My neighbourhood that bad? Furnace anti-theft satellite tracker?!?! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 10:07:56 pm
content: I didn’t know this was “a thing” but apparently if my furnace is ever jacked I can still track it down.Seriously though, I noticed this sticker today while I was moving some stuff around in the basement. It was on a Keeprite home furnace. Never seen it before. Who steals furnaces? Is this a joke, because I saw that and thought immediate to myself! They even spelled satellite wrong (bunch ‘o amateurs!!!)… See attached image.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 10:22:24 pm
content: Quotemaybe not if its already installed ,but a few out the kicked in doors of stockists,or a van load off a building site is maybe what there trying to cut down on.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 11:20:15 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on July 11, 2021, 10:22:24 pmA couple of questions arise… One: is there actually a satellite tracker or is this just a ploy to deter sticky fingers, and Two: whoever steals a furnace would surely be either technically competent enough to know if it fake or not. If it’s just some opportunistic Joe who snatches this heavy piece of equipment, wouldn’t they eventually need to unload it on an HVAC installer at some point? Wouldn’t they know it’s “hot”? Who grabs a furnace that weighs so much, and how do you sell it… or was there a big underground market of furnaces getting stolen from construction sites at one time by opportunistic thieves? These days we have security usually around every new development and cameras posted everywhere.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 11:32:30 pm
content: Quotebreak it down for the scrap metal.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 12:34:11 am
content: If you can find a service manual for that model, maybe it will mention something? But my inclination is that it's a fake warning to ward off the most stupid of thieves.Quote from: themadhippy on July 11, 2021, 11:32:30 pmOr part it out and sell the used parts.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 01:42:47 am
content: Apparently it is a target for some thieves, maybe in an office building but I doubt a home thief would bother (unless it is during construction). Once the home is populated there are many other items that are easier to grab and probably worth more.https://www.sobieskiinc.com/blog/6-ways-protect-your-buildings-hvac-unit-theft/

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 01:59:24 am
content: There's definitely a secondhand market for furnaces, just because they're supposed to be professionally installed with permits and whatnot doesn't mean they always are. I've seems few listings that definitely had that "fell off a truck" vibe to them.That said I'll hazard a guess most of these stickers are a bluff, the illusion of surveillance is often enough to solve the problem.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 02:32:32 am
content: Quote from: evb149 on July 11, 2021, 10:15:23 pmAlready been there!About 6 years ago a friend of many years was looking to move and I was "invited" to assist. One place had the owners doing some painting while a HVAC technician had just completed the installation of a new inverter split system -as the previous tenants had removed the old one when they left.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 03:33:41 am
content: It seems things are getting bad everywhere when it comes to theft. The issue is that thieves are protected by the law better than the victims are. Thieves are catching on that they can pretty much get away with it. If you try to stop them you're the one that gets charged for assault.My city has gotten horrible for theft in the past 10 years or so. They will steal anything just for the sake of it. They will cause thousands in damages to steal something they can make 5 bucks off of. Anything to get their fentanyl fix. They've started to do home invasions now too, people have woken up to find out their house was robbed while they slept. Getting scary.The stereotypical idea that we can leave our doors unlocked in Canada sure does not apply where I live!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 06:48:42 am
content: People stole our GPS trackers, so nothing surprises me. When I say GPS tracker, I mean they stole the tracker which had the function to track the object it was attached to, and send it via 3G. Big brains here.

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 09:30:56 am
content: QuoteIn Slovakia (and no doubt almost everywhere else) you have "people" who have literally ripped the rebar from concrete blocks to sell for scrap, ripped the copper tubing from houses for scrap and ripped the wiring for scrap. There are "people" who will for a few EUR worth of booze and drug money cause thousands of EUR worth of damage.And of course there's always your local used-goods and 'fell of the back of a truck' market. Most anything that's worth buying is worth stealing to someone.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 10:16:40 am
content: Quote from: daqq on July 12, 2021, 09:30:56 amI've seen grounding wire for a bench at a train station stolen. It is literally 10 cm of copper cable. The bench's cast iron armrest was giving me a tingle every time a train was passing by.

author: Ground_Loop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 11:47:51 am
content: Here's a fool proof and proven way to send thieves running.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 01:00:48 pm
content: Quote from: edy on July 12, 2021, 01:42:47 amSomeone knocks your door, says they are running a energy efficiency government program, offer you a "free efficiency evaluation", obviously find that your furnice needs to be replaced with a high efficiency one, give you something to sign an "agreement", next day come, dismantle your furnice , load on the truck and drive away, perhaps straight to a scrap metal dealer or HVAC shop to sell for parts.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2021, 06:42:46 pm
content: Never heard of a black market for furnaces, in Canada at least. On the other-hand stripping cars of catalytic converters and airbags is going great guns.