ARLINGTON, VA — Combined U.S. factory shipments of 358,596 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps in October are up 12% compared to October 2001, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. Combined shipments for the first 10 months of 2002 total 6,015,183, up 7% from the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments of 88,191 units in October are down 6% from October 2001. The year-to-date total of 1,283,097 is up 2% from January-October 2001.