ARLINGTON, Va. - The HVAC industry could be headed for another record year. The industry is currently running 5 percent ahead of the 2004 record-setting year, with 1,667,520 total shipments of unitary air conditioners and heat pumps in the first three months of 2005.

In statistics released by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), the combined United States factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for March was 780,407. That is a 7-percent increase over March 2004. Heat pump shipments totaled 188,512, which was a 12-percent increase over March 2004.

Additional statistics released by ARI showed that March 2005 factory stocks were up 67,261 units from Feb. 2005, and down 68,581 units from March 2004. March 2005 distributor inventories were up 98,210 units from Feb. 2005, while down 94,122 from March 2004. Distributor shipments through March 2005 are up 9 percent year-to-date.

Publication date: 05/09/2005