ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 780,407 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for March were up 7 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Total shipments of 1,667,520 units for the first three months of 2005 are up 5 percent over the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for March of 188,512 were up 12 percent compared to March 2004. The year-to-date total of 442,415 is up 6 percent from January-March 2004.

March distributor shipments were up 7 percent from March 2004, with year-to-date shipments up 9 percent.

Publication date: 05/02/2005