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
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 Hammond, 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 Hammond, 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 Hammond, 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
December 23rd, 2019 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We all know that it’s fun to talk about efficiency, technology and the newest or best piece of heating equipment. However, we’d be joking if we didn’t understand the most important thing on the mind of homeowners: savings!
When it comes to choosing the right heating system for your home, the cost of said heating service is one of the most important aspects of the decision. Some homeowners see the initial price of a heat pump and are immediately turned towards a furnace, while other homeowners see the efficiency and low operating cost of a heat pump and scoff at the idea of owning a furnace. Is there a right answer when it comes to heating service in Laplace, LA?
There might be! It’s time to find out what the right answer is for your home and wallet.
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Tags: Furnace, Heat Pumps, Heating Installation, Laplace
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Heat Pumps or Furnaces: What’s the Cheapest Heating System?
December 10th, 2019 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We’re in it to win it, and this year is no exception! Help us win the Tangi Lifestyles Magazine readers’ choice contest as the best HVAC company in the area. This local magazine in Tangipahoa Parish is right smack dab in one of our service locations!
We’re looking for anyone that’s received our service in Tangipahoa Parish to put in a good word for us through the readers’ choice contest hosted by the Tangi Lifestyles Magazine. Just follow the link down below anytime before 12/31 (New Year’s Eve) when the contest ends. Be sure to put in your vote by then!
We’d just like to take a minute and give thanks for everyone who takes the time to review us, talk about us, and vote for us in contests like these. We’d be nothing if it weren’t for the great reviews that our loyal customers leave, as well as the word of mouth recommendations that are constantly being spread. We’re so grateful for your support!
Check out the Tangi Lifestyles Magazine and don’t forget to vote for us in their readers’ choice contest!
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Tags: Announcement, HVAC, Tangipahoa Parish
Posted in Announcement | Comments Off on Tangi Lifestyles Readers’ Choice Contest
December 9th, 2019 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
We’re sure you’ve heard of both types of furnaces, as most HVAC professionals offer at least some service with each type. However, there are major differences between these two types of heaters, and we’d like to get into the nitty-gritty differences between them.
If you’re one of the many lucky customers that are making the decision to invest in a heater today, it couldn’t be a better time. Both electric and gas furnaces in Livingston, LA are extremely affordable and run off increasingly affordable sources of energy. They’re reliable, durable, and are known as the most common furnace for HVAC technicians to deal with. You’ll always be able to find a service professional who is willing to work on a furnace, because furnaces are some of the simplest and the easiest systems to repair.
That being said, let’s dive into the differences and let the debate begin!
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Tags: electric furnace, Furnaces, gas furnace, Livingston
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Gas or Electric Furnace: The Great Debate
November 25th, 2019 | Written By James Barras | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree
This might sound like a silly question, but the ability for the human body to get used to poor living conditions is remarkable to say the least. You’d be surprised by how many homeowners we meet regularly who have no idea that their IAQ is substantially poorer than it should be.
It makes sense though. If you’ve been living in a home full of stuffy air, you might get used to said stuffy air. This isn’t very good, because our team can’t give you the reasonable solution for your IAQ problem if you never call us in the first place! That’s why we’re interested in giving you some signals that can obviously show you when your air quality is substandard. Then we can discuss whether or not an air purifier in Hammond, LA is right for you.
If you don’t think it’s that big of a deal, we urge you to reconsider!
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Tags: Air Filtration, Air Purification, Covington, Indoor Air Quality
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on How Can You Tell If Your Indoor Air Quality Is Poor?
