Last year was a pretty good one for manufacturers, according to Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), which reported shipments of HVAC equipment increased in 2014. Year-to-date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 11.1 percent, and U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces increased 5.1 percent over the same period in 2013 (oil warm air furnaces increased 8 percent).
While it's good news sales are in positive territory, there is still concern the economy is not growing at a particularly brisk rate. “This has not been a robust recovery, and it will not be a robust recovery,” said Ed Purvis, COO of Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. and chairman of AHRI. “We’re in our third or fourth year now of seeing mid-single-digit growth, and I think that’s going to continue. I don’t think we’ll see double-digit growth in this marketplace — it’s going to be strong single-digit growth for the foreseeable future.”