When the first round of tariffs on steel and aluminum were announced earlier this year, many HVAC manufacturers responded by raising prices on their equipment. This led to concerns that higher prices would cause customers to repair their systems, rather than replace them, and a second round of price increases from some OEMs later in the summer magnified that concern.
However, based on a recent report from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), it seems that customers were not fazed by the higher price of cooling equipment. Indeed, year-to-date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 7.3 percent through August, with central air conditioner shipments increasing 4.8 percent and heat pumps increasing 12.3 percent. Contractors reported similar findings, noting that even though cooling equipment was more expensive, homeowners still opted to buy new systems.