This article provides general educational information about HVAC maintenance, equipment costs, and energy programs for North Carolina homeowners. It is not tax advice, legal advice, financial advice, or a professional assessment of your specific system. Tax rules, rebate programs, utility rates, and court cases change. The lawsuits described below contain allegations that have not been proven. Confirm current program rules with the program administrator and tax questions with a tax professional.
Keep air moving freely across clean components, and keep moisture out of the system. In practice that means changing the filter on schedule, keeping the coil, blower, and drain pan clean, sealing and insulating ducts that run through the attic or crawl space, and having the equipment inspected once a year. EPA says some research suggests that cleaning cooling coils, fans, and heat exchangers may improve efficiency and lengthen operating life, and that little evidence exists that cleaning only the ducts does the same. This matters more in 2026 because replacing a system lost its federal subsidy. The 25C tax credit, worth up to $2,000 on a qualifying heat pump, does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. Equipment pricing is the subject of several federal antitrust lawsuits whose claims are unproven, and Duke Energy’s proposed settlements would raise residential rates starting in January 2027. Air Flow Solutions USA, a family-owned, fully insured company serving the Carolinas, starts with an inspection and a written estimate so a homeowner can see which of those items a system actually needs.
For three years, the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) returned 30% of the cost of a qualifying heat pump, up to $2,000, with smaller amounts for central air conditioners and furnaces. The law signed on July 4, 2025 terminated it for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. “Placed in service” is the controlling date. A system installed and running in 2026 earns no 25C credit, whenever it was ordered or paid for.
Key Fact: The federal Section 25C credit, which covered 30% of a qualifying heat pump up to $2,000, does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. A homeowner whose qualifying system was running by that date can still claim it on a 2025 return.
On March 20, 2026, a proposed class action was filed in federal court in Michigan against seven large HVAC manufacturers: Bosch, Carrier, Daikin, Lennox, Rheem, Trane, and AAON. It alleges that the companies coordinated price increases beginning in January 2020. More suits followed. By mid-May, trade publication The ACHR News counted at least six, including cases brought by contractors, and one filing asks the court to combine several of them. One complaint alleges that the conduct left systems about 8% more expensive than a competitive market would have produced.
Three cautions belong next to those facts. These are allegations, and nothing has been proven. The manufacturers have said they will fight the cases. And antitrust law treats competitors independently matching each other’s prices as legal; the plaintiffs have to show an actual agreement. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America told its members to explain it to customers in the same terms: the suits are at an early stage, and no refund is available to anyone today.
What a homeowner can take from this is modest. Prices rose sharply after 2020, the reasons are disputed, and nobody should plan a purchase around a court outcome that may be years away.
Since January 1, 2025, new residential air conditioners and heat pumps have had to use refrigerants with a lower global warming potential, mainly R-454B and R-32, in place of R-410A. The older rule also set January 1, 2026 as the last day to install leftover R-410A equipment. In May 2026 EPA finalized a rule removing that installation deadline for systems whose components were made or imported before January 1, 2025. The change took effect in late July, so remaining R-410A inventory can be installed until it runs out.
Two points matter for an existing system. An R-410A system can still be repaired and recharged; nothing requires replacing it. And EPA did not change the national phasedown of HFC production, which steps down again in 2029, so R-410A for service calls may cost more later in the decade.
Duke Energy filed rate cases for both of its North Carolina utilities in November 2025. Over the summer it reached proposed settlements with the Utilities Commission’s Public Staff.
The Utilities Commission’s deadline to rule was September 20, 2026. The figures above are from the proposed settlements. Check the commission’s order or your bill insert for the final numbers.
| What changed | When | What it means for a homeowner |
| 🔴 Federal 25C credit ended | Equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025 | Up to $2,000 less help on a heat pump |
| 🟡 Price-fixing lawsuits filed | First suit March 20, 2026; at least six by mid-May | Allegations only; no refunds, no timeline |
| 🟡 R-410A installation deadline removed | Final rule May 2026, effective late July | Older-refrigerant systems can still be installed and serviced |
| 🔴 Duke Energy rate settlements | Proposed to start January 1, 2027 | A less efficient system costs more to run each year |
A WRAL News analysis published August 21, 2026 reviewed the most recent health inspection for each Wake County public school. More than one-third of the district’s roughly 200 schools had a documented heating or air conditioning maintenance issue at the time of inspection. District leaders told WRAL that HVAC repairs make up about one-quarter of an $800 million maintenance backlog.
