$67Heating check, per system. We check your furnace or heat pump before winter. Through December 31.$67 heating check before winterBook Online
Open 24/7 for emergencies5.0 stars, 1,132 reviews
Residential
Service Areas
(703) 997-9757CallBook Online
MenuClose
Heating
Air Conditioning
Plumber
Drains & Sewers
Water Heater
Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
Price Estimators
Offers
About Us
Service Areas
Commercial
Call (703) 997-9757Book Online

Open 24/7 for emergencies

Video · Heat Pumps and Heat Strips

Heat Strips: The Backup Heat Inside Your Heat Pump's Air Handler

Heat strips are electric heating coils inside the air handler that kick in when a heat pump can't keep up on its own. They keep the house warm on the coldest days but use a lot of electricity.

Call (703) 997-9757

5.0 stars across 1,132 reviews

Get your price in writing

Send this and the office calls or texts you back to set a time.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

We’ll call or text this number about your request. By sending it you agree to our terms and privacy policy.

Rather talk now? (703) 997-9757

Licensed and insuredVirginia Class A contractor #2705192276

24/7 emergency serviceOften same-day, and we will tell you honestly when we can get there.

Our own HVAC installersA dedicated heating and cooling team, separate from our plumbers

Price in writing firstYou see every option priced before anything is ordered

What you’re seeing in this video

In a utility room, a young tech in a navy work jacket and shoe covers starts at the air handler, the indoor cabinet of a heat pump system, connecting its condensate drain. That line carries away the water the coil pulls out of the air in summer.

Next he unboxes an electric heat strip kit and works inside the open air handler cabinet to fit it. The strip is a set of resistance coils, the same idea as a toaster, that heats the air as the blower moves it past.

Job footageSwiftPro
Topic
Heat Pumps and Heat Strips
Length
0:34
Posted
October 4, 2026
Shot by
The SwiftPro crew, Northern Virginia

Why it matters in your house

  • Heat pump heat strips run on cold mornings, during defrost cycles and in emergency heat mode. If your thermostat shows AUX all day in mild weather, the heat pump itself may need attention.
  • Heat strips are sized in kilowatts to match the house and the air handler. Too small and you're cold on the worst nights. Too big and the breaker and wiring have to carry it.
  • Heat pump backup heat is expensive to run for long stretches. A heat pump that's working well should carry most of the load most of the winter.

When do heat strips turn on with a heat pump?

When the heat pump alone can't keep up, usually on very cold days or when the thermostat setting jumps several degrees at once. They also run briefly during defrost so you don't get a blast of cool air. Emergency heat mode runs them by themselves. Long stretches of strip heat show up on the electric bill.

Want it done at your place? See Heat Pumps and Heat Strips at SwiftPro or call (703) 997-9757.

More videos from the SwiftPro crew

A tech squats at a furnace in an unfinished basement with a Milwaukee tool bag, then stands and talks to camera about dual-fuel systems (heat pump plus gas furnace).0:46Side Discharge Heat Pump Paired With a Gas Furnace: A Dual Fuel InstallA young tech replaces an electric heat strip in an air handler: tests with a Fluke clamp meter, unboxes the new heat strip coil assembly, and rewires the control panel.0:39Heat Strip Replacement in an Air Handler, Tested Before and AfterThe owner, on a face-cam inset, explains a hot attic air handler install with a cut-open return plenum and a Milwaukee jobsite fan, then stands outside a gray colonial house with wrapped SwiftPro vans1:31Heat Pump Air Handler Swap in an Attic Near 100 DegreesAttic before/after: old foil-wrapped plenum and flex duct (R-4.2) with a can of Spray-N-Seal, then new sheet metal with a SwiftPro decal and SwiftPro equipment checkup label.0:13Attic Air Handler Replacement, Seen From the Duct SideBasement furnace replacement: two techs pull the old furnace out, captions explain poor airflow and aging furnace, then a new Rheem furnace (Rheem logo legible) installed on a tile floor; phone 571-470:34Dirty Furnace Filter or Tired Furnace? Why Heating Bills ClimbAir duct cleaning: a tech with a headlamp and respirator works at a return in a living room beside a bookshelf, a floor register caked with dust, and a red vacuum hose fed into the duct opening.0:29Why Is My House So Dusty? Start at the Floor Register

See all 234 SwiftPro videos

Want this done at your house?

Rather pick the day yourself? Book online.

Call (703) 997-9757 Get your price in writing

SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
4230 Lafayette Center Dr N, Chantilly, VA 20151
44679 Endicott Dr, Suite 211, Ashburn, VA 20147
Virginia Class A contractor license #2705192276

Call Now Book Online
5.01,132 reviews