ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 900,333 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for May are up 18 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Shipments for the first five months of 2004 of 3,254,240 units are up 11 percent compared to shipments from the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for May of 198,909 increased 25 percent compared to May 2003. The year-to-date total of 791,567 is up 16 percent from January-May 2003.

May distributor shipments were up 18 percent from May 2003, with year-to-date shipments up 12 percent.

Publication date: 06/28/2004