North Carolina Summer AC Report
Original 2026 AC service-call research by David Kinne for Davidson Heating & Air, covering Charlotte, Lake Norman, Kannapolis, and Concord from June 1 to September 18, 2026.
By David Kinne. Published September 29, 2026. Davidson Heating & Air technicians logged AC service and maintenance calls across Charlotte, Lake Norman, Kannapolis, and Concord from June 1 to September 18, 2026. These findings describe our service calls, not every AC in North Carolina. Exact call volumes and customer details are withheld.
The season at a glance
19.6% of all calls involved refrigerant leak or low charge; 13.4% involved compressor failure; 12.2% involved condensate or drain problems. 75.0% of problems were fixed in one visit. The average age at major failure was 9.3 years. 1.4% of calls ended in a replacement quote.
Why the phone rang: shares of all service calls
| Technician-assigned category | Share of all calls |
|---|---|
| Refrigerant leak / low charge | 19.6% |
| Compressor failure | 13.4% |
| Drain line / condensate / float switch | 12.2% |
| Blower / fan motor failure | 8.9% |
| Transformer / fuse / electrical | 7.8% |
| Control board failure | 7.3% |
| Capacitor failure | 7.3% |
| Other / unspecified | 6.3% |
| Coil issue (evaporator / condenser) | 4.7% |
| Thermostat issue | 3.3% |
| Contactor / relay failure | 3.0% |
| Ductwork / airflow | 2.8% |
| Compressor/system replacement or install | 2.4% |
| No issue found / routine service | 0.9% |
Percentages are rounded and may not sum to exactly 100%. Refrigerant leaks and compressor failures together represented 33.0% of calls. AC runs but does not cool; AC repair.
Warning signs behind the most common calls
Refrigerant leak / low charge
Constant running without enough cooling, ice on the indoor coil or copper lines, hissing or bubbling, or higher electricity use without better comfort. Refrigerant does not get used up. A low charge requires a professional leak diagnosis.
Compressor failure
Warm air despite a running outdoor fan, loud humming or clicking before shutdown, or a breaker that trips during startup. The compressor is a major component. Get a diagnosis before deciding whether repair or replacement makes sense.
Drain line / condensate backup
Intermittent shutdown, water near the indoor unit, musty odors, or ceiling stains below attic equipment. A float switch may shut the system down to prevent an overflow.
Blower / fan motor failure
Weak airflow, burning smell from a vent, or uneven cooling despite the outdoor unit running. Airflow can diminish before the motor stops altogether.
Transformer / fuse / electrical
A blank thermostat, no response to a cooling call, or a sudden stop without noise. An electrical diagnosis identifies the failed component; do not open energized equipment.
Control board failure
A system that fails to start, starts intermittently, or displays unfamiliar status lights. Board diagnostics depend on the equipment and involve electrical hazards.
Capacitor failure
Outdoor-unit humming without fan movement, short cycling, or a fan that hesitates on startup. Capacitors can retain a dangerous charge even with power off.
Coil issues
Ice on the indoor coil or refrigerant lines, declining airflow, or an outdoor coil coated in debris. Turn off a frozen system and call for service. For exterior dirt, switch power off before gently rinsing the outdoor coil.
Symptoms overlap. Request a professional diagnosis; do not work on energized equipment or pressurized refrigerant. Service agreement details.
Refrigerant mix among refrigerant-related jobs naming a refrigerant
| Refrigerant | Share of named refrigerant jobs |
|---|---|
| R-410A | 74% |
| R-454B | 10% |
| R-32 | 9% |
| R-22 | 7% |
R-454B and R-32 accounted for 19% of this refrigerant-related subset, not 19% of all calls or of installed equipment. Federal rules moved most new residential central equipment to lower-GWP refrigerants starting in 2025, subject to transition provisions. Existing R-410A equipment remains serviceable. U.S. production and import of R-22 ended in 2020, but recovered or reclaimed supplies can service existing systems. EPA technology transitions; EPA R-22 phaseout.
When calls came in
| Month | Share of observed calls |
|---|---|
| June | 28% |
| July | 34% |
| August | 22% |
| September (through the 18th) | 16% |
September was partial, through September 18. July accounted for the largest share of observed calls. Summer HVAC preparation guide.
What equipment age did, and did not, tell us
Equipment with a major compressor, board, coil or refrigerant circuit failure averaged 9.3 years. Equipment seen for routine maintenance without a complaint averaged 9.9 years. These separate subsets do not establish lifetime failure risk or causation. North Carolina AC repair cost guide.
Observed service patterns on existing equipment by brand
| Brand | Return visits per customer | Average age at major failure |
|---|---|---|
| Goodman | 1.28 | 10.6 years |
| Carrier | 1.04 | 9.8 years |
| Trane | 1.41 | 12.9 years |
| Amana | 1.00 | 6.0 years |
| Lennox | 1.16 | Insufficient legible age data |
| Daikin | 1.25 | 6.4 years |
| Gree | 1.83 | Insufficient legible age data |
These are only service calls from our customers. Return visits are not brand-wide failure rates. Major-failure age requires legible, documented date codes. Sample sizes vary and some are small or unavailable. This is not a reliability ranking, market-share comparison or endorsement.
Methodology and limitations
Technician work orders dated June 1 to September 18, 2026 were grouped by stated problem and repair notes. Equipment age was estimated only with documented manufacturer date codes and legible nameplates. Figures are shares, rates or averages; call volumes, customer names, addresses and business identities are withheld. This observational sample is not a random sample of North Carolina equipment or a certified fleet-wide failure study. Repeat visits and different job types may affect the figures. Age, month, refrigerant and brand comparisons use different subsets and different denominators.
Source and citation
David Kinne, “North Carolina Summer AC Report” (2026), Davidson Heating & Air, Lexington, North Carolina. Original research: https://www.davhvac.com/north-carolina-summer-ac-report/. Cite these aggregated findings with a link to this report.