Three details from that reporting apply to any building. Many of the ceiling and roof leaks the inspectors recorded were caused by plumbing and HVAC failures, so a neglected system damages what is around it. The superintendent said a permanent fix for a large chiller can take 18 months, because the equipment is built to order. And WRAL noted that a long list of deferred maintenance leaves equipment running past its normal useful life, where strained systems use more energy.
A house is a simpler machine than a high school. The pattern is the same. Maintenance that is put off does not disappear. It comes back as a larger repair, a higher power bill, and a replacement on the system’s schedule instead of the owner’s.
| Action | What the evidence says | Strength |
| Replace a dirty, clogged filter | The Department of Energy says this can lower an air conditioner’s energy use by 5% to 15% | 🟢 Strong |
| Clean the coil, blower, and drain pan | EPA says some research suggests this may improve efficiency and lengthen operating life | 🟢 Supported |
| Seal leaky ducts | ENERGY STAR says a typical house loses about 20% to 30% of the air moving through its ducts to leaks, and that leaky ducts can cut system efficiency by as much as 20% | 🟢 Strong |
| Insulate ducts in attics and crawl spaces | EPA says ducts in unconditioned spaces should be sealed and insulated to prevent condensation | 🟢 Supported |
| Yearly inspection | EPA lists yearly inspections, regular filter changes, and coil and drain pan cleaning as the core of preventive maintenance | 🟢 Supported |
| Reduce the load: attic insulation, a dry crawl space | Less heat and moisture entering the house means fewer hours of runtime | 🟡 Depends on the house |
| Clean the ducts only | EPA says little evidence exists that this alone improves efficiency | 🔴 Weak |
| Routine yearly duct cleaning | EPA does not recommend it; cleaning is for specific conditions | 🔴 Not recommended |
An air conditioner or heat pump is designed around a specific volume of air crossing the coil. A loaded filter, a matted coil, or a crushed duct run cuts that volume. The equipment then runs longer for the same result, and every component accumulates hours faster. The filter is the cheapest fix in the house, which is why the Department of Energy’s 5% to 15% figure is worth repeating.
How a restriction anywhere in the air path becomes wasted electricity is explained in how airflow restriction turns into energy loss.
The evaporator coil pulls water out of the air all summer. That water has to reach the drain pan and leave through the condensate line. EPA’s guidance says to pay particular attention to cooling coils, to make sure the pan drains properly, and to treat standing water or debris in the pan as a problem needing immediate attention. A blocked drain is one of the most common causes of water damage around an air handler, and a coil coated in debris transfers heat poorly.
Key Fact: EPA states that some research suggests cleaning heating and cooling system components such as cooling coils, fans, and heat exchangers may improve efficiency, resulting in a longer operating life and some energy and maintenance savings. It adds that little evidence exists that cleaning only the ducts will improve efficiency.
For energy and equipment life, the question to ask about ductwork is whether it leaks, not whether it is dusty. A supply leak in the attic sends cooled air into a space nobody lives in. A return leak in the crawl space pulls hot, humid air into the system, and the equipment then has to cool and dry it. ENERGY STAR’s estimate that a typical house loses 20% to 30% of duct airflow to leaks explains why a system can run constantly and still leave rooms uncomfortable.
A light layer of dust inside a duct is normal. EPA says so directly, and a simple way to judge your own system is set out in whether your air ducts actually need cleaning.
The observations that justify having someone look inside the system are listed in the signs that call for an air duct inspection.
Equipment life is measured in running hours. Anything that lowers the heat and moisture entering the house lowers those hours. In North Carolina two places do most of the damage: the attic above and the crawl space below.
