- Founded in 2005
- Family-Owned & Local
- Honest & Transparent
- Mount Gilead, NC
- Heating & Cooling Specialists
- Residential & Commercial
A cold snap rolls through Mount Gilead and your furnace quits. The Piedmont rarely drops below 20 degrees, but when it does, a dead furnace turns a comfortable home into a long, miserable night fast.
Most homes around here lean on a heat pump, so the gas or oil furnace only kicks in on the coldest mornings. That means a problem can sit hidden until the one week you actually need it. By then it's a scramble.
We fix furnaces the honest way. We find the real fault, tell you straight what it costs, and get your heat back on. No upsell, no scare tactics. Same-day and next-day help when we can.
Common Problems We See
- Furnace blows cold air or won't heat the house
- No heat at all, even with the thermostat turned up
- Furnace short-cycles, turning on and off every few minutes
- Burning, musty, or rotten-egg smell when the heat runs
- Loud banging, rumbling, or screeching from the unit
- Pilot light or igniter won't stay lit on a gas furnace
- Furnace runs constantly but the house never warms up
- Higher heating bills with no extra comfort to show for it
How EM Contractors Helps
We start by finding out what's actually wrong. A bad igniter, a tripped flame sensor, a failing blower motor, a clogged filter, a cracked heat exchanger, a wiring fault, or a thermostat that's lying to you all look the same from your living room. We test the unit, read the real cause, and explain it in plain language.
Then we give you a fair price before we touch a thing. We repair gas and oil furnaces of all major makes and models, and we'll tell you honestly when a repair makes sense and when a furnace is too far gone to be worth the money. Quality work and a straight answer, every time.
Why Choose EM Contractors LLC
We're the Mabe family, right here in Mount Gilead. Eric Mabe runs EM Contractors LLC, and his father Roger has worked HVAC in Montgomery County for decades. We've been at this since 2005, serving homes, businesses, and churches from Lake Tillery to downtown and out toward Troy. We're not a call center three states away. We're your neighbors, and we treat your furnace and your money with respect, because we'll see you around town.
Our Furnace Repair Process
- 1
Call and describe the problem
Tell us what your furnace is doing. We line up a visit, often same-day or next-day when we can fit you in.
- 2
Full diagnostic
We inspect and test the furnace, check the igniter, flame sensor, blower, gas or oil supply, and controls to find the true cause.
- 3
Honest price up front
You get a clear explanation and a fair price before any work starts. No surprises added to the bill.
- 4
We make the repair
We fix it right with quality parts and get your heat running safely again, then confirm it's holding temperature before we leave.
- 5
Safety check and cleanup
We verify safe operation, check for any carbon monoxide or combustion concerns, and leave your space clean.
Local Tips for Furnace Repair
Honest, practical advice from the EM Contractors crew — the same things we'd tell a neighbor.
Test your furnace before the first cold night
Most homes here lean on a heat pump, so the gas or oil furnace can sit unused for months and quit without you knowing. Run the heat on a cool fall day and let it cycle. Catching a no-start problem in October beats finding it at 20 degrees in January.
Change the filter and check it before you call
A clogged filter is the most common reason a furnace overheats, short-cycles, or blows weak warm air. Swap in a clean one and make sure return vents aren't blocked. If the heat is still off after that, the trouble is deeper and worth a service call.
Shut it off for a rotten-egg or persistent burning smell
A short dusty smell on the first burn of the season is normal. A rotten-egg odor or steady burning smell is not. Turn the furnace off, open a window, and call. We check for a gas leak, carbon monoxide, and a cracked heat exchanger before anything else.
More Heating Services
Should You Repair or Replace Your AC System?
We'll never push a new system you don't need. Here's the honest framework we use to help you decide.
Repair may be best
- System is under about 10 years old
- The repair is minor and inexpensive
- Energy bills have stayed steady
- Unit has been maintained and uses R-410A
- First or second issue in years of service
Replacement may be best
- System is 12–15+ years old
- Repairs are becoming frequent
- Energy bills keep climbing
- Cooling is uneven or humidity stays high
- A major component (like the compressor) failed
- Unit uses phased-out R-22 refrigerant
Not sure where your system lands? We'll give you an honest evaluation — and we'll tell you to keep what you have when that's the right call.
What Customers Say About Our Furnace Repair Service
Real, verified reviews from the Mount Gilead neighbors we've helped.
“They recently came out when we didn't have heat and installed a part on the spot in an older unit. Same-day service. This company has been a blessing to us.”
“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!”
Heating Tips From Our Blog
Furnace Repair Questions, Answered
Yes. Around Mount Gilead, the gas or oil furnace is your backup for the coldest mornings, often the auxiliary heat tied to your heat pump system. If it fails, you'll feel it the night temperatures drop near 20 degrees. We repair the furnace and check how it works with your heat pump.
We offer same-day and next-day service when our schedule allows. Call us, tell us what's going on, and we'll get to you as quick as we can. No heat is something we take seriously.
We do. We service gas and oil furnaces of all major makes and models. If your furnace heats your home, we can diagnose and repair it.
It depends on the age of the unit, the cost of the repair, and the safety of the system. We give you an honest answer, not a sales pitch. If a repair gets you years more service, we'll say so. If the furnace is unsafe or worn out, we'll tell you that too.
A short burning-dust smell on the first cold day is usually normal. But a rotten-egg or persistent burning odor can mean a gas leak or a cracked heat exchanger, which is serious. Shut it off and call us. We'll check for carbon monoxide and combustion problems before anything else.
Yes. We're based at 580 Valley View Church Rd in Mount Gilead and serve the surrounding Montgomery County area, including the Lake Tillery lake homes, Troy, and nearby communities.
It comes down to the part that failed and how much labor it takes to reach it. A flame sensor or igniter is a smaller job than a blower motor or control board. Gas and oil furnaces differ too. We diagnose the real fault first, then give you a fair price before we start, so there are no surprises on the bill.
We start by finding what's actually wrong. The same no-heat symptom can come from a bad igniter, a dirty flame sensor, a failing blower, a clogged filter, a cracked heat exchanger, or a thermostat that's reading wrong. We test the unit, confirm the cause, and on a gas furnace we also check combustion and carbon monoxide. Then we explain it in plain language and quote the fix before we touch anything.
Watch for heat that blows cool, a furnace that turns on and off every few minutes, loud banging or screeching, a pilot or igniter that won't stay lit, or heating bills climbing with no extra comfort. Any of those means a part is wearing out. Calling early usually means a smaller, cheaper fix than waiting for it to quit on the coldest night.
Ready for Furnace Repair? Talk to a Local HVAC Contractor
Call EM Contractors LLC for honest furnace repair in Mount Gilead, NC and the surrounding communities.