Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/media/k2/items/src/ae1029cddfbde14c54166b4994308e52.jpg)
HVAC Shipments Ease in August, But Strong for the Year
Written by Brett Linton
October 12, 2021
U.S. heating and cooling equipment shipments slowed in August to 2.05 million units, down 2.4% from July and down 11.4% from June’s record-high of 2.32 million units, according to recent data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). August levels are down 1.8% from levels seen one