ARLINGTON, Va. — Combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps jumped 7 percent in 2002 to a record 6,746,326 units, eclipsing the previous record of 6,685,481 units set in 2000 and last year's total of 6,281,443, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics.

Heat pump shipments of 1,483,599 units were also a record, up 2 percent from 2001's 1,442,355 units.

For the month of December, combined shipments of 373,284 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps were up 10 percent compared to December 2001. Heat pump shipments included in the December figures totaled 107,790, up 17 percent from December 2001.

Publication date: 01/27/2003