Repairmen in your home: advice?

[hso]

A christmas tree, refrigerator, or freezer packing box could camouflage the safe cleverly, but a canvas painter's tarp and a couple of paint cans could do the same with less hassle. As to the reloading bench, I assume you don't leave your powder and primers just sitting out in the open so a box over the reloader can hide it effectively as well.

The advice to get a well respected company is good insurance against being cased for robbery as well.

 

[twofifty]

Instead of a tarp or sheet, you could prop a couple sheets of plywood up against the safe; makes it look like materials casually stored there.

 

[bainter1212]

I am an appliance repairman by trade (10 yrs experience, own the business).
I would recommend picking a FACTORY AUTHORIZED service company. These companies are required to be licensed and insured. The insurance companies require background checks and drug test of all technicians once a year. At least that is what I have to do.

A company that is factory authorized (for whatever brand AC you have) will have all of these protections in place. "Shade tree" Bob might not. You can guess which one is cheaper.....but you get what you pay for.

 

[Derry 1946]

This sounds like a problem that may recur. You might consider reconfiguring so that access to your breaker box does not require access to your safe and gun setup. Meantime, you could bang together a plywood shed around the safe. Probably take less than an hour. The downside of a giant gun safe is that it is a bit of an advertisement. Not so a humble plywood shed. Just my two cents. Good luck with the AC.

 

[oneounceload]

If this a typical AC unit - there will be a disconnect outside by the heat exchanger and one inside by the air handler - he shouldn't need to use your breaker box in the garage

 

[dogrunner]

While the co. you deal with might be reputable and insured that does not mean one damn thing if that tech. happens to mention that nice gun collection he saw on todays job. All he has to do is mention it to some lowlife in a bar or in casual conversation and you are compromised. Saw it many, many times and I know it is a real probability.........probably follows the kids good buddys in terms of incidence.

I was a LEO for over three decades and I can assure you that anytime I have to allow someone inside my home my stuff is concealed! Frankly, you are a fool if you do otherwise.

 

[itsa pain]

I if it was me I would cover it all. Do you not remember the govt telling all repair men cable guys meter readers etc if you see something that is suspicious dial 1-800 I am a rat. fooling about the number but the program exists and I saw the commercials for it many times

 

[herrwalther]

When I lived in an apartment, everything was serviced by a maintenance fellow kept on staff by the landlord. HVAC repaid, ceiling fan fix etc. My safe was right there in the living room, to the immediate left against the far wall from the front door. I put folded down cardboard boxes in front whenever the tech came by. By the third or fourth time he came over I found out he hunted, shot, reloaded etc. As did I. The look of surprise on his face because he had never "seen" my safe or reloading bench was priceless, even though the HVAC was probably 20 feet from the safe.

 

[chicharrones]

I know a few repairmen that have concealed carry permits, including myself.

Most of us repairmen are normal law abiding people, but it is always wise to be wary of anyone. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a good policy when it comes to your guns or anything else like bills, credit info, etc. Whether it's to protect from a repairman, friends, or family.

 

[chicharrones]

A company that is factory authorized (for whatever brand AC you have) will have all of these protections in place. "Shade tree" Bob might not. You can guess which one is cheaper.....but you get what you pay for.

For the times when a self employed contractor is hired, I always take a photo of his drivers license and look up where he lives. Calling references is a prerequisite, too. I'm pretty sure you're right about insurance though. I doubt ol' shade tree Bob is insured or even licensed, but I don't use ol' shade tree for anything but construction type work.

 

[Sav .250]

Most codes call for a "breaker" for the ac to be outside, adjacent to the unit.

I understand the main breaker in the garage.

 

[Geno]

I don't intend for my post to sound "offensive", or "harsh". NOBODY is allowed to enter my residence unless I am present to confirm their identify, allow them entrance, supervise their time there, and walk them politely to the door. During the entire time, I do carry open. Disagree if you want. Or simply do as you want.

My justification is as follows: My property; my firearms; my liability. Most important, I have to be able to live with myself in the eventuality that my firearm(s) ever are stolen and subsequently used unlawfully. I have to be able to live with my conscience. That means doing all that I can do, to safeguard my property, me and society at large. Is that over-protection? Nope. Paranoid? Nope. Vigilant...responsible.

Geno

 

[witchhunter]

I have a blanket over my safe at all times, because it is in my garage. I went to a friend's house the other day and his safe was in the garage too. It was visible from the street when I pulled up. I was kinda shocked how much it stood out.

 

[mgmorden]

If the stuff is in the garage, doesn't everyone walking or driving by get a good look every time the overhead door opens?

No - my garage is separated into two rooms via a partition/wall. The inner partition is for gun stuff and the outer partition is for other tools (lawnmower, weedeater,saws, etc). I never have the door between the two sections opened if the outside door is opened.

Anyways - thanks for the advice guys. My dad actually has a guy he has worked with and I've met a few times that I trust. I know he's and avid hunter himself so I'm going to try and get him out. If that falls through I'll just cover the stuff.

Thanks again!

 

[double bogey]

40 plus year ac tech and company owner. That box by the unit is usually a disconnect, not a breaker. It's going to be the luck of the draw as to the nature of the tech that comes to your house. If he finds no power at the unit, he is going to need to look at the breaker.

Earlier in my career I did more residential than I do now, but I have seen everything in peoples houses. At times it has been unbelievable. Everything from a naked college girl who wasn't supposed to come home til the weekend, to drugs openly out on coffee tables. The best place I've went to was a large trophy room probably 1500 sq. ft. with stuff from the arctic, and Africa. Very nice fella told me about all of them.

