Straight answers about AC and heating

A licensed, local HVAC company. Dallas Air & Heating is the phone line: it answers every call and puts you through to that company, which sends the technician, diagnoses the problem, quotes the job and does the work. You deal with them and pay them directly.

No. There is no charge for the call or for being connected. Any service fee, diagnostic charge or repair price is set by the HVAC company, and you should hear it before any work starts.

No, and be wary of anyone who does. A price quoted before someone has looked at the system is a guess. What we can say is that many Dallas breakdowns come down to inexpensive parts, like a failed capacitor, a contactor or a clogged condensate drain, rather than anything that justifies a new system.

Yes. Calls are answered around the clock. At night or on a busy summer afternoon the HVAC company may be on another job; if they cannot pick up, your name, number, city and the problem are taken down and passed along for a call back.

Once a year for cooling, ideally in spring before the heat arrives, and once a year for heating in the fall. Change the air filter every one to three months. In a Dallas summer, a clogged filter is one of the most common reasons a system freezes up or stops cooling.

Check that the thermostat is set to cool and below room temperature, replace the air filter if it is dirty, and make sure the breaker for the outdoor unit has not tripped. If there is ice on the copper lines or the outdoor fan is not spinning, turn the system off and call. Running it in that state can damage the compressor.

Yes. Gas furnaces, heat pumps and electric heat are all covered, as are tune-ups before the first cold snap. The same number reaches all of it.

Call 911 first. Confusion, a very high body temperature, fainting or a stopped sweat are signs of heat illness and need medical help before anyone deals with the air conditioner.