Now you see it, now you don’t. I’m talking about copper. One minute the tubing is there and the next minute it is not. Copper thieves are as common as bees on honey, as flies on… Oh well, you get my drift. The lure of cash-for-copper has become a problem not only for HVAC contractors, but for their customers as well.

But I think the copper thieves have picked on the wrong victims lately. They are targeting churches. Pardon me while I dodge that lightning bolt that just missed me. It is almost blasphemous to talk about such a heinous crime. But talk I must (or in this case, blog I must).

Thieves are picking on defenseless churches to raid their outdoor condensing units, often out in the open and unsecured. I doubt that church elders could ever imagine someone stealing from their condensing units. The collection plate, maybe, but not a condensing unit. Oops, just had to duck another lightning bolt. That was close.

This despicable behavior by these low-life people will eventually catch up to them, trust me. When you mess with the Almighty you usually lose. Sadly, most of these pond scum people have no conscience and all they see are dollar signs, not a congregation losing its means to worship and teach in a comfortable environment. Add the cost of replacing the unit and the crime becomes even more outrageous.

But if there is any logic in this illogical crime it is this: Where these thieves are headed is going to require a lot of air conditioning. Maybe they are filling out their shopping lists early.