ARLINGTON, VA — According to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), combined U.S. factory shipments of 452,751 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for September were up 10% compared to shipments from the same month last year. Heat pump shipments of 100,516 were down 6% compared to last September. Combined unitary shipments for the first nine months are 7% ahead of last year’s shipments.

ARI also said that factory stocks for September 2002 were up 26,382 units from August 2002 and down 33,858 units from September 2001.

Distributor inventories from September 2002 were down 1,431 units from August 2002 and down 224,545 units from September 2001. September 2002 distributor shipments were even with September 2001, with year-to-date shipments up 8%.

Publication date: 11/11/2002