Oliver’s Frequently Asked Questions

Water and ice in the unit have the same root causes. Dirty drains, filters, coils, low refrigerant, blocked vents, or a defective indoor fan motor can all contribute to ice in a unit.

One culprit could be the dirty water drain that leads to the air conditioner. Since an air conditioners primary job is to remove moisture in the home, a dirty drain could cause a leak. Other times, leaking water comes from ice formed by a dirty filter, dirty indoor coil, blocked vents, low refrigerant or a defective indoor fan motor. Any of these can cause ice to build up on the indoor coil, and water to drip on the floor inside the unit.

Your air conditioner is designed for a 95-degree day and how many BTU’s it takes to cool the home at this outdoor temperature. Older models always operate at 100% capacity, meaning that they deliver all of the cooling they are capable of and use 100% of the electricity to do that, every time. When the temperature is only 70, 80, or 90 degrees, that extra capacity is wasted. Newer models are able to stage the equipment to deliver only the amount of cooling and use only the amount of electricity that is needed based on the outdoor temperature.

Tons is a shorthand phrase that refers to the total cooling capacity of the unit in BTU’s. A 3-, 4-, or 5-ton unit doesn’t refer to the weight of the equipment, but instead to the amount of heat the air conditioner can remove from the home in one hour. The term “tons” stems from a time before air conditioning when people cooled their homes with ice that had been harvested from lakes and rivers in the winter. There’s a complicated mathematical formula involved in converting the weight of that ice into energy, but in the end a “ton” of air conditioning capacity represents roughly 12,000 BTU per hour. So a 2-ton unit has 24,000 BTU/hr capacity and a 3-ton has 36,000 BTU/hr, and so on.

If you already have central air conditioning and have not modified your home since it was installed, it is almost always sized properly to your home. If the size of your home has changed through an addition or other renovations, or you have made enhancements that affect air flow (such as window or door replacements or changes to your insulation), it may be time to have a professional perform a new Heat Load Calculation on your home to assess the proper size air conditioner and heater you will need. If you are installing central air for the first time in your home, you will need a Heat Load Calculation to identify the size.

First, be sure the thermostat is set to “cool” and that the set temperature is well below your existing room temperature. Second, make sure there aren’t any blown fuses or tripped breakers. If this is the problem, simply reset the breaker or replace the fuse. If it continues to be a problem, you should consider modifying your electrical. Third, make sure the power switch is turned on and that the outdoor condenser’s power switch (mounted on the outdoor unit) hasn’t been turned off. Also be sure the 240-volt disconnect next to the compressor (usually in a metal box mounted on the house wall) hasn’t been shut off. If you have checked these items above and your air conditioner is still not cooling, call (888) 810-2681 or request an appointment online.

Adjust the registers in the room where too much heat/cooling is present so that the registers are partially closed. For example, to get more heat upstairs during the winter, close the registers downstairs to force more airflow to the registers upstairs. Another possible solution is a furnace equipped with a variable speed blower motor. These furnaces are designed to overcome airflow problems and keep the airflow steady throughout the entire house. These types of furnaces can also save money in operating costs.

Always have your system checked annually to make sure that the unit is safe. In many cases, tiny cracks or perforations in the heat exchanger can occur. If your furnace is burning inefficiently or incompletely, carbon monoxide can escape and fill the house causing serious health problems and/or death to those inside.

You should at least cover the top of the condensing unit so no debris can get in (people usually do this with a piece of plywood and something to hold it down). This will also help to protect against damage from falling ice and rodents from entering your unit. Any cover, however, must be removed before the start of operations the following spring.

Yes. There should be a disconnect in your panel box or at the outside unit. By turning it off over the winter, you will save energy. However, when you turn it on again in the spring or summer, do it at least 24 hours before turning on the cooling unit to give the oil time to warm and lubricate the essential parts upon startup.

An air conditioning system consists of 2 parts: an outdoor unit (where liquid refrigerant is contained) and an indoor coil (where the refrigerant is pumped into). As the air moves across the air conditioning coil, the refrigerant removes the heat and moisture from the air by condensing it on the cold surface of the coil. Thus, an air conditioner not only cools, but also dehumidifies the air.

This is a good idea for a number of reasons. A cleaning means that your furnace will operate more efficiently, and thus, cost effectively. The cleaning also includes a thorough safety check of the entire unit for cracked, defective or damaged parts; if your parts are damaged, carbon monoxide could be leaking into your home without you even knowing it.

Adjust the registers on the wall or floor in the room where too much heat/cooling is present so that the registers are partially closed. For example, to get more heat upstairs during the winter, partially or fully close the registers downstairs to force more airflow to the registers upstairs. Another possible solution is a furnace equipped with a variable speed blower motor. These furnaces are designed to overcome airflow problems in a home, thus keeping the airflow steady throughout the entire house. These types of furnaces can also save considerable amounts of money in operating costs.

