The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute  recently reported that shipments of a/c and heat pumps are down, as well as furnaces and water heaters for the year-to-date.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) recently reported that shipments of a/c and heat pumps are down, as well as furnaces and water heaters for the year-to-date.



Central Air Conditioners and Air-Source Heat Pumps

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for May totaled 631,716, down 14 percent compared with the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, combined shipments totaled 2.4 million, a 9 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for May totaled 183,804, down 8 percent from the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, heat pump shipments totaled 768,422, a 5 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Warm Air Furnaces

U.S. factory shipments of gas warm air furnaces in May totaled 156,208, a 23 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. Oil warm air furnaces for the same month totaled 2,860, a 20 percent drop compared with May 2007 totals. For the year-to-date, gas furnace shipments totaled 820,922, an 18 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil furnace shipments for the year-to-date totaled 19,308, a 26 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Storage Water Heaters

Residential electric water heater shipments for May totaled 354,395, a 2 percent drop from the same month a year ago. Residential gas water heater shipments totaled 335,156, a 9 percent drop compared with shipments for the same month last year. For the year-to-date, 3.5 million residential gas and electric storage water heaters have been shipped, an 8 percent drop compared with the same period a year ago.

Commercial gas water heater shipments for May totaled 7,317, dropping 5 percent compared with the same month last year, while commercial electric water heater shipments totaled 5,786, jumping 6 percent compared with the same month a year ago.

For the year-to-date, electric water heaters shipments are 7 percent ahead of total shipments of this product during the same period last year. Commercial gas water heater shipments for the year-to-date are up 0.4 percent, compared with the same period a year ago.

Room Heaters

A total of 17,303 vent-free room heaters were shipped in May 2008, an 81 percent increase compared with the same month last year. For the year-to-date, 33,957 units have been shipped, a 28 percent increase compared with the same period last year.