Olsen and Airco are two HVAC brands that currently belong to the ECR International family of heating and cooling brands. Olsen Technologies was originally a Canadian company called DMO Industries that also sold furnaces under the name Airco. In 2000, after over 60 years in the heating industry, Olsen Technologies and the Airco brand were acquired by ECR International.
ECR International’s other brands of heating and cooling equipment include Dunkirk, Argo, and Retroaire. In 2015, a Dutch company, BDR Thermea, acquired ECR International, but ECR’s products continue to be manufactured in North America.
Today, Olsen and Airco primarily specialize in oil-fired furnaces, although Olsen does produce central air conditioners as well. In fact, the Olsen and Airco branded furnaces are identical, so from this point forward, we’ll just use the name Olsen when we mean both.
Olsen’s premium oil furnace is the Universal Series UML/UMLV. These furnaces are high-efficiency, able to achieve up to 87.5% AFUE. Some models meet the requirements for Energy Star certification.
The primary heat exchanger in the Universal Series furnace is a high grade stainless steel drum. This is designed to be extra durable, resisting damage from both extreme temperatures and corrosion.
The secondary heat exchanger consists of aluminized steel tubes with stainless steel turbulators. These can be easily removed and cleaned, and provide a large surface area for heat transfer, maximizing efficiency.
Olsen also produces lowboy, highboy, and multi-position series oil furnaces, some of which also meet Energy Star requirements. An ECM variable speed blower motor is an available option on some models.
As for central air conditioners, Olsen only produces one model—a 13 SEER split system unit. Federal regulations require newly installed split system air conditioners in the Southeastern United States to be at least 14 SEER, so this model wouldn’t be allowed in the Tennessee Valley.
The Olsen 13 SEER air conditioner does use R410a refrigerant, which is ozone-friendly. It comes with a 10 year parts limited warranty.