James Barras
Owner of Professional Heating & Air | HVAC Contractor and Louisiana Mechanical License Holder
Professional Overview
James Barras is the owner of Professional Heating & Air and has more than 20 years of HVAC experience. His background includes field work, formal HVAC education, apprenticeship training, federal facility experience, and 15 years building Professional Heating & Air. He leads the Hammond-based company with a focus on developing its people, improving service quality, and creating a positive workplace. His goal is continuous improvement that produces strong system service, a better customer experience, and long-term value for homeowners.
Quick Facts
Name: James Barras
Title: Owner of Professional Heating & Air
Experience: More than 20 years in HVAC; 15 years with Professional Heating & Air
Location and service areas: Hammond, Louisiana and Mandeville, Louisiana
Areas of focus: HVAC service, technician development, continuous company improvement, and delivering an exceptional experience for team members and customers
Experience & Leadership
James Barras began his HVAC career through an apprenticeship program after deciding to pursue a skilled trade that offered both technical challenges and the opportunity to eventually build a business. Over more than two decades in the industry, his experience has included working for two HVAC companies and serving as an HVAC technician for the federal government at a research building in New Orleans.
After gaining field experience and completing an HVAC degree through Delgado, James returned to Louisiana’s Northshore and started his own HVAC business from a garage in Ponchatoula. Over the following 15 years, he developed the business into Professional Heating & Air, serving customers in the Hammond and Mandeville areas.
As the owner of Professional Heating & Air, James focuses on improving how the business operates, developing the people within it, and creating a workplace where employees can succeed in a positive environment. The company’s stated mission is to empower its people to produce exceptional results through an elite company.
His leadership philosophy shapes both the company’s internal culture and its approach to customer service. He emphasizes continuous improvement, professionalism, strong team performance, and providing the best experience possible for employees and customers.
Technical Expertise
- HVAC systems and service
- Louisiana mechanical contracting
- HVAC technician field experience
- Apprenticeship-based HVAC trade training
- HVAC work in a federal research-building environment
- HVAC company operations and service delivery
- HVAC workforce development and technician growth
- Customer experience within an HVAC service business
Licenses & Certifications
- Louisiana State Mechanical License: #57241
- HVAC Degree: Delgado, New Orleans
Editorial Standards & Disclosures
Content attributed to James Barras draws on his real-world HVAC experience and professional industry knowledge. His author content is created with accuracy and homeowner clarity in mind, is subject to editorial oversight, and may be updated periodically as industry practices or company information change.
Editorial Policy
Last Updated
September 9, 2026
April 27th, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
This post is for all the homeowners out there that see the word “refrigerant” and immediately turn the other way. We get it, you didn’t sign up for a science class when you purchased your air conditioner or heat pump, you just want to know what could go wrong with it and whether your money was well spent.
Well, part of learning whether or not you need air conditioning service in Ponchatoula, LA is learning about the system itself. From blower motors to electrical components, and yes, even refrigerant, getting a better idea of how these factor into the cooling process can help open your eyes to some problems that your own air conditioner is having.
So, let’s talk about refrigerant. What is it? How does it work? How can you tell if there’s a problem with your refrigerant line? We’ll try and answer these questions as easily and painlessly as possible.
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Tags: AC Repair, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Service, refrigerant
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off on Everything You Should Know About Refrigerant
March 16th, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We get that the first thing to go through your mind when you think of winter, is making sure your home is warm. Having a warm home that can keep you cozy on those cold nights is more important than anything else. However, even when your home is finally the temperature you want it to be, your air quality could be suffering.
Air quality isn’t just determined by the amount of dust or pet dander in your hair. No, things like moisture or lack of moisture can be a huge detriment to your health and home.
Don’t believe us? Not every HVAC contractor in Covington, LA provides humidification services to improve your quality of life, so take it from one that does, humidity is as important as the temperature in your home!
