AC dead in August, no heat in a cold snap, or a walk-in cooler dropping temperature with product inside. One number, answered by the person who owns the company.
Who actually answers when you call at 2am
Every HVAC company in Baton Rouge advertises 24/7 service. It has stopped meaning anything, because the phrase says nothing about what happens after you dial. With most of them the after-hours number goes to a voicemail box, or to a message-taking service that cannot see a calendar, so you describe the problem to somebody who has never seen your building and then wait for a callback you cannot schedule around.
Here the phone rings to us first. If we are already under a house or on a roof, it rolls to a live person who can put you on the schedule right there rather than take a message and hope. And when we do pick up, we can usually tell you from the description whether you are looking at a capacitor, a frozen coil or a compressor before anyone gets in a truck.
That last part matters more than it sounds. Knowing roughly what has failed is the difference between waiting up and going to bed.
What counts as an emergency, and what can wait
Call now
- No CoolingThe August failure. Tell us if the outdoor unit is running, and whether anything is iced.
- No HeatCold snaps here are short and brutal, and the heat is the part nobody tested in October.
- Refrigeration DownA walk-in losing temperature is a product loss problem before it is a repair problem.
- After a StormDo not switch a flooded or lightning-struck unit back on before someone has looked at it.
Can wait until morning
- Noisy fan or a rattleWorth looking at, but a unit that is still cooling is a daytime job rather than a 2am one.
- Thermostat acting upCheck the batteries and the breaker first. It is often one of the two, and looking costs you nothing.
- Weak airflowUsually a filter or a duct problem. If the house is still holding temperature, it keeps until morning.
- One room warmer than the restA balance or duct issue. Worth fixing properly, and there is nothing to gain from after-hours rates.
Do you charge extra after hours?
Ask, and you will get a straight answer before anyone is dispatched rather than after. We would rather quote you the call-out honestly on the phone than have you find out on the invoice, and if the problem can safely wait until normal hours for less money, we will say so.
What we will not do is quote a repair price sight unseen. Anyone who gives you a firm number for a fault they have not looked at is either guessing or padding, and in this trade it is usually the second.
Questions people ask in the middle of a breakdown
Who answers the phone at 2am?
Somebody does, every time. We pick it up ourselves when we can. If we are already under a house or up on a roof, it rolls after four rings to a live person who can put you straight on the schedule.
What you will not get is a voicemail box, or a message that may or may not be returned in the morning. Either way you come off the call with a time.
How fast can you get here?
It depends on where you are and what is already booked, and we would rather tell you honestly on the phone than give you a number we cannot keep. What you will get immediately is a real answer about tonight, and if we cannot help, we will say so rather than leave you waiting.
Is it actually an emergency, or can it wait until morning?
Ask us. Generally: no cooling in serious heat with vulnerable people in the house, no heat in a freeze, a commercial cooler losing temperature with product in it, or anything burning, smoking or sparking. A noisy fan or a thermostat behaving oddly usually keeps until morning, and we will tell you when it does.
My AC is frozen solid. What should I do before you arrive?
Turn the cooling off and leave the fan running. That thaws the coil, which has to happen before anyone can diagnose anything, and it saves you an hour of a technician standing there waiting for ice to melt. Do not chip at it.
Do you handle commercial refrigeration emergencies too?
Yes, and that is unusual: most HVAC companies here do not, so a restaurant with a cooler down at midnight ends up calling a second contractor. Walk-in coolers, freezers, reach-ins and ice machines.
My unit went under water in a storm. Can I just switch it back on?
No. Water in the electricals and a compressor that has taken in moisture are both things that turn a repair into a replacement if you energise them first. Leave it off and call. This is the single most expensive mistake we see after a storm.
Reviews
What customers say about Southern Dreams Mechanical
Nothing to schedule. Just call.
Tell us the address and what the system is doing. If it can wait until morning, we will tell you that too.
Call (225) 772-4703Or book a visit online