A Goodman heat strip that stays on quietly is the most common reason we see electric bills double in Keystone without any change in how a home is used. Heat strips are simple, rugged electric heating elements: rows of nichrome wire inside your air handler that glow hot and warm the air passing over them. They are supposed to fire only when your thermostat calls for heat and the primary heating cannot keep up. When a strip bank sticks on, it heats your air and burns kilowatts around the clock, even while the air conditioner is trying to cool the house.
Why a heat strip is the most expensive part of your system
Heat strips are resistance heat, and resistance heat is hungry. A single strip bank can draw as much current as your entire air conditioner, and most air handlers carry two or three banks staged in sequence. That is fine when the strips fire for a few minutes to supplement heating on a cold morning. It is a budget problem when one bank never shuts off, because every hour it runs adds roughly what a full day of normal heating costs. That math is why a stuck strip shows up first as a number on your utility bill, long before you notice anything about comfort.
The stuck-on failure we test for first
In almost every high-bill heat strip call we diagnose in Keystone, the root cause is one of three electrical faults:
- A welded or stuck contactor that keeps power flowing to the elements after the thermostat stops calling for heat.
- A failed sequencer whose timing contacts no longer open, so the strip bank never stages off.
- A shorted element or damaged wiring inside the air handler that energizes a bank independently of the controls.
We confirm which one with an amperage draw test on each strip bank. If a bank pulls current while the thermostat is satisfied, or while the system is in cooling mode, we have the culprit. This test takes minutes and keeps the repair honest: we replace the failed component, not the whole assembly on a guess.
Safe checks you can do before we arrive
First, confirm the system is actually misbehaving. If the air coming from the vents feels warm while the thermostat is set to cool, a strip bank may be fighting your air conditioning. Second, check the thermostat: make sure it is set to cool or off, and the fan is on auto. Third, look at the air handler breaker. A breaker that keeps tripping can signal a shorted element and should not be reset repeatedly. If you smell a hot, metallic odor near the air handler, turn the system off and call us. Do not open the air handler yourself; strip banks run on high-voltage power even when the thermostat looks idle.
What our heat strip replacement visit includes
- Amperage test on every strip bank, thermostat satisfied and calling, so we know exactly which bank misbehaves.
- Sequencer and contactor inspection: timing checks, contact condition, and control voltage.
- Element inspection for broken nichrome coils, sagging supports, and damaged insulators.
- Limit switch and wiring check: high-limit switches must open if an element overheats, and frayed or heat-damaged wiring gets flagged.
- Replacement with factory-spec Goodman elements and controls, sized to your air handler, so the repair matches the original engineering and protects your manufacturer warranty.
- A final draw test to confirm each bank stages on and off exactly when the thermostat commands.
Our vans carry the elements, sequencers, contactors, and limit switches these repairs need, so most heat strip failures in Keystone are resolved in a single visit. We offer same-day dispatch across Keystone, so a high-bill problem caught on a morning can be diagnosed and repaired the same day.
Repair one bank, or replace the strip package?
The amperage test decides. If one bank has a welded contactor and the elements, sequencers, and wiring test clean, we replace the failed control and verify the bank stages correctly. If multiple banks draw incorrectly, the elements are sagging or brittle, or the wiring insulation shows heat damage, replacing the full strip package costs less over time than chasing failures one bank at a time. We show you the test readings so the choice is evidence, not pressure.
Scheduling heat strip service in Keystone
If your electric bill jumped and your air handler is the suspect, call us for same-day heat strip service in Keystone. Describe what you observed: warm air in cooling mode, a tripping breaker, or the bill itself. We arrive ready to test, diagnose, and repair in one visit.
Why did my electric bill double when nothing changed?
A heat strip bank that sticks on is the classic cause. The elements keep drawing heavy current even when the thermostat is satisfied, and sometimes even while the air conditioner is running. An amperage test on each bank finds it in minutes.
Is it safe to keep running the system until the technician arrives?
Often yes, but watch for warning signs. Turn the system off if you smell hot metal near the air handler, if the breaker trips more than once, or if supply air is hot while the thermostat is set to cool. Those signs point to a shorted element or stuck control that deserves same-day attention.
Could the thermostat be the problem instead of the strips?
Sometimes. A thermostat that never satisfies, or one wired so the heat call never releases, will hold the strips on. That is exactly why we test the control signal before replacing parts: the diagnosis tells us whether the fix belongs at the wall or inside the air handler.
Can I use emergency heat while I wait for the repair?
Emergency heat bypasses the normal controls and runs the strips directly. It will keep the house warm, but it is the most expensive way to heat and should be treated as a temporary bridge until the underlying fault is repaired.
What affects the cost of a heat strip replacement?
The number of strip banks involved, whether the sequencers and contactors also need replacement, the condition of the wiring and limit switches, and access to the air handler. We build every quote from the amperage and timing test results on your unit, and we show you those readings before you decide.
Do you offer same-day service in Keystone?
Yes. We dispatch same-day across Keystone for heat strip failures, with our vans stocked with elements, sequencers, contactors, and limit switches so most repairs finish in one visit.