 

[Captcurt]

Trip the breaker yourself and he won't need to go in your garage.

This. If the outside unit doesn't have a disconnect outside. Most do.

 

[oneounceload]

There IS a disconnect outside and inside at the air handler
Stop overthinking this
place a blanket over the safe or shut the door
The repairman has NO need to use your breaker box

 

[Steve CT]

Very interesting, yesterday I had the ComCast/xfinity installer in my home, and one place he was working was in "my room" where the reloading bench and safe are. He could not have cared less, but did ask if reloading really saved me any money. He commented on the classic Musclecar die cast collection displayed on some book shelves.

 

[303load]

I wouldn't over think it. Ya gotta safe. Gee whiz

 

[Tactical Lever]

For the times when a self employed contractor is hired, I always take a photo of his drivers license and look up where he lives. Calling references is a prerequisite, too. I'm pretty sure you're right about insurance though. I doubt ol' shade tree Bob is insured or even licensed, but I don't use ol' shade tree for anything but construction type work.

Good practice, I like to record an ID when I do a transaction as well. Nice to know that they are who they say they are if a problem ever arises.

 

[Trent]

Very interesting, yesterday I had the ComCast/xfinity installer in my home, and one place he was working was in "my room" where the reloading bench and safe are. He could not have cared less, but did ask if reloading really saved me any money.

I had a ComCast guy out running a new line at our old rental house a decade ago. We'd got to talking about shooting (my garage at the time was my reloading area and I had enough stuff there was no "concealing" a damn thing, sheets or no sheets lol).

Anyway two days after the service call he dropped back by the house after work and dropped off two HUGE bags of 40 S&W brass once fired (for free) and an application for a private range / club.

10 years later I'm the secretary of that club, run rifle matches there, teach concealed carry there, and do the chief range safety officer bit.

Don't discount what random encounters can provide your life, as far as quality of life improvements.

But don't be naive about things, there are bad folks and you've got to separate and identify them.

Spend 5-10 minutes BS'ing with the repairman and you'll find out what sort of character they have. Then act accordingly.

 

[Tactical Lever]

I had a ComCast guy out running a new line at our old rental house a decade ago. We'd got to talking about shooting (my garage at the time was my reloading area and I had enough stuff there was no "concealing" a damn thing, sheets or no sheets lol).

Anyway two days after the service call he dropped back by the house after work and dropped off two HUGE bags of 40 S&W brass once fired (for free) and an application for a private range / club.

10 years later I'm the secretary of that club, run rifle matches there, teach concealed carry there, and do the chief range safety officer bit.

Don't discount what random encounters can provide your life, as far as quality of life improvements.

But don't be naive about things, there are bad folks and you've got to separate and identify them.

Spend 5-10 minutes BS'ing with the repairman and you'll find out what sort of character they have. Then act accordingly.

For sure. Have to wonder how big the safe is if its in the garage? Some of those are nearly a small car!

You can never underestimate the value of simple human interaction. If someone is in my place working on something, they will at least have me look over their shoulder from time to time and get some beverages. Usually has a bearing on the quality of work, or willingness to follow up.

 

[Trent]

For sure. Have to wonder how big the safe is if its in the garage? Some of those are nearly a small car!

I *almost* had my 3600 lb Graffunder installed in the garage. Would have cost me 1/5 as much to have it delivered there, than the basement.



But I wanted the convenience of it in the reloading room in the basement; and with my garage unheated/uncooled, the temp swings and humidity in the garage would have added a LOT of time to maintenance of guns (rust prevention).

So that fellow planned it out with great precision and selected a delivery mode that he could get through my (not easy to navigate) yard to the basement sliding door.



I have *never* in my life witnessed such precision of work, or attention to detail. The guy who delivered it was a consummate professional - no detail was overlooked and he managed to get it done - and quickly - without a hiccup.

But man it sure cost me! $2600 for that delivery job.

Was worth every penny though, even if it did have to go on a home equity line of credit to afford the extra expense. (I justified / rationalized this as "that safe will never leave this house" - if we move some day, it will be part of the closing, with those costs figured in.)

I could have saved a lot of money and had it dropped in the garage; and in a different time and day, WOULD have.

If I were renting? LOL! Would have gone in the garage without a second thought.

If I didn't have a zero-grade on the basement back wall with a sliding door access large enough to accomodate the move? Would have landed in the garage.

Lots of reasons folks have to choose the garage.

 

[tango2echo]

I run an Electrical Contracting business that primary does large residential custom homes and multi-million dollar beach houses. We only hire quality help and most of the guys are certified gun nuts. We have seen it all over the years from nudist to meth labs to human filth to things you cannot imagine. Sometimes the house is just camouflage for what is really inside.

The best advise I can give you is to hire a contractor that has a Journeyman card or License. Those test are not easy for a reason and it weeds out some of the undesirables. Our local test has a 86% fail rate for the 1st attempt.

Most likely, as mentioned above, the guys just want to get done as quickly as possible and keep moving. I would not worry too much about it.

T2E

 

[bangswitch]

I'd known my HVAC guy for several years, since he had installed a new system in my rental house. When he came to replace the old system in my house, he saw my loading bench in the garage; he asked what I loaded for, and then we got to talking about shooting. Next thing I know, he invites me over to his place, where he's got a private range where he can shoot 300 yards. Found out he is also an NRA instructor, as am I, and now we teach classes together.