ARLINGTON, VA – Combined U.S. factory shipments of 622,396 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for April were down 4% from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics.

Shipments for the first four months total 2,304,126, which is 14% ahead of last year.

Heat pump shipments included in the April figures totaled 111,559, up 1% compared to April 1999. The year-to-date total is 442,193, up 13% from last year.

April factory stocks were down 10,615 units from March, but were up 94,600 units from April 1999.

Distributor inventories for April rose 36,589 units from March, and increased 164,310 units from April of last year. April distributor shipments slipped down 9% from April 99. Year-to-date shipments were up 8%.

— Greg Mazurkiewicz