- Founded in 2005
- Family-Owned & Local
- Honest & Transparent
- Mount Gilead, NC
- Heating & Cooling Specialists
- Residential & Commercial
Some rooms just never get comfortable. The bonus room over the garage. The sunroom. That back addition the old ductwork never reached. And plenty of historic homes here in downtown Mount Gilead were built long before central air was a thing, so there are no ducts to tie into at all.
That's where the window unit comes in, then the box fan, then a space heater come winter. None of it really fixes the problem. You're paying to cool air that leaks out and you're still hot.
A ductless mini-split fixes it the right way. One quiet indoor head, one small outdoor unit, no tearing up walls for ductwork. It cools in our long Piedmont summers and heats on the cold mornings too. We're EM Contractors LLC, a family-owned Mabe family business that has done HVAC here since 2005. We'll tell you honestly whether a mini-split is the right call for your space, and we'll do the work clean.
Common Problems We See
- A room or addition that central air never cools evenly
- An older or historic home with no ductwork to tie into
- Window AC units that are loud, ugly, and barely keep up
- A garage, shop, sunroom, or bonus room that's unusable in summer heat
- High power bills from cooling the whole house just to fix one hot room
- A new addition or converted space that has no heating or cooling at all
- A mini-split that stops cooling, leaks water, or throws an error code
- Musty smell or weak airflow from an existing ductless head that needs cleaning
How EM Contractors Helps
A ductless mini-split is two main parts: an indoor head that hangs on the wall and a small outdoor unit, connected by a thin line set through a three-inch hole. No bulky ducts, no big remodel. We size the unit to the actual room, not a guess, so it isn't too big or too small. Then we mount it level, run the line set clean, set the right refrigerant charge, and test it before we leave.
Need to cool more than one room? We can run a multi-zone system off one outdoor unit, so each space has its own temperature. Already have a mini-split that quit on you? We repair all major makes and models, find the real fault, and explain what it costs before we touch it. No surprise bill at the end.
Why Choose EM Contractors LLC
We're the Mabe family, and we've done HVAC in Mount Gilead and across Montgomery County for decades. EM Contractors LLC has been family-owned since 2005, right here at 580 Valley View Church Rd. We know the older sandstone-trimmed homes downtown that were never built for ducts, the lake homes out toward Lake Tillery that fight humidity all summer, and the additions folks tack on out in the county. We give honest recommendations and a fair price, and when you call, you talk to a real local technician, not a call center.
Our Ductless Mini-Splits Process
- 1
Look at the space with you
We walk the room, check insulation and layout, and listen to what's actually bothering you. Then we tell you straight if a mini-split is the right fix or not.
- 2
Size it right
We measure the load instead of guessing. The wrong size short-cycles and leaves you humid. Correct sizing means steady comfort and lower bills.
- 3
Clean, careful install
We mount the indoor head level, drill one small hole, run the line set neatly, and seal it up. We respect your home and clean up when we're done.
- 4
Charge and test
We set the correct refrigerant charge, check the condensate drain, and run the system through cooling and heating so you see it working before we leave.
- 5
Show you how it runs
We walk you through the remote, the filters, and simple upkeep so the unit lasts and keeps running efficiently.
Local Tips for Ductless Mini-Splits
Honest, practical advice from the EM Contractors crew — the same things we'd tell a neighbor.
Rinse the outdoor unit and clean the filters
Pull the front filters every month in summer and rinse them in the sink — our long, humid Piedmont summers load them up fast. Once a year, gently hose pollen and grass off the outdoor unit so it can shed heat.
Keep the condensate line clear
A mini-split pulls a lot of water out of our humid air, and that drains through a small line. If it clogs, you get drips on the wall or a unit that shuts off. Check that the drain runs free, and call us if you ever see water staining below the head.
Set it and leave it
Mini-splits run most efficiently holding a steady temperature, not cycling hard after you crank it down. Pick a comfortable number and let the inverter do its job. In a humid spell, run it on a lower fan speed — it wrings out more moisture that way.
More Air Conditioning Services
What Customers Say About Our Ductless Mini-Splits Service
Real, verified reviews from the Mount Gilead neighbors we've helped.
“I have known the Mabe family for 65 years. Father Roger and son Eric have for 30 years provided to me excellent A/C installation and service. EM Contractors are knowledgeable, prompt and courteous. I highly recommend the company.”
“Excellent service. I called in the afternoon and someone was at my house within an hour. Would definitely recommend!”
“Excellent HVAC company. When I call he is very prompt, professional, and knowledgeable then goes right to work. I would highly recommend Eric Mabe to anyone. Thanks for coming out today.”
Air Conditioning Tips From Our Blog
Ductless Mini-Splits Questions, Answered
Yes, that's exactly what they're built for. A mini-split needs only a small three-inch hole through the wall, not a full duct system. Plenty of historic homes near downtown Mount Gilead were built before central air, and a mini-split cools and heats them without tearing the place apart.
It does both. A mini-split is a heat pump, so it cools through our long, humid Piedmont summers and heats on the cold mornings. With our mild winters that rarely drop below about 20 degrees, one system handles the whole year for most rooms.
One indoor head usually covers one room or open space. If you want several rooms done, we can set up a multi-zone system that runs two or more indoor heads off a single outdoor unit, with separate temperature control for each zone. We'll figure out the right setup when we look at your home.
Both. We install new ductless systems and we repair existing ones, all major makes and models. If yours quit cooling, leaks water, or throws an error code, we'll find the real problem and tell you the cost before we start the work.
For a room you use every day, yes. A mini-split is quieter, far more efficient, heats as well as cools, and doesn't block your window or leak air around the edges. A window unit is cheaper up front, but it costs more to run and won't last. We'll give you an honest take for your specific space.
It depends on the size of the space, whether you need one zone or several, and the spot for the outdoor unit. We don't quote blind. We come look, size it right, and give you a clear, fair price before any work begins, with no pressure.
The whole job, done clean. We mount the indoor head on the wall, set the outdoor condenser, run the refrigerant lines and the condensate drain, and make the electrical connection. Then we charge the system, test it, and walk you through the remote before we leave. You get a written price up front, and we haul off the mess.
A single-zone system — one indoor head, one outdoor unit — is usually a one-day job. Add more heads for more rooms and it can run into a second day. We'll give you the timeline when we quote it, so you know what to expect before we start.
Watch for water dripping down the wall under the indoor head, warm air when it should be cold, ice on the lines, a musty smell, or the unit short-cycling on and off. Any of those, give us a call. Caught early, most are a simple fix instead of a big repair.
Ready for Ductless Mini-Splits? Talk to a Local HVAC Contractor
Call EM Contractors LLC for honest ductless mini-splits in Mount Gilead, NC and the surrounding communities.