ARLINGTON, Va. - Heat pump shipments for October totaled 123,170, up 5 percent from the same month a year ago, according to statistics from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). For the year-to-date, heat pump shipments totaled 1,673,307, a 0.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

However, combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for October totaled 325,787, down 17 percent compared with the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, combined shipments totaled 5,363,199, a 6 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Looking specifically at warm-air furnaces with the heating season underway, U.S. factory shipments of gas-fired, warm-air furnaces in October totaled 217,914, a 20.4 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. Oil-fired, warm-air furnaces for the same month totaled 7,116, a 31.2 percent drop compared with October 2007 totals. For the year-to-date, gas furnace shipments totaled 1.9 million, a 17.7 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil furnace shipments for the year-to-date totaled 48,019, a 28.1 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Publication date: 12/15/2008