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

Latest Posts:

Alternative Forms of HVAC Systems You Should Consider

February 19th, 2018 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

ductless-mini-splitWe live in a part of the country with long, hot summers and very short winters. Household comfort is a vital part of life here, especially as winter turns to spring and the temperatures begin rising again. Most homes in the area rely on traditional heating and air conditioning systems: usually centralized systems that heat or cool the air in a single location, then blow it through the home with a series of ducts.

The system worse quite well, but it’s not the only kind of HVAC system out there. Depending upon the needs of your home, another one might be able to do the job much more effectively. Now is an excellent time to consider replacing an old HVAC system, when the weather is mild and you can go without it in the time it takes to install one. You may want to consider an alternative model like the ones detailed below.

Continue Reading

Do You Need a New HVAC System?

February 5th, 2018 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

ac-repair-or-replaceWith the coming of winter comes mild temperatures in our neck of the woods, which means a reduced reliance on your heating and air conditioning system. Heaters are still used on chilly days, especially during the night when the weather is at its coldest, but it certainly doesn’t compare to the weather further north.

That reduced need provides an outstanding chance to give your system a thorough evaluation and determine if you need repairs or replacement. Doing so now means you have plenty of time to schedule a replacement session before the weather heats up again, as well as ensuring that you don’t experience a sudden, fatal breakdown in a few weeks or months when you really need your HVAC system to respond.

Continue Reading

Air Conditioning Service Helps You Stay Prepared

January 22nd, 2018 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

air-conditioning-ventWe’re in the off-season when it comes to air conditioning, and while the weather rarely gets cold here in Lousiana, it’s as mild in January as it will be all year. That makes now an excellent time to get your air conditioner checked and make any adjustments you need to before you must use it again. Warm weather seems to arrive earlier every year, but if you’ve made the proper preparations, you can make sure that your air conditioner is ready to handle anything.

Continue Reading

Get Your Gas Furnace Maintained Soon

January 8th, 2018 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

furnace-maintenance-sessionsMost heating systems in the area are gas furnaces, which are inexpensive and easy to keep running. They make a good fit for our warm weather and can provide reliable heat this time of year, when nighttime temperatures take a dip.  Unfortunately, because our weather is so hot most of the year, homeowners tend to focus on their air conditioning systems, leaving their gas furnaces to suffer from slow neglect. Repair issues have a way of cropping up without warning in such scenarios, leaving you scrambling to get the system fixed just when you need it the most.

We can provide timely repairs for your gas furnace when called upon to do so, but we also believe that an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. That means that furnace maintenance sessions make a better way of dealing with your heater’s problems than waiting for a breakdown and rushing around. Ideally, you should schedule one once a year, and if it’s been more than 12 months since you last one, now is an excellent time to make an appointment. Here’s a quick look at how it works. 

Continue Reading

Winter is a Good Time to Schedule Air Conditioning Service

December 25th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

air-conditioning-maintenanceAir conditioners rarely have a real off-season here in Louisiana, and there’s always the chance that an unexpected heat wave will bring it into service again.  By and large, however, winter temperatures are mild, which means it’s a good time to give your air conditioner a close look. Considering how often we use ours in this part of the world, it pays to schedule servicing sessions at least once a year, and if it’s been more than 12 months since you last one, now is the perfect time to set one up. What is a servicing session and why should you schedule one? Read on for the answers.

Continue Reading

Commercial Air Conditioning Repair Services Need to Be Reliable

December 11th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

commercial-air-conditioningWe’ve reached the end of air conditioning season here in Louisiana, but with our mild winters, you can never be sure when you might need yours to function again. The cool days of late fall and early winter make an excellent time to take stock of your system and schedule repairs if necessary. The same holds true for commercial air conditioning systems, which have more complex needs than residential systems and which need a high-quality service to keep them maintained. Reliability in such services is supremely important for the health of your business.

Continue Reading

Air Conditioning Repairs Can’t Always Wait

November 27th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

ac-repair-or-replaceHere in Louisiana, air conditioning season is almost year ‘round, and while we get our share of cool weather, heat waves can hit almost any time of year. There’s a tendency during the cooler months to let problems with the air conditioner sit tight until the spring: relying on fans when things get warm and running the heater instead of the air. In most cases, however, this can be a big mistake. If you have a problem with your air conditioner, you shouldn’t wait until spring to get it fixed.

Continue Reading

Repair or Replace Your Old Heater?

November 13th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

repair-or-replaceThe weather has been growing steadily cooler for many weeks now, and as fall turns to winter, prudent homeowners are using their heating system more and more often. If you have an older heating system that may be on its last legs, now is the time to determine that. When a problem crops up with such a system, is it worthwhile to repair it? Or would that money be better spent on a replacement heater?

Continue Reading

Air Conditioning Service Can Prevent Repairs Further Down the Road

October 30th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

air-conditioning-servicesAutumn means cooler temperatures, even here in Lousiana, and that means that your air conditioner can finally take a break after a long hot summer. It also means that you should schedule a maintenance session for your air conditioner as soon as possible. Maintenance most closely resembles a tune-up on your car: it’s a chance for a trained technician to check for possible problems and let you get an early jump on them should any crop up. The aim is to help save you money in improved efficiency, but also to help prevent repairs further down the road. Here’s a little breakdown on how that works.

Continue Reading

Air Conditioning Repair Services Should Be Balanced against the System’s Age

October 16th, 2017 | Written By | Reviewed By Ronnie Roundtree

air-conditioning-efficiencyAutumn has officially arrived, bringing with it cooler weather and easing the workload on your air conditioner. This season was especially tough because of the recent inclement weather, and centralized air conditioners with outdoor components may have suffered a great deal of damage. Now is an excellent time to schedule a servicing session to assess the state of your system and plan for repairs. With older systems, another question arises: is repairing it worth the effort, or should repairs be balanced against the system’s age and the money better spent on replacing the old AC with a new one?

Continue Reading