ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has released its May 2008 United States factory shipment data for residential heating and cooling equipment.

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for May totaled 631,716, down 14 percent compared with the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, combined shipments totaled 2.4 million, a 9 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for May totaled 183,804, down 8 percent from the same month a year ago. For the year-to-date, heat pump shipments totaled 768,422, a 5 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

U.S. factory shipments of gas warm air furnaces in May totaled 156,208, a 23 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. Oil warm air furnaces for the same month totaled 2,860, a 20 percent drop compared with May 2007 totals. For the year-to-date, gas furnace shipments totaled 820,922, an 18 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil furnace shipments for the year-to-date totaled 19,308, a 26 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Publication date: 07/07/2008