ARLINGTON, Va. — Combined U.S. factory shipments of 454,683 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for February were up 2 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to the Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute (ARI). Heat pump shipments of 122,541 were up 11 percent compared to last February. Shipments for the first two months of 2003 were up 3 percent compared to last year.

ARI also reports that February 2003 factory stocks were up 66,514 units from January 2003 and up 75,335 units from February 2002. Distributor inventories for February 2003 were up 98,692 units from January 2003 and down 120,129 units from February 2002. Distributor shipments for February 2003 were down 12 percent from February 2002, with year-to-date shipments down 3 percent.

Publication date: 04/14/2003