Overhead, the relevant work is attic insulation that reduces the heat load on the equipment.
Underneath, where humid air and damp soil add moisture the air conditioner must remove, the lasting measure is crawl space encapsulation creating a conditioned space beneath the home.
The Department of Energy says setting a thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. Fewer running hours is also less wear. In a humid climate, a setback is different from shutting the system off for days, because the air conditioner is the home’s dehumidifier.
| Raleigh and the Triangle | Greensboro and the Triad | |
| Electric utility | Duke Energy Progress | Duke Energy Carolinas |
| Proposed rate change | About 9.3% for residential customers over two years, by the state Department of Justice’s calculation | Average annual increase of 3.7% over two years |
| Housing that strains equipment | 1990s and 2000s homes over vented crawl spaces; very new, tight homes that hold moisture | Pre-war neighborhoods with crawl spaces built long before encapsulation was common |
| Moisture pattern | New construction can hold indoor humidity above 60% for its first year or two, even with the air conditioning running | Ambient humidity around 60–70% in April and May and 70–90% from June through September; July through September are the wettest months |
| Where to look first | 🟡 Crawl space ducts and return leaks; dehumidification in new homes | 🟡 Drain pan and condensate line by late summer; crawl space moisture |
What the late-summer months do to equipment in the Triad is described in how Greensboro’s wettest months load an HVAC system.
No formula settles this, and anyone offering one over the phone is guessing. A few reference points help.
Age. ENERGY STAR suggests considering replacement when a heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, or a furnace or boiler more than 15. That is a prompt to evaluate, not a verdict. A well-maintained system can run well past it.
Other ENERGY STAR signals. Frequent repairs alongside rising energy bills, rooms that are too hot or too cold, humidity problems, and excessive dust. ENERGY STAR notes that the last three can point to leaky ducts or poor insulation instead of the equipment, which is a reason to check those before buying anything.
Refrigerant. An R-410A system that needs a minor repair is still serviceable. One that needs a compressor or a coil deserves a harder look, since the long-term supply of that refrigerant is shrinking.
Sizing. If replacement is the answer, EPA warns against a unit too large for the house. Oversized equipment cycles on and off frequently and removes moisture poorly, particularly in humid areas.
| Situation | Lean toward | Why |
| Under 10 years old, minor repair, bills steady | 🟢 Repair and maintain | The system has not reached ENERGY STAR’s evaluation age |
| Any age, rooms uneven, dusty, humid | 🟢 Check ducts and insulation first | ENERGY STAR ties these symptoms to duct leaks and insulation as often as to equipment |
| Over 10 years old, frequent repairs, bills rising | 🟡 Get replacement quotes alongside the repair quote | Two of ENERGY STAR’s signals are present |
| R-410A system needing a compressor or coil | 🟡 Compare carefully | Major repair on equipment whose refrigerant supply is being phased down |
| Furnace over 15 years old with safety concerns | 🔴 Replace | Age plus safety; EPA also advises inspecting fuel-burning equipment before each heating season |
| Program | What it offers | Status in October 2026 |
| Federal 25C tax credit | Was 30% up to $2,000 for a heat pump | 🔴 Ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025 |
| Energy Saver NC: HEAR | Up to $8,000 toward an ENERGY STAR electric heat pump for households at or below 150% of area median income | 🟡 Open, with rules that changed on August 31, 2026 |
| Energy Saver NC: HOMES | Up to $16,000 for whole-home efficiency projects, scaled to energy savings and income | 🟢 Open |
| Duke Energy Smart Saver | Rebates on qualifying equipment and duct sealing through participating contractors | 🟢 Open; amounts vary by equipment |
Energy Saver NC is North Carolina’s version of the federal Home Energy Rebates, run by the Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office and available in all 100 counties since February 2026. Two limits catch people out. Program summaries state that HEAR does not pay to replace an existing heat pump. And following U.S. Department of Energy guidance issued in May 2026, the program applied changes beginning August 31, 2026; contractors report that switching from gas, propane, or oil heat to electric no longer qualifies under HEAR. Confirm current eligibility at energysavernc.org before counting on a rebate.
