In a post this Spring, I discussed why a homeowner might want to locate their central a/c unit on the 2nd floor.
Short answer: the central a/c is being added to an older home with hot water heat (and no duct work).
See, “It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane . . . it’s an A/C Unit Outside a 2nd Floor Window?!?”
Thanks to HVAC contractors I ran into at a client’s today, I now have reason #2 to locate the a/c unit off the ground: to deter theft.
Apparently, notwithstanding their 300 lb. weight, thieves have been hauling away a/c units for their scrap metal value.
Ground level a/c units — in all parts of the Twin Cities.
Old units can have as much as 200 pounds of copper, worth about $600 at today’s prices. See, “S-u-r-e, I’ll haul away your old central a/c . . .”
P.S.: Even more despicable is thieves wrecking a vacant home to extract maybe $800 in copper.
Damage to the home: $20k to more than $50k, depending on whether the thieves left the water running, flooding the home and guaranteeing mold.