We recommend 55 degrees. It’s low enough to save you energy and money but warm enough to protect your pipes and other vital parts of your structure.

You should change your standard furnace filter every 6-8 weeks. Use your own judgment as to when to change it, but don’t let the filter get clogged, as this can cut down on the efficiency and/or cause damage to the unit.

A standard 1″ throw-away furnace filter is between 5-10% particle efficient. This means these filters will only trap about 5-10% of what passes through them. You can improve the efficiency of the filtration of your heating and/or cooling system by upgrading to either a media or electronic style filter. A media style filter’s particle removal efficiency is 60-65%, while an electronic style filter is 90-95%. By upgrading to either of these styles, you will also cut down on maintenance costs on the system since dirty systems are the #1 cause for malfunction.

A two-stage furnace operates on two stages: low and high, which have preset BTU outputs. On most days, the furnace will operate at the low stage to only provide the heat you need to stay comfortable. On very cold days, however, this furnace will use the high stage and give the full BTU output of the furnace to produce more heat for the home.

Have your system checked annually for tiny cracks or perforations caused by the heat exchange. If you don’t, and your furnace is burning inefficiently or incompletely, carbon monoxide can escape and fill the house, causing serious health problems, and potentially death, to occupants of the home.

If the pipes have frozen and burst, a plumber can fix them. If the pipes are frozen but have not burst, a plumber can remedy them by applying a heat gun to thaw them. For an interim solution, a homeowner could use a hair dryer to start the thawing process. A plumber’s main role and concern in this situation is to identify and fix the problem that caused the pipes to freeze. Check out our blog “Winter Vs. Your Pipes” for more information about frozen pipes.

In order to clear drains, plumbers carry sewer machines. Smaller drains, like those in sinks, can usually be cleared with a plunger. We also have video cameras to look inside piping and determine the cause of a clog, however, we very rarely use chemicals in drains as these are acidic and can cause damage to piping and sink finishes.

Plumbers know many different ways to increase water pressure. In 95% of cases, we can supply solutions to increase water pressure in a home to acceptable levels. Plumbers can also fix high pressure situations, which can cause serious damage to a home’s entire plumbing system.

Finding leaks is mainly a visual process: a plumber will inspect all of your pipes for leaks and may use a dye test kit to identify a leak in a toilet. We offer FREE dye test kits as a courtesy to our customers, just give us a call or use the Schedule Appointment form to let us know you would like one.

A wide range of particulate matter can be in your home’s air including dust, pollen, animal hair and dander, dust mites, mold spores, cooking grease, smoke, bacteria, viruses and other respiratory diseases. These types of contaminants won’t affect all people, but they can affect some pretty seriously.

Yes. The average home generates 40 pounds of dust for every 1500 square feet of space. While regular home cleaning is an excellent measure to reduce exposure to irritants and pollutants, it is simply impossible to remove enough of the material by hand to make your home’s air as healthy as it can be.

Whole-home air cleaners are designed to fit perfectly within your total home comfort system. Unlike many air cleaners that are situated in a single room of the house, a whole home air cleaners is installed directly into your ductwork and works in conjunction with your heating and cooling system. It operates out of sight of most living spaces, and provides up to 99.98% cleaner air throughout your entire home.

Filters should generally be replaced every month when the system is running. Replace filters with the same kind and size as the original filter. If your filter is not disposable, follow the manufacturer instructions for cleaning. Failure to clean or replace the filter can negatively impact the performance and life of your equipment, as well as your indoor air quality.

Your air filter should be located in either the blower compartment of the furnace in an attached filter case, or in a return air grille in a wall or ceiling of your home. If you cannot find the air filter, or if you need to purchase filters, contact Oliver for assistance.

Our Membership provides true Peace of Mind when your heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical equipment has been inspected to keep it running safely and efficiently all year long. Annual inspections and testing by our professional technicians helps to identify issues before they become unexpected problems or expensive repairs.

In one year, your heating and cooling units can run for as many 2,000 hours. When you neglect them, you pay a hefty price in wasted fuel, shortened equipment life, and inconvenient and expensive breakdowns. Having your equipment regularly tuned-up results in fewer service problems, lower energy bills, a safer system, and valid warranties.

Oliver maintenance plan customers are always taken care of first! If you find yourself without any heating or cooling and call us by 12:00 pm, we will respond the same day.

Membership customers will not pay residential overtime charges.

Yes, using our hassle-free credit card payment plan, you can spread out the annual cost of your maintenance plan and have your credit card billed monthly. (We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.)

It’s simple. Call our office at (888) 810-2681 and speak to one of our service representatives. Office hours are Monday – Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Saturday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Sunday: 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.