Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for heating and air conditioning contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Accurate Heating & Air Conditioning, the keys to keeping clients happy are simple: listen closely to their needs and come up with effective, long-term solutions to their problems. “From the initial phone call until we finish the job, we aim for 100 percent customer satisfaction,” says owner Daryl Erckenbrack. “Our clients know we’ll take care of them throughout the entire HVAC process, and they really appreciate that.”

Accurate Heating & Air Conditioning has been installing, maintaining and repairing HVAC systems for residential and commercial clients in Napa, Sonoma, and Northern Marin Counties since 2016. As an authorized dealer for Bryant and Daikin, the company has access to state-of-the-art heating and cooling products that are designed to improve the efficiency and comfort of its customers’ homes, and it also has the in-house capabilities to install heating systems on new construction/rebuilding projects.

Unlike HVAC companies whose owners delegate project management responsibilities to less experienced employees, Accurate Heating & Air Conditioning provides every job with the hands-on expertise of Mr. Erckenbrack himself. “Since I don’t dispatch someone else to do the estimates and installations, I can ensure the best possible service,” he explains. “I represent myself when I speak to clients and provide support, and they really like that because they’re speaking directly to the company owner, so they know nothing will be ignored or left unsaid.”

Ultimately, Mr. Erckenbrack sees Accurate Heating & Air Conditioning’s dedication to quality control as one of its most important attributes. “We believe that good materials plus quality installations equal superior jobs,” he says. “By taking the time to speak with each client at the end of their project, we can find out if they have any further questions or issues, and we always perform a thorough walkthrough to make sure they’re happy with everything.”

Have a professional inspect your HVAC system to ensure it operates to its full potential.

Most homeowners don’t know how to tell if their furnaces or air conditioning systems are working properly—at best, they can tell if it feels too hot or too cold in a particular room. Inspecting an HVAC system requires training in a wide variety of procedures, including tune-ups that are designed to check air flow and comprehensive ductwork services. If a room is too hot or too cold, that sometimes indicates a problem with the ductwork, and it takes a professional to properly check that.

The specific configuration of your house also plays an important role in the efficiency of your HVAC system, which is why “cookie cutter” approaches to installing ductwork seldom work. Not every room should have the same air flow—for example, small, enclosed spaces like bathrooms should have less flow than bedrooms or family rooms. The main goal is to direct more heat or cool air to the bigger rooms. If all your vents have the same air flow, something is wrong and should be addressed by a professional.

Heating and air conditioning aren’t just about comfort—a properly sized, well maintained HVAC system can significantly improve your indoor air quality. If your home or business has a problem with dust, adding an air filtration system can be a significant health bonus, and ultraviolet (UV) light systems can help control mold and mildew. If anyone in your house has respiratory or allergy problems, installing indoor air quality products can reduce their need for certain medications and contribute to their overall health.

Don’t shop for HVAC products online.

Many people naturally go online to check pricing or find better deals, but that’s not the smartest way to buy HVAC equipment. “I don’t recommend buying equipment off of the internet or trying to compare contractor pricing to internet pricing,” says Daryl Erckenbrack, owner of Accurate Heating & Air Conditioning in Santa Rosa. “Those products don’t come with warranties, and you don’t even know where the supplier is located or what type of quality to expect.”

Q: How much will it cost to service my HVAC system?

A: We charge an initial diagnostic fee to figure out what’s going on, and then we’ll use that diagnosis to give you a price for the repair. We’re a flat-rate company, so once we diagnose your issue, we’ll give you pricing upfront before we proceed with any work. There are no hidden fees or surprise pricing at the end of the job.

Q: How quickly can you get to my job?

A: If your HVAC system needs to be serviced, we’ll try to get to you within 24 hours of your initial call. For installations, we’re usually booked a couple of weeks in advance.

Q: What HVAC brands can you service?

A: We service all makes and models of HVAC equipment, but we’re an authorized dealer for Bryant and Daikin, so we always recommend those systems for installation projects.

Q: Can you help me improve the indoor air quality of my home or business?

A: Yes. There are many options depending on your specific needs, so we’ll go over everything with you and find a solution that works for your situation.

Q: Do you offer maintenance agreements?

A: Yes, we have maintenance agreements for both residential and commercial clients. On the residential side, it’s usually a biannual agreement with a one-time payment or monthly payments.

Q: What should I know about choosing HVAC equipment?

A: An HVAC system is one of the most important purchases you’ll make for your house, so you should definitely research the equipment you’re thinking about buying before you make a decision. Your contractor should be able to give you recommendations and efficiency information about each option.

Q: What new advancements should I be aware of in the HVAC industry?

A: New construction projects in 2020 and beyond are no longer allowed to include the installation of fossil fuel equipment, which means no more gas heaters or gas fireplaces—everything has to powered by electricity or heat pumps. Also, R-22 refrigerant has been banned, so if you have a really old air conditioning system and you need new refrigerant, you’ll need to install a whole new system. Since 2019, air handler equipment that delivers air flow can no longer be a split-capacitor motor. Now, every motor that’s put into a furnace is an electronically commutated motor (ECM). That has probably been the biggest efficiency upgrade in the history of the HVAC industry.