ARLINGTON, VA — Combined U.S. factory shipments of 572,150 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for April were down 8% compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) statistics. The year-to-date total is 2,095,319 units, which is down 9% from January to April 2000.

Heat pump shipments of 121,052 for April were up 9% over last year. Year-to-date, they total 468,326, which is an increase of 6% from the same period last year. April factory stocks climbed 50,521 units from March, and were up 91,225 units from April 2000.

Distributor inventories for April declined 89,893 units from March, and were down 150,166 units from April 2000. April distributor shipments increased 13% from a year ago, and year-to-date shipments were up 2%.

Publication date: 06/11/2001