Professional Heating & Air

Keeping Tangipahoa Comfortable

Written by Betsy O'Leary | Photos by Johnny Chauvin

James Barras is owner/operator of Professional Heating & Air, a Hammond-based company serving customers in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Livingston Parishes. The New Iberia native moved to Hammond as a child and attended Hammond public schools. He graduated from Hammond High before moving to Texas. Soon, Barras returned to Louisiana to work with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) while living in Metairie.

There, he first met his future wife through a work connection. She lived in Hammond with her parents and worked as a physical therapist at East Jefferson Hospital. The couple relocated to Ponchatoula after Barras left the USDA, and worked for a heating and cooling company out of New Orleans. While working there, he also opened a vending machine business to ensure a steady revenue stream for his family.

The operation was initially small, and he operated out of his home with a couple of employees and three vans They erected the present building approximately eight years ago The company grew to its present size of 20 employees Barras assembled a carefully curated staff whom he could trust to enter clients’ homes to service their heating and cooling systems. They operate a fleet of professionally-wrapped vans that distinguish them from smaller operations. On-call staff allow Barras to offer 24-hour emergency service. Technicians work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at standard rates.

The company’s process for service calls and system maintenance is to examine the client’s entire heating and cooling system when they arrive on the initial service call This allows them to determine the root cause of the present problem and detect potential trouble that can occur later. The skilled technicians will detail any problems and note wear and tear on any system parts. This allows customers to plan for future service repairs. All receive detailed health reports on their heating and cooling system after the initial visit.

Professional Heating & Air goes above and beyond for clients by offering a money-back guarantee if they don’t “get it right ” Because of disruptions to the supply chain over the last few years, Barras now stocks his own equipment so they can complete turnaround service for their heating and air clientele.

Professional Heating & Air operates a two-tier Maintenance Club for customers. Both tiers offer semi-annual maintenance inspections and a “no breakdown guarantee” which states that if they come and perform maintenance on your system and it breaks down, they will credit you the cost of one maintenance visit back towards any repairs that may be necessary As an added bonus, Comfort Plus members also get a 5-year parts warranty on any service repairs

Professional Heating & Air continually strives to go above and beyond when it comes to caring for their customers, such as providing customers with window unit air conditioners to use while a job is being completed at no charge. They simply offer the service to keep their customers comfortable in the scorching summer heat

They set themselves apart from other HVAC companies by offering devoted customer service and providing the finest quality on each job You can trust their technicians to show up on time, ready to work, and to leave your home as clean as they found it. When you need it done right, call a Professional at 985467-0114 or visit airpro.me.