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Electric and emergency heat

Heat strip repair in Miami, FL

Heat strips sit unused inside the air handler for most of the year. Then a cold front arrives, you switch to heat, and nothing happens, or you get a burning smell. We restore heat strips safely and quickly.

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  • Miami-Dade and Broward
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We repair and install Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric and every other major brand found in Miami homes.

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Quick answer

Heat strips are electric resistance heating elements in the air handler that provide heat on their own or as backup to a heat pump. In Miami they often fail after sitting idle, with burned elements, tripped limit switches, failed sequencers or relays, or tripped breakers. Repair involves electrical testing and replacing the failed components.

Written by Sylvia Denton, HVAC Guides Editor. Updated 2026-09-22.

Many Miami homes with a straight AC system rely on heat strips for winter heat. Homes with a heat pump use them as backup and for emergency heat. Either way, they sit idle for months, collecting dust inside the air handler. The first time they run each winter, that dust can burn off with a smell, and weak elements or relays can fail.

A heat strip kit includes the elements themselves, high-limit safety switches that shut the heat off if it overheats, sequencers or relays that bring the elements on in stages, and a dedicated breaker. Any of those can fail. Testing each part tells us what needs replacing.

Because heat strips draw a lot of current, we treat them carefully. Burned wiring, melted connectors and discolored terminals are signs of a problem that needs fixing before the heat is used again.

Electric heat strip kit pulled from a Miami air handler showing coiled heating elements and a limit switch
Warning signs

Signs of a heat strip problem

No heat when switched on

Elements, relays, limit switches or breaker failure.

Burning smell that does not fade

A dust smell for a few minutes is normal; a persistent smell is not.

Breaker trips on heat

A shorted element or wiring fault.

Only partial heat

One of several elements or stages has failed.

Emergency heat not working

Heat strips not responding when the heat pump is bypassed.

Discolored wiring or terminals

Overheating connections that need repair.

Process

How heat strip repair works

  1. 1

    Safe shutdown

    Power off at the breaker before opening the air handler.

  2. 2

    Test elements and safeties

    Continuity and resistance on elements, limit switches and fuses.

  3. 3

    Check controls

    Sequencers, relays and thermostat signal tested.

  4. 4

    Repair

    Failed components or the full heat kit replaced; damaged wiring repaired.

  5. 5

    Test

    Heat run in stages and amp draw verified.

Pricing

What heat strip repair costs in Miami

$165 to $325Limit switch replacement

Common failure after idle months.

$185 to $365Sequencer or relay

Controls that stage the elements.

$245 to $485Single element replacement

Where elements are serviceable.

$485 to $985Full heat strip kit

Matched to the air handler.

$185 to $545Wiring and breaker repair

Burned connections or a weak breaker.

Typical 2026 Miami-Dade ranges, not a quote. If you use your heat strips often, a heat pump can heat for a fraction of the running cost.

Local context

Heat strips in Miami homes

Miami heat strips may run only a few nights a year, which is exactly why they fail. Dust builds up, relays stick and limit switches weaken while they sit idle. Testing heat during a fall tune-up catches most problems before the first cold front.

Older air handlers in Westchester, Flagami and older condos in Brickell and Miami Beach often have heat kits that are decades old. When they fail, replacing the kit is usually straightforward.

If your home relies on heat strips as its only heat, it may be worth considering a heat pump at your next system replacement, since the added cost is small and heating runs far more efficiently.

Close detail photo for heat strip repair in a Miami property: technicians hands at the check controls step

Where we handle this service

See every Miami-Dade community we cover
FAQ

Heat strip questions

Is it normal for heat to smell like burning in Miami?

A dusty smell for the first few minutes of the season is normal. A strong or lasting burning smell is not; turn it off and call.

Why does my breaker trip when I turn on the heat?

A shorted element or wiring fault is drawing too much current.

What is emergency heat?

On a heat pump system, emergency heat runs the heat strips alone, bypassing the heat pump.

Can heat strips be repaired or must they be replaced?

Sometimes individual parts can be replaced; otherwise the whole heat kit is swapped.

How can I avoid heat strip problems?

Have heating tested during a fall tune-up before you need it.

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Cold front coming and no heat?

Heat strip repairs across Miami-Dade, fast.

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