During the summer months a widely overlooked security vulnerability in the home is something that is hiding in plain sight — and especially noticeable to a burglar.
One potentially easy way that a burglar may gain access to your home is through the window after pushing in the window air-conditioner on the 1st-floor.
When the weather warms up, the window air-conditioners are installed. How many of you have at least one window air-conditioner on the 1st floor of your home?
Have you ever thought about how easy it might be for a burglar to push/force in a window air-conditioner unit and gain entry to your home when you’re away?
Here’s what you can do about it:
Most window air-conditioners are simply installed and held in place by gravity, tucked behind the window sash which keeps them from falling out – maybe with a few small screws holding the accordion side-panels in place. That’s it.
Many people don’t even install a single support screw into the window sash itself because the air conditioner holds itself in place by gravity and its downward force against the window sash.
So, what can you do to better secure your window air-conditioner?
Secure the top mounting rail into the window sash
At least install a screw through the air-conditioner’s top mounting rail into the window sash. Most window air conditioners include a drilled-out hole in the top center to accommodate this.
Consider drilling additional holes through the same top mounting rail to accommodate more screws into the lower window sash (see illustration below).
Install window frame locks
(Sliding Window Lock, Window Stop, Window Restrictor)
To prevent the burglar from pushing and forcing up the window to reach in underneath and shove the air conditioner (even with the A/C unit attached and screwed to the sash – although difficult), install window frame locks which prevent this motion…
Depending on the style of your window, you might consider something like this:
Vinyl Window Lock
‘Do It Yourself’ Window Lock:
Another thought: While the air conditioner is mounted in the window you might simply measure the distance from the top of the lower window frame to the very top of the double-hung frame itself, and then cut a wooden dowel to snugly fit – which can be wedged to prohibit the window from opening further…
Another clever idea is a window wedge (Window Wedge) – if your window accommodates it.
After reading about the (Window Wedge), you might not need to use the Velcro… if there’s enough ‘gap’ you might simply insert the wedge which may hold itself in place (I have not tried this). The product is designed to keep a window from opening for child safety, although it should perform equally well when inserted (wedged) at the height with the A/C installed…
Stick-on Window Alarm
Here’s a great product that will absolutely deter a would-be burglar. The second they begin to force open the window, this cleverly designed window-alarm will alert (based on motion/vibration sensing). It’s just about 3-inches in diameter and ‘sticks’ onto the window inside. It has an ‘off’ switch for your convenience when opening the window yourself…
Doberman Security Ultra-Slim Window Alarm
Stick-on Burglar Alarm Security Window Sticker Decal
Deterrence! On the window with the air conditioner, install a burglar alarm window decal on a window panel where it will be plainly visible. This alone may be enough to prevent a break-in as the burglar may move along to an easier target.
6 Pack Security Alarm Stickers Indoor/Outdoor
The accordion side panels
Depending on the width of the window air conditioner, the ‘accordion’ side panels may be extended fairly wide, or maybe not. This is an obvious weak point of entry for a burglar to punch through and gain leverage to shoving the air conditioner itself.
While the aforementioned suggestions will slow down or deter a burglar (likely to the extent of giving up – because they’re looking for a quick way in without attracting attention), all you can do about the accordion panels is to fashion and attach/secure/bracket your own wooden side panels to the window frame itself. This involves some basic do-it-yourself skills and is not for everyone…
Ultimately, you are not going to stop a determined burglar, but you will probably stop the majority of amateur burglars who are looking for quick and easy entry. If one of them happens to pick your home because they see a window air-conditioner hanging out of a 1st-floor window, when they give it a hard push and it doesn’t budge, they will probably move on…
If the burglar pulls or pushes on the air conditioner while attempting to lift the window sash, it will not readily come out so long as you have taken the precautions mentioned above.
Additionally or alternatively, consider removing any 1st-floor window air-conditioners when going on an extended vacation. A few minutes effort may be worth it…
Mine is screw mounted. A burglar would cause a lot of noise breaking my window for my dogs would be barking at him to donate blood as soon as he gets inside.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than watching a thief/burglar coming into my house thru a window, air conditioner in place or not. But I do fear that discharging my Ruger 44 mag. in a closed up room would hurt my ears so I better limit my response to just one cylinder of 6 rounds. I just hope that the crime scene investigators clean up the mess after I am finished and they are finished. This is where I stand on thieves and their type.
Burglars don’t come when you’re home.
lol…..apparently you never heard of home invasions?
don’t be mad
You could plant thorny bushes… rose bushes, blackberry bushes etc. just below your windows… I don’t think they would be interested in struggling with thorns, air conditioners and the like to get in…
unless they really want in… and if they REALLY want in?
Then, chances are they know what you have. Why would they know what you have?
