sets, no phone or net for hundreds of people in the city becuase of them for houres!

[chemi-cool]

It became a world wide problem, not only copper but steel, cast iron, aluminium and any metal available.

But......... not to worry, it comes back from China as new products.........




Chemi

[Brian_UK]

Slightly off-topic but here in the UK they are now stealing exhaust catalytic converters from cars for the precious metals.

Also, as Chemi says, it all goes to China....

[Karl Hofmann]

Wherever I work you can guarantee a pikey in a transit van asking if he could "Get rid of my copper" for me, even had one asking as I loaded the van to weigh the scrap in... two copper water cylinders and a small pile of water pipe.. around 50Kg was worth almost £150... Steel is nowhere near as valuable at £100 per tonne but my scrap dealer loves aluminium and lead too.. They are rather cautious of dead condensers and prefer me to strip them down to their components... They really don't like compressors due to the oil

[Grizzly]

A good reason to use Ammonia and also drive a Diesel.

It would be quite interesting watching our Ethnically
Diverse Transitory Brethren.

Chopping the lines out then eh!
Grizzly

[Karl Hofmann]

A good reason to use Ammonia and also drive a Diesel.

It would be quite interesting watching our Ethnically
Diverse Transitory Brethren.

Chopping the lines out then eh!
Grizzly

I'd pay to see that....

[Abe]

Stealing lead here is a big problem, the other day they ripped all the lead off the roof and got away..............

[The MG Pony]

I'd pay to see that....

Ditto!

1. The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

[Brian_UK]

Sorry Grizzly, diesels have cats too..

[momo]

"Ethnically Diverse Transitory Brethren."
How politically correct can we get: brilliant!
Though locally in Spain it tends to be the "substance abuse" lot that nick supermarket carts and walk the streets - not even door handles are safe, unless plastic.

Here the present craze among "pro' thieves" is WHOLE pool heat pumps - a treat at 3000€ a time: they walk away in 15mins over 2m high walls, at 300+ kilos... I wish I could get them installed that easily!

[thermo prince]

It became a world wide problem, not only copper but steel, cast iron, aluminium and any metal available.

But......... not to worry, it comes back from China as new products.........




Chemi

Solution is in sight guys ,,,,it's called global recession, emanating from 'sub prime' excesses. USA demand for all kinds of consumer goods, essential or discretionary, has already slowed down drastically.
Heat pumps and other comfort "white goods" are considered luxury items and will be last on shopping list during tough times.
The factories of the world like India and China are feeling that knock -on effect already.
Commodity prices of copper, bauxite, iron ore already plummeting on the world markets.
This episode of copper thefts, not unlike the cyclical Wall Street frenzies that fuel these boom or bust cycles, is all related to " supply and demand" or human greed.
I suspect the scrap demand will 'cool' down considerably too while this froth takes 2~3 years to clear.

regards and Happy Easter
T-P

[marc5180]

I got called to a fault a few weeks ago at a cinema with a complaint that the AC wasn't cooling.
Got to site and went to the outdoor units (there were 6 in total) and found all of the copper had been cut and ripped off the wall. The copper pipe was 1" 1/8th and 3/4 and there was over 20m that had been cut away on each condensor. So a total over over 120m of each.
Can only hope the compressor was running when they cut through the pipes....

[frank]

I had a similar one last summer (no that wasn't a joke )
I moved a large Carrier air cooled condensing unit out of a corner where it was struggling to dump it's heat, so i extended the pipework and electric supply cable (140amps ) and commissioned with about 93kg of Isceon 59.

Got a call from the customer a couple of months later saying the cooling had stopped.

Over 80m of 2 3/8th and 1 1/8th pipework had been nicked and the gas lost. Bet they had a real shock and wait while the system lost pressure

[monkey spanners]

Bring back methyl chloride....

[Josip]

Hi,

Bring back methyl chloride....

.....and maybe steel pipes

Best regards, Josip

[nike123]

Hi,



.....and maybe steel pipes

Best regards, Josip

Here in Kaštela (small suburban of Split, Croatia) one man has have dredger who has some mechanical defect. He left him near the road without surveillance for few (2 or 3) days until his parts arrive. When he came with parts and mechanic, only thing he found is big hydraulic oil spill. Few kilometers (less then 5) near site is our steel-mill.
Figure out by yourself where "David Copperfield" moved that dredger in blink of the eye.

[Zabod]

Here in Canada we had one guy fry himself on 40,000 volts while trying to steal copper from a power sub station. Another was killed falling from the copper roof on a church.

[The MG Pony]

More then one thank fully, some idiot here decided a 700V line was a good marke, they found peices!

Good riddence to bad rubbish!

[IceMan08]

we had an employee from my previous company cutting out the emergency relief valve lines to atmosphere-this could kill someone, luckily they stitched him right up and he got caught red handed! sent him to a brand new install (unbeknown to him a manager followed an hour later)---BUSTED!!!
also in the uk now there has been a spate of thefts (lead roofs and copper are quite commonplace) but these guys are taking WHOLE statues, were not on about small ones either there like full sized cavalry men on horses etc! the thing that bugs me is these statues are there to commerate the fallen heroes that put down there lives so I dont have to speak german!

[jdunc2301]

stick some power on to the copper lines maybe 1000v plus, see the pikey go bang

AUTO GUN TURRETs as seen in alien films lol can you imagine the h+s documents for that

anyway enough of being to excited, ive caught someone looking through the back of my van before!

dirty bast$$d


j

[Chunk]

The price is dropping off at the moment,so i am having a break.I`ll start ripping out again when i get a better price.

I did a job about a month ago where i cut two 12` coils out to pressure test them.Left them on a loading bay and went for lunch.Came back an hour later and found they were gone along with 7 empty 404a cylinders that were waiting to be collected.

I dont know if it was the diddies or if the D&W driver thought he could get a bit of bunce money.I guess we`ll never know.

[slingblade]

I dont know if any of you saw a documentary a few months ago with the guy from house of horrors, he and his mate dressed up as tinkers and went to a few scrapyards to asses how many are following government guidelines.
They weighed in the following

1. Collection of road name signs.
2. collection of road marking signs (no entry, 40 mph ect)
3. collection of cast manhole covers and roadside drain covers.

and get this

4. A full size council bus shelter c/w seats and bus stop sign, all ground off at floor level.

No questions asked.