Air conditioning in Durham homes
In Trinity Park, Watts-Hillandale and Old West Durham, central air was usually added decades after the house was built. The ducts in those homes often run through tight crawlspaces or get squeezed into closets, and small or leaky ducts make an older house hard to cool even with a new outdoor unit.
South Durham, around Woodcroft and Southpoint and in the subdivisions off NC 54, has larger homes from the 1980s onward. Many have two systems, one for each floor. When the upstairs unit fails in July, the second floor can pass 85 degrees by late afternoon while the downstairs unit keeps the ground floor livable.
Your part of Durham matters
A technician based near downtown may add a trip fee to reach a house near the Chatham County line. Tell us your zip code, and we send a licensed technician who already works nearby. We cover 27701, 27705, 27707 and 27713.
Common AC calls in Durham
- Upstairs units failing in two-system homes in south Durham
- Undersized or leaky ducts in older homes north and west of downtown
- Refrigerant leaks in systems 15 or more years old
- Clogged condensate drains in attic air handlers
Typical AC repair costs
| Repair | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic visit | $89 to $150 |
| Capacitor replacement | $150 to $400 |
| Condensate drain clearing | $100 to $250 |
| Refrigerant leak search and recharge | $400 to $1,500 |
| Compressor replacement | $1,800 to $3,500 |
Should I repair the upstairs unit tonight or wait?
If the downstairs system still runs and nobody in the house is at risk from the heat, a weekday visit costs less than an after-hours call. Sleep downstairs for a night and book the repair for the morning.
Read more about AC repair across the area or HVAC in Durham.