ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 703,243 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for January increased 74.3 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics.

Heat pump shipments for January of 172,347 units were up 45.1 percent compared to January 2005.

January distributor shipments were up 56.7 percent from January 2005.

Publication date: 02/27/2006