How the Free Line Works, From the First Ring to the Repair

Dallas Air & Heating is built around one moment: the air conditioner or furnace just quit, and you want a working local HVAC company on the phone without scrolling through ads and voicemail. This page walks through exactly what the line does in that moment, and where its job ends.

The call, one step at a time

1. You dial (469) 649-7066. Morning, midnight, weekend or holiday, an automated assistant answers. There is nothing to download and nothing to sign up for.
2. Cooling or heating? The first question sorts the call. If the AC is out in August, say cooling. If the furnace or heat pump will not warm the house in January, say heating. If both are acting up, say that.
3. Who and where you are. The assistant asks for your name, a callback number and your city or ZIP code. Location matters: it is how the call reaches a company that actually works in your part of the metroplex, whether that is Denton, Arlington or Mesquite.
4. What the system is doing. Describe it in plain words. "Running but blowing warm air." "Outdoor unit hums but the fan does not spin." "Water dripping from the ceiling under the attic unit." "Furnace clicks but never lights." Specific beats technical.
5. The transfer. The call is put through to an independent, locally owned heating and air conditioning company. Before it picks up, it hears a short summary of what you told the assistant, so you are not repeating yourself.
6. If nobody can answer. Busy summer afternoons happen. If the company cannot pick up, the details you gave are passed to it so it can call you back.
7. From here on, it is between you and the company. It arranges a visit, diagnoses the system, tells you its price, does the work if you agree, and bills you directly.

What the automated assistant will and will not ask

The questions are short on purpose. The assistant is there to route your call, not to diagnose anything.

The line also does not give prices or diagnoses over the phone. A fair repair price needs someone to look at the equipment, and that is the HVAC company's job.

What the line is not

It helps to be clear about the edges, so nobody is surprised.

• Not an HVAC contractor. No technicians, no trucks, no tools, no license. Nobody from the line comes to your house.
• Not an emergency service. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. If a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone out and call 911. If someone is confused, faint or very hot to the touch in a hot house, call 911 before anything else.
• Not a review site or a ranking. The line routes your call by location. It does not rate companies or publish reviews.
• Not for other trades. It handles air conditioning and heating only, not plumbing, electrical work, roofing or appliances.
• Not a price. Any trip fee, diagnostic charge or repair price comes from the company, which tells you directly.

The referral fee, in plain words

The independent companies the line connects callers with may pay Dallas Air & Heating a referral fee. That is how a free line pays its phone bill. You never pay the line, the line does not add anything to your invoice, and it does not see or set the price the company quotes.

Because of that arrangement, treat the company you are put through to exactly as you would any contractor you found on your own: check its license, get the diagnosis and price in writing, and ask whether a repair is possible before anyone talks about a new system.

How to check a TDLR license in about a minute

Texas licenses the contractors who install, repair or maintain air conditioning, refrigeration and heating systems through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The line does not vouch for any company's license, so check it yourself:

1. Ask for the number. On the phone or when the technician arrives, ask for the company's TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license number. It should also appear on the written quote and invoice.
2. Open the TDLR license search. You can search by license number, by name or business name, or by city, county or ZIP code.
3. Read the result. Check that the name matches the company in your driveway and that the license is active.
4. Ask about insurance too. A certificate of insurance is a reasonable thing to request before work starts, especially for an attic or rooftop job.

If a search turns up nothing, TDLR customer service can help at 800-803-9202.

Good questions once you are connected

• Is there a fee for the visit or the diagnosis, and does it come off the repair if I go ahead?
• What is your TDLR license number?
• Will I get the diagnosis and price in writing before you start?
• If the system is older, is repair still an option before we discuss replacement?
• Does the price include any city permit the job needs?

The guide to choosing an HVAC company in Dallas goes further. For a no-cooling night, the emergency AC repair page covers what to do while you wait, and furnace and heating repair covers cold-weather problems.