Vandalism and copper theft have become huge problems for owners of vacant properties. Copper thieves and vandals prey on vacant houses because they are easy targets, and cause huge amounts of damage to the average property for a relatively small payoff. Download Your FREE copy of ‘How to Rent Your House! Renting your house is a great way to enter the world of real estate investing, but most first-timers (understandably) have a lot of questions. Fortunately, the experts at BiggerPockets have put together a complimentary guide on ‘How to Rent Your House’. All the skills, tools, and confidence you need to successfully rent your house are just a mouse-click away. Click Here For Your Free Guide to Renting Your House Why Do People Steal Copper? Thieves love it because the value of copper has risen so much.  It is estimated to bring an average of about $3.30 per pound and is a $1 billion dollar problem according to the US Department of Energy. The other reason copper theft is such a problem is that it is a component in so many building materials.

Copper tubing can be found in the pipes in many homes. It is also used in heating and air conditioning units, wiring and electrical components, and a whole host of other things. More often than not, the damage done by these thieves obtaining the copper far exceeds the value of the copper itself. Vandals may do thousands of dollars in damage to a property for no more than $25 or $30.00 worth of copper. They will tear up walls, ceilings, cabinets and anything else that gets in the way of ripping out the copper. The biggest targets for these thefts are construction sites, vacant buildings, and commercial heating and air conditioning units.  That said, there are some steps that real estate investors can take to prevent your property from becoming the latest victim of these unscrupulous people. Make Residential Property Look Lived In If possible, take some steps to make the property look like it is occupied. Here are a few steps you can take: Put up inexpensive mini blinds and keep them closed.

Have several lights on a timer that will come on at different times in the evening. Pick up any junk mail left at the house several times a week. Be sure that no trash accumulates on the property. Don’t leave trash cans sitting at the street for extended periods of time. Make sure the lawn is mowed on a regular basis. Ask a neighbor to park in the driveway several times a week. If your property is in the process of being rehabbed here are a few tips: Get rid of the dumpster as quickly as possible. Make sure building materials and trash aren’t left where people can see them. Don’t leave tools and other valuables where they can be seen through doors and windows. Enlist the help of the neighbors. Give them your business card and ask them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Don’t forget to reward these folks for their help when the job is finished with a gift certificate for dinner, a free car wash or something similar.

In both of the situations above, you can also install one of those portable alarm systems in the property. These are great because they can be moved from property to property.how to fix leaking air conditioning unit These types of properties are especially popular because thieves can generally count on the business being closed at specific times.  average cost to repair car air conditioningThere are some steps that you can take but all in all, these thieves are hard to deter when it comes to commercial property.carrier ac window units Some property owners have been known to paint visible copper components black to appear like regular plastic tubing. When a tenant moves out, immediately check to be sure the property is secure.

You can fence areas that contain commercial air conditioning units by using tall chain link fencing with razor wire at the top. In certain instances you may have to use privacy fencing. Putting these units on the roof top won’t necessarily stop a thief from taking on this challenge but may help in some instances. There are portable alarm systems that can be used on air conditioning units that seem to work pretty well. Out Smarting the Copper Thieves It’s pretty hard to outsmart these people, but if you take precautions you at least have a fighting chance of staying one step ahead of them. One last thing to consider, is whether you want to put a “for rent sign” out in risky areas. With the internet, you can still get the word out that the property is available without alerting the vandals and copper thieves.How to recycle an old air conditioner? When recycling an old air conditioner, it is best to carefully take it apart. Air conditioner scrap is valuable to scrap collectors.

Many copper aluminum coils can be collected from old air conditioners and are very valuable. Scrap yards are a great place to sell the air conditioner scrap as well. When it comes to a scrap air conditioner, the parts can be a gold mine to many collectors. A scrap air conditioner is a great source of materials. Within the information below on how to recycle an old air conditioner, you’ll learn a few common things as well as some additional tips that you likely did not know about. Large units are very flimsy and have huge generators and condensers. It is important to remember that when taking apart a large unit, once the screws are removed, most models of larger air conditioners will just fall apart so it is important to disassemble the unit on a flat surface. It’s no secret that because of their size, large air conditioners are most sought after by scrappers. The bigger the air conditioning unit, the more money, that you can make selling it as scrap metal. Determining how to recycle an old air conditioner is not that difficult.

When it comes to scrapping sealed units and compressors it is best to cut the unit open using an angle grinder while simultaneously holding the unit down. If the old ac unit still blows cold air, it still has Freon within it that needs to properly be disposed of before you attempt any cutting procedure. The motor can than be sold to a scrap yard. Some people choose to remove the wire from the motor, and others leave it in. When removing the scrap radiator from the ac unit, keep in mind that the value of the radiator depends on its size. Most radiators in air conditioners are made of copper and aluminum. After the radiator is removed, it needs to be cleaned before it can be sold or recycled. The steel contamination must be removed from the copper and aluminum and this can be done by simply cutting the steel off using a circular saw. Taking apart an air conditioner involves a little work but for the money that you can make selling the parts as scrap, the task is well worth the time.

The shell, grill, screws and the fan on the scrap air conditioner are all worth money as well. Many ac units have a lot of aluminum within them as well, so make sure that you have your magnet handy so that you can test various metals. Additionally many of the modern window and central air units have digital displays, which means that they have a motherboard within them that contains a small amount of gold that you can scrap. There are scrap companies that will buy the motherboard for top dollar. You can also remove the gold, save it and scrap it yourself once you have collected enough of it. Separate all of the metal components that you have removed from the air conditioner and cut away all copper lines using a bolt cutter or copper wire cutters. The soldered joints also need to be removed from your pure copper. If you want to get more involved with air conditioner scrap there are two good sources that you can start with. One source is apartment and condo complexes.