ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of 714,793 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for October were up 73 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Total shipments of 7,387,173 units for the first 10 months of 2005 are up 12 percent from last year, setting up what should be another record year for shipments.

Heat pump shipments for October of 190,015 increased 47 percent compared to October 2004. The year-to-date total of 1,803,440 is up 10 percent from January-October 2004.

October distributor shipments were up 64 percent from October 2004, with year-to-date shipments up 13 percent.

Publication date: 11/28/2005