According to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), March brought commercial gas water heaters a 4-percent increase in U.S. shipments, up from 8,119 units in March 2009 to 8,476 units in March 2010; however, shipments of electric water heaters dropped 4 percent to 5,698 units in March 2010, down from 5,909 units in March 2009. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of commercial gas water heaters increased 3 percent to 21,997 units in March 2010, up from 21,349 units in March 2009. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of commercial electric water heaters decreased 7 percent to 14,157 units in March 2010, compared with 15,200 units in March 2009.

Warm-Air Furnaces
March 2010 brought gains for both gas and oil warm-air furnaces. Gas warm-air furnace shipments increased 17 percent to 186,963 units in March 2010, compared with 160,339 units in March 2009. In March 2010, oil warm-air furnace shipments increased 18 percent to 3,958 units, up from 3,337 units in March 2009.

Year-to-date U.S. shipments of gas warm-air furnaces increased 21 percent to 506,856 units in March 2010, compared with 418,338 units shipped in March 2009. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of oil warm-air furnaces increased 33 percent to 13,319 units in March 2010, compared with 9,988 units shipped in March 2009.

Central Air Conditioners and Air-Source Heat Pumps
The combined total of U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps in March 2010 was 461,446, 162,971 of which were heat pumps. The combined total decreased 2 percent from a revised total of 472,958 units shipped in March 2009. The total number of shipments for heat pumps increased 0.6 percent from a revised total of 161,966 units in March 2009.

Year-to-date U.S. shipments of heat pumps increased 7 percent in March 2010 to 385,717 units, compared with a revised total of 360,036 units shipped in March 2009. Year-to-date shipments of central air conditioners increased 6 percent to 645,606 units in March 2010, compared with a revised total of 608,751 units in March 2009.