ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for July totaled 644,300, down 28 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). Year-to-date combined unitary shipments totaled 4,753,131, down 6 percent from January to July 2005 totals.
July heat pump shipments were also down. Totaling 180,411 units, the numbers dropped 11 percent as compared with the same month last year. The year-to-date total of 1,374,727 was up 12 percent from January to July 2005 totals.