The practical reading for most Raleigh and Greensboro homes is that replacement help is narrower than it was a year ago and depends on income and on what the old system burns. Maintenance has no eligibility test.
A visit worth paying for covers the parts that affect efficiency and life.
EPA’s guidance on duct cleaning makes the same point from the other direction: a provider should clean all components of the system, because cleaning the ducts while leaving a dirty coil and blower does little.
What a complete job consists of is laid out step by step in what air duct cleaning is and how the process works.
Where an inspection finds one of the conditions EPA lists, such as heavy debris or visible growth on components, the appropriate work is comprehensive cleaning of the home’s air distribution system.
Air Flow Solutions USA begins with an inspection and gives a written estimate before starting. The company is family-owned and fully insured, and its services include air duct cleaning, attic insulation, and crawl space work. Ask any provider, this one included, whether the quoted scope covers the coil, blower, and drain pan, and get the answer in writing.
Change the filter on schedule, keep the coil, blower, and drain pan clean, seal and insulate ducts in the attic and crawl space, and have the system inspected once a year. EPA says research suggests clean components may run more efficiently and last longer. Reducing the load on the system with attic insulation and a dry crawl space cuts running hours further.
No. The Section 25C credit does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. A qualifying system that was installed and operating by that date can still be claimed on a 2025 tax return. Ask a tax professional about your own situation.
Nobody knows. The suits filed since March 2026 allege that major manufacturers coordinated price increases starting in 2020. Those claims are unproven, the manufacturers are contesting them, and antitrust cases take years. No refunds are available now, and a purchase should not be timed around the outcome.
Yes to both. Existing R-410A systems can be serviced and recharged. EPA’s May 2026 rule removed the deadline for installing R-410A systems whose components were made or imported before 2025, so remaining inventory can be installed. The national phasedown of HFC production continues, which may raise the cost of R-410A over time.
On its own, probably not. EPA says little evidence exists that cleaning only the ducts improves efficiency. Cleaning the coil, blower, and other components may, and sealing duct leaks often does. ENERGY STAR estimates that a typical house loses 20% to 30% of its duct airflow to leaks.
Energy Saver NC offers HEAR rebates of up to $8,000 toward a heat pump for income-qualified households and HOMES rebates of up to $16,000 for whole-home projects. Duke Energy’s Smart Saver program offers equipment and duct sealing rebates. HEAR rules changed on August 31, 2026, so confirm eligibility with the program before planning around it.
Under the proposed settlements, a typical Duke Energy Progress residential customer using 1,000 kWh would pay about $9.62 more per month from January 2027 and $5.89 more in 2028. Duke Energy Carolinas proposed an average annual increase of 3.7% over two years. The Utilities Commission’s ruling was due by September 20, 2026; check its order for the final figures.
Choose a company that inspects the coil, blower, drain pan, and duct connections, shows you what it finds, and gives a written scope and price before work begins. Air Flow Solutions USA is a family-owned, fully insured company serving the Carolinas that begins with an inspection and a written estimate, and its services include air duct cleaning, attic insulation, and crawl space work. It can be reached at (843) 864-4649.
In 2026 the cost of replacing a system went up in every direction a homeowner can see: no federal credit, prices that are being argued over in court, and a power bill that is set to rise. None of that can be controlled from a living room. What can be controlled is how many hours the existing equipment runs and how hard each hour is on it.
The answer to how to make an HVAC system last longer is unglamorous. A clean filter, a clean coil and blower, a drain that drains, ducts that do not leak into the attic or pull from the crawl space, and one inspection a year. Duct cleaning has a place when the system is visibly contaminated, and EPA is clear that it is not an efficiency measure by itself. Spend first on what the evidence supports.
North Carolina homeowners can reach Air Flow Solutions USA at (843) 864-4649 or info@airflowsolutionsusa.com, Monday–Saturday 8am–8pm and Sunday 8am–2pm.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice or a professional assessment. Consult qualified professionals about your specific situation.
Sources and Authoritative References
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