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Tags: Covington, Humidifiers, IAQ, Indoor Air Quality
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on Heater Issues that Are Impacting Your Air Quality
March 2nd, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We don’t want to speak negatively about portable generators. After all, they’re an incredibly affordable solution to the emergency problem of a power outage. Portable generators run on gasoline and can create just enough power to fuel certain electrical appliances. However, what if we told you that there are generators that work more conveniently, which could power your entire home?
Those generators are called automatic standby generators, and they’re incredibly energy-efficient solutions that can conveniently keep your lights on while keeping your food fresh in the refrigerator as well!
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of a system like this, or if you’re simply unconvinced that a standby, whole-house generator is right for your home. We’re not here to make a sales pitch, only to inform you as to what automatic standby generators in Mandeville, LA can do for homeowners.
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Tags: automatic standby generator, electrical, Mandeville, portable generators, whole house generators
Posted in Generators | Comments Off on Why Standby Generators Are Worth the Investment
February 17th, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
Heaters are not toys. When you risk neglecting them or performing some repair on them when you’re not qualified, the price is worth much more than some homeowners are willing to pay for. Toys, especially ones that are handled by toddlers and small children, are meant to be broken, whereas a heater is supposed to last as long as possible before it breaks.
Today, we’d like to inform anyone who was thinking of performing a risky maneuver or found some information online about ways to save money with space heaters—that these might not be as efficient solutions as you think. Saving money is always a good thing, but high risk, high reward procedures aren’t usually the best way to save.
So buckle up and let your local HVAC contractor in Mandeville, LA bestow some knowledge on common costly heater misconceptions.
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Tags: Heating Maintenance, HVAC Systems, Mandeville
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Common Costly Heater Misconceptions
February 3rd, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
So picture this—you’re arriving at home on a chillier than average day, fully expecting your heater to be working hard to keep your home nice and toasty. However, to your unhappy surprise, your home is as cold as the temperature is outside and there’s no air coming from any of your air vents!
This is what we call in the industry, low airflow, and this problem can be caused by a variety of factors when it comes to the condition of your heater. We know that down here in the south it might not be cold all the time, but when it is cold, you definitely want a heater that works!
So, for everyone dealing with a low airflow issues who would like to know a little bit more about what’s happening, we’ll try to give you some insight towards your heating problem as long as you remember to contact our team if you need heating repair in Livingston, LA!
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Tags: heater repair, Heating, Heating Repair, Livingston
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on What Could Be Causing Low Airflow?
January 20th, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
As many homeowners might know, portable generators are a huge hassle. They can be a safety risk, running on gasoline while exhaling tons of carbon monoxide. They can be incredibly inefficient from a cost-fuel perspective. They’re inconvenient since the weather might be the reason why you’ve lost power and you’ll have to venture outside to turn it on. Don’t forget that they’re not cheap either!
Thankfully, we’re not here to talk about portable generators, we’re here to talk about whole house generators, which are arguably the better and more desirable of the generators. We’d like to talk a little bit about the benefits of having a whole house generator while also trying to mention how different these two systems can be to maintain. With quality generator maintenance in Walker, LA you should be ready for any power outage that likely comes your way.
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Tags: generator maintenance, portable generators, Walker, whole house generators
Posted in Generators | Comments Off on Things You Should Know About a Whole House Generator
January 6th, 2020 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We don’t talk about safety enough in this blog, and with a new year comes a new resolution! For 2020 we’d like to take a moment to address some serious concerns when it comes to gas furnaces that we work on. Don’t panic, these systems aren’t inherently dangerous, but with months or years of neglect, they can eventually become health and safety hazards.
So, we’re going to go through a brief checklist that you can use to inspect your furnace for any glaring problems. Obviously, this list won’t be as comprehensive or as effective as the maintenance and inspection that a professional technician would provide, but these are nonetheless helpful tips to keep in mind. Furnaces in Hammond, LA should be kept clean, safe, and effective so that you aren’t endangering yourself or your property—while also making sure you’re not paying a huge amount for fuel bills.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
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Tags: Furnace, Hammond, Heating Repair, safety
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on A Reliable Gas Furnace Safety Checklist
