I have a westinghouse window unit and I think it has heat strips for the heat. How do I tell if it is a true heat pump or if it has heat strips and how do I get to the Heat strips in the unit to check.

If it is a heat pump if the ambient I door temp is not than 3 degree s lower than 66 it utilizes the aux heat ( heat strips) to help the unit achieve your desired temperature set point faster. Also the heat pump does need help if trying to overcome really cold temperatures. Once set point is achieved the heat pump should be able to keep the home at the set point without aux heat. But the flashing may just be to let you know that the heat strips are in use at the current time. See if when the temperature gets close to your set temp if it goes away. If not a heat pump it may always flash to just tell you heat strips are in use. Some homes mostly trailers only have heat strips but on heat pumps heat strips are there to help heat pump get to your desired temp. But when your heat pump can maintain the temp without the strips is where it saves power. Also heat pump thermostat hVe emergency heat settings. This scares alot of people but if your heat pump isn't working and you have to switch it to emergency heat until you can get it fixed,. That means that the system is only using heat strips and not utilizing heat pump at all. Power bill may be a little higher but remember, most trailer homes only have heat strips and if you do not use emergency heat in this situation your heat strips will only heat home 3 degrees below set point on thermostat to allow heat pump to bring it up the other 3 degrees. If heat pump isn't working correctly you will always be 3 degrees colder than what you set you thermostat at. Maybe too much info but it's prolly just your aux heat on helping system achieve the desired temp you set thermostat too.

you cant use that thermostat for a heat strip,your thermostat only gives 9 volts to tell the heat pump to come on,a heat strip needs 220 volts to run,DO NOT PLAY WITH ELECTRIC HEATERS!!you do not know what you are doing and can burn your house down or hurt someone!!

Try setting the thermostat at a normal heat setting. By raising the temperature too high the unit thinks that the heat pump won't be effective and go into strip heat mode.

being this is a heat pump probably not unless you have auxillary heat. thermostat should tell you.

Sounds like a relay inside the air handler is stuck 'closed'...

PTH is a heat pump. PTC is an air conditioner only. I don't believe Amana makes electric heat strip-only models based on what I see in their literature. You can just do a google search and look for yourself.

this is true...freon does not fade or get "used up" if freon is needed there HAS to b a leak.
heat strips are very expensive to use....option for the heat pump heating which will only use as much electricity as the a/c side.
heat strips= 220 v X 10kw= 22 amps compared to a compressor at ie= 10 amps.....typical draw for 18,000 btu

I believe the unit you are describing is a heat pump. Heat pump are great when the temperature isn't below 30 With low ambient temps. outside it is much more efficient and comfortable to run aux. electric heat from the heat pump.

Is this a central heat? From the size i assume it is.
You say air conditioning on part of your question then use heat pump on another part. So it is important for us both be on the same page.
With all due respect some people think they have a heat pump and it is just AC and electric heat also but is not a heat pump.
. If you have the outdoor AC unit running with your thermostat set for heat and the air coming off the out door unit is cold, or you see it "steam up outdoors" off the out door unit at times (we call this mode defrost).

If you actually have a Heat pump system some times it is wired to have the strips come on at the same time the heat pump comes on especially if you experience a lot of weather below 40' occasionally and have an emergency heat setting on your thermostat you most likely have a heat pump.

If you have a heat pump for sure now the heaters can come on with the outdoor section if
1 they are wired to do so or
2 the thermostat has 2 stage heating and the second stage is telling the elements to come on, or
3 the outdoor thermostat (if so equipped) is telling the elements to come on.
Any 1 or combination of these 3 items can cause the elements to come on wit the out door unit.

if you look inside the condenser unit outside,see if you see the big reversing valve,if not it is a straight cool,heat, the heat strip ins in the air handler so you would have to take the side panel off and look for the heat stripe,my the way heat pumps also have a aux.heat stripe just in case it does not get cold enough outside,hope this helps you-mike