ARLINGTON, Va. - According to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for September jumped 14 percent, to 573,401, compared to shipments from the same month last year.

Heat pump shipments of 149,135 were also up 15 percent compared to Sept. 2003. Combined unitary shipments for the first nine months of 2004 are up 9 percent compared to shipments from the same period last year.

Publication date: 11/15/2004