The current and rising price of scrap copper and brass has seen an escalation in common thieves taking advantage of the loot on offer across the city. These thieves can easily cash in the copper and brass as scrap metal to most bottle deposit centres and walk away with the cash.

Although in most cases the cash outcomes are minor for the brazen thieves in comparison to the interruption to water and gas supply and the damage caused to your business premise, requiring very urgent attention to repairs and in some cases extensive re-piping of the of Cold, Hot and Gas supply piping.

So, what can you do to minimise the potential of this happening to you? Read on. There are some easy DIY solutions and more extensive upgrade options for you to consider.

• If you’re selling your property and have a For Sale sign out the front, this would be the prime time for the copper to go missing. Ideally in this instance keep the gardens tidy, lawns mowed and the letter box free of a build of mail. If possible, a car in the carport. This will be enough to deter these creepy criminals.
• Secondly, as these thieves work at night make sure you have a good quality sensor light in your front yard, that turns on the moment someone comes near your beloved house. This will be enough to move them on as they don’t want to be seen. In addition to this, a security camera will enhance this deterrence. The last thing they want is their ugly mug on film to be hand-delivered to the local Police station.

Along with the above the following will also assist in keeping your house safe. Lock your gates at night. You can paint all exposed copper piping to blend in with the house. It may be overlooked by the scrap thieves casing properties in your area. Or we can assist you to re-route the copper piping (This is generally the last option taken)

Also in high-traffic areas, where the option to run piping underground is not possible, we have had success in the past with installing Colourbond sheet metal shrouds to protect and conceal the piping. This last option is usually taken after a property has been targeted in a commercial situation where the unfortunate property owner has been targeted multiple times.

We hope this information has helped you and made you aware of this growing issue occurring across the city. Don’t let yourself be the victim of these petty thieves.

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