ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for July totaled 644,300, down 28 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). Year-to-date combined unitary shipments totaled 4,753,131, down 6 percent from January to July 2005 totals.

July heat pump shipments were also down. Totaling 180,411 units, the numbers dropped 11 percent as compared with the same month last year. The year-to-date total of 1,374,727 was up 12 percent from January to July 2005 totals.

Factory stocks were up 138,965 units from June 2006, and up 291,332 units from July 2005.

ARI also reported that July 2006's distributor shipments year to date were up 5 percent.

"It is important to note that distributor shipments are up 5 percent thus far this year," said Dave Martz, ARI vice president for administration and statistics.

"It is also important to note that distributor shipments were unusually high in July 2005, up 28 percent from the previous year."

Publication date: 09/18/2006