U.S. factory shipments of residential cooling and heating equipment for January 2008 look very similar to the totals for the same month a year ago, with a slight rise reported this year for central air conditioners, air-source heat pumps and gas warm air furnaces, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for January totaled 323,072, a 1% drop compared with January 2007 total shipments.

Heat pump shipments for January totaled 125,489, a 7% increase from the same month a year ago.

U.S. factory shipments of gas warm air furnaces rose 1.2% to 171,120, compared with January 2007 totals.

Oil warm air furnaces for the same month fell 17.5% to 5,807, compared with January 2007 shipments of this equipment. 

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