ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 504,841 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for September jumped 12 percent compared to shipments for the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Total shipments of 5,675,153 units for the first nine months of 2003 are essentially even (up 0.3 percent) with those of last year.

Heat pump shipments for September of 129,485 were up 29 percent compared to September 2003. The year-to-date total of 1,289,595 units is up 8 percent from January to September 2002.

Distributor shipments for September were up 18 percent from September of last year. Year-to-date distributor shipments are down 2 percent.

Publication date: 11/03/2003