ARLINGTON, Va. - As June numbers roll in, it is apparent that the end of the recession is not evident quite yet. Slow recovery has been predicted which helps explain the lower equipment shipments measured across the board.

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 June totaled 788,825, down 17 percent compared with the same month a year ago (Revised June 2008 shipments: 957,072). For the year-to-date, combined shipments totaled 2,785,134, down 18 percent compared with the same period last year (Revised YTD January-June 2008 shipments: 3,395,410).

Heat pump shipments dropped 15 percent from the same month a year ago (Revised June 2008 shipments: 271,691), totaling 229,716. For the year-to-date, heat pump shipments totaled 917,460, a 13 percent drop compared with the same period last year (Revised YTD January-June 2008 shipments: 1,058,614).

U.S. factory shipments of gas-fired, warm-air furnaces in June totaled 203,937, a 12.5 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, gas furnace shipments totaled 895,614, a 15 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil-fired, warm-air furnaces for the same month totaled 4,027, a 5 percent drop compared with June 2008 totals. Oil furnace shipments for the year-to-date totaled 18,469, a 21.6 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

For more information, visit www.ahrinet.org.

Publication date: 09/07/2009