Loose Lips Sink Ships. “I’m broke” is a great way to deter people…
another is, “I do the best I can with what little I have” its another great comment… Nothing from nothing leaves nothing…
This makes me think of sliding glass doors.. take a stick, almost the length of the track and lay it down in the track with the door closed. Even if they get the door open – the stick will still stop them from opening it the whole way… If the thief really wants in – they will break the glass… if they are just shopping door to door, and they can’t get yours open quickly… hopefully they will move along.
Having pushed the AC out of the window myself (locked out) I can say it took all of 30 seconds. Now I put a dowel so the window can’t be pushed and a couple of screw type hooks so that it can’t be pushed forward.
The slider – I had a friend many years ago drill 2 holes spaced apart and I put a nail through and it anchors the door. You have to be careful and drill at the top and not through the glass! Drill clear through the top and into the track.
I did all the same things you did but also added an additional measure. I put four heavy/long wood screws into the framing then several layers of a decent gauge wire across the inside portion of the AC.
The screws are covered by a window sash. The wire can be seen but I don’t care about looks. Not foolproof but with the other measures in place it would take a burglar a little longer and a lot more work to get in. This would also give more warning for me to fully armed and ready to rock and roll.
I have a small high window that got broken, put the A/C in there, perfect width (threw the accordion side thingys away!) and built it into the window with lumber and plywood. I would have a heck of a time (probably have to rip out and rebuild the whole thing!) if I ever needed to replace the A/C!
I don’t plant thorny things next to the house, invites bugs, rodents etc. I keep it very clear, I will see you, there is nothing to hide behind next to the house. You will also not find a way in short of breaking the window or kicking down the door, and boy will that set off the barking!
aka…You can also just drill through both sides of the track, put a nail in and the door will still slide but will stop at that point!
Thanks, good idea and no worry about drilling into the glass. My friend drilled 2 holes – one at either end and I think that a smart person could get to the first one but not the 2nd.
Oh, also looking back, I think that I wanted o be able to leave the slider open a few inches for the cat when I went on vacation.
Our window units are upstairs at the backside of the house. In an urban area about 20 miles away, thieves are stealing the ac units.
To No Joke:
I fired my 38 revolver at a person within the confines of an automobile cab after he pulled a 9mm on me. (i was working as a uniform patrol officer back then.) I had 15% high frequency hearing loss at that time, these days I have constant tinnitus and am going to go in for hearing aides someday soon.
I yell and talk loud a lot these days just like my uncle did (he worked on an artillery battery while serving in the Korean Conflict with the US Army.) I always thought he was mad at me. He just yelled a lot because he was partially deaf.
I like the low velocity boom of a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun firing a load of buckshot at close range. It does the same job with possibly less hearing damage within a confined space. In the meantime, I just shout out :”huh?” or “WHAT?” a lot when I am out in public. At my age, I’m the stereotypical senior citizen with major high-frequency hearing loss.
location location location 1st and foremost if you have opsec that is that bad you best get moving. Remember living in Lewisville, Texas (North Dallas Suburb) in the 90s we had 2 subdivisions one had greenspace very few backyard fences the other had wall to wall backyard fences, the perps prayed on the one with high fences as they hid their home shopping efforts, in which they must have laughed at the great efforts home owners put into security doors and barred windows, their trick was to take a large rock or concrete block wrapped in a moving blanket or sleeping bag and heave it through the sliding glass back door and were in the house in a flash. The thought here should be situational awarness overall not just one aspect. In my law enforcement experience (never came across a incident of a entry by removing a AC unit) was the perps look for easy, FAST, entry ands pushing or removing any window air conditioner is not as easy as it sounds.
I agree fully that a break-in via pushing through a window with a portable A/C is not ideal (or easy) for a burglar, although I’m simply putting out the notion of possibility for yet another means to better secure one’s home.
Previously I had written about the 3 Ways A Burglar Breaks In, 80% Of The Time
Sorry Ken, did not mean to pick on the article, just the mindset, that most of us get into at one time or another, the micro versus the macro……we all need to do our best with what we have, where we are at………but if there was ever a moment to reflect on a change of landscape and get our feet moving to a better “Redoubt” the time is here
Another defense item.that has mucho potential is a garden spray bottle with an adjustable spray tip filled with pure Ammonia it is 10 times more potent then pepper spray (law enforcement has to use non lethal sprays) A stream of Ammonia hitting a person will incapacitate them in several ways, they will suffer severe pain, in the eyes, their breathing will be highly impared, let alone the burning sensation will also add to the discomfort. When I was a shooting instructor there were a few who just could never be comfortable with a firearm so I would suggest this as a stand in measure and from people who have had a encounter with a perp and used the ammonia it worked beyond what I can write here, also since it is a common household item it is not classified like a knife or firearm, something to consider from a liability lawsuit standpoint.
Great idea! I keep wasp spray randomly placed around my house too.
How do you keep them from stealing the air conditioning window unit itself?
They took both of my air conditioners!!!! Got in through the back window and walked in through the window and took the 2nd one. My brother put dowels to keep the windows from opening. Hope that works.