ARLINGTON, Va. - Although the commercial market for cooling and heating equipment maintained steady growth, U.S. factory shipments of residential cooling and heating equipment declined in February, compared with the same month a year ago, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for February totaled 335,897, a 13 percent drop compared with Feb. 2007 total shipments. Year-to-date, combined shipments totaled 658,968, an 8 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for February totaled 123,122, a 10 percent drop from the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, heat pump shipments totaled 248,611, a 2 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

U.S. factory shipments of gas warm-air furnaces dropped 22 percent to 153,812, compared with Feb. 2007 totals. Oil warm-air furnaces for the same month fell 39 percent to 3,680, compared with Feb. 2007 shipments of this equipment.

A total of 3,562 vent-free room heaters were shipped in Feb. 2008, a 22 percent drop compared with shipments the same month last year.

Residential electric water heater shipments for February totaled 361,529, slightly outpacing residential gas water heater shipments, which totaled 350,174. Shipments for both types of water heaters, however, fell about 3 percent compared with shipments for the same month last year.

Commercial gas water heater shipments for February totaled 7,695, a 4 percent increase compared with the same month last year. February commercial electric water heater shipments totaled 5,422, an 8 percent increase from the same month a year ago.

February gas logs and insert product shipments totaled 10,070, a 24 percent drop compared with the same month last year, while gas stove shipments for the same month jumped 34 percent compared to Feb. 2007 shipments. Gas fireplace shipments for Feb. 2008 totaled 2,616, a 19 percent drop compared to the same month last year.

For more information, visit www.ari.org.

Publication date: 04/21/2008