ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 739,871 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for July increased 8 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Combined unitary shipments of 5,075,258 units for the first seven months of 2004 are up 11 percent compared to shipments from the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments of 188,658 units jumped 28 percent compared to July 2003. The year-to-date total of 1,216,658 is up 19 percent from January-July 2003.

July distributor shipments increased 3 percent from July 2003, with year-to-date shipments up 7 percent.

Publication date: 08/30/2004