Project for new welders (cash maker)

[wroughtnharv]

I am in the HVAC business............I have a customer that owns three houses within one block (not a great neighborhood). In one house......thieves stole the central air conditioner while the house was unrented, and on another of their properties, thieves went in last fall and stripped the central air conditioner of copper/aluminum..........and even destroyed/stripped the furnace of the A coil, ripped out copper water lines etc. I have installed new heat/cool systems in each of these properties. To deter thieves, I have built a cage/fence with a lockable gate around each A/C unit. Here are some pics of the cage/fence with lockable gate that some of you may be interested in promoting and selling in your area. Just remember to take measurements of where the A/C unit will be and keep in mind to leave space so the gate can be opened for servicing. The posts on this are 1" square tube (14 gauge) and capped with 1 " square plastic plugs, the pickets are 3/8 " solid round, horizontal are 1" x 1/2" C channel. The extra length of the posts allow for 12 to 15 " to be set in concrete (if the customer wishes). I charged $285 for this one.....................they picked up, will install and paint it themselves.
Also you may interest them in security bars for windows but be sure to check with local codes as to whether it has to be able to be opened in case of fire. The security bars can be built the same as the A/C cage (or fancier, of course).

Twenty plus years ago I made some cages out of 7/8" succor rod for a/c units in Dallas. The response was so positive I thought about producing them until I looked in the local yellow pages. There were guys out that already that was their specialty.

Besides that, most of the time those things are for landlords and they have no morals when it comes to contractors. They are notorious for taking your idea and shopping it around for the lowest price. I've been on both sides of that conversation btw.

[DieselDon16]

Very nice idea, especilly for guys starting there own business like me.

[Temac]

My first post:
I was asked to build something like this for a Boy Scout hut. I was think the same except more meat. The post would be 3" pipe and since a sawzell was mentioned I'll make them work for it by filling with concrete.

[tenfingers]

I don't see why you couldn't fill the corner posts of Monte55's fence wth concrete/cement.

It may not make it cut proof but I think it would be awful hard on sawzall blades.


You may not be able to stop thieves, but you can sure slow them down.

Make it easier to steal someone elses.

[bobbyr]

theives are what they are they dont like to work for their money or they would have a job. their is know way to make anything full proof. but i think his idea has great merit. they would be more likely to steal the one next door than the one with the cage around it. just for the fact they would not have to make as much noise and like i said above they would not have to work to get it. now if they steal all of the rest of the ones in the area. they would probly steel that one to but i bet it would be last.

[LarryO]

Hot water services get stolen in my area.

Some builders install them with a cage around them that is dyna bolted to the wall without the nut welded or deformed. They just unbolt that too.

Thieves get extra money when they sell the unit with the cage.

Cant believe people/builders so dumb. DEFORM THE NUTS.


Sawzall theft in Australia has not taken off yet, but im sure it will soon.

[diyweldingplans]

I like that idea. I have a brother that owned 3 houses in Detroit. While they were vacant, theives broke in and gutted the entire house, especially the copper. This was devastating for my brother as he lived in AZ at the time. A gate like this may have deterred the thieves from robbing his houses.

A couple improvements I would make to this is to put one more rail from side to side in the center so they cant just bend the bars and squeeze through. Also, if there are not flanges to bolt to the floor, add them. I could see thieves making a few cuts, but if they have to do a lot of work (like one of the previous posts stated) then they'll just walk away.

Excellent work and keep the ideas coming!

Thanks for sharing,
Kelly