ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined U.S factory shipments of 407,380 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for January were up 6 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, according to statistics from the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI).

January 2004 heat pump shipments of 125,165 were also up 11 percent compared to January 2003.

Factory stocks for January 2004 were down 68,258 units from January 2003, and up 31,614 units from December 2003. January 2004 distributor inventories were down 98,536 units from January 2003 and up 38,188 units from December 2003. Distributor shipments for January 2004 were up 8 percent from January 2003.

Publication date: 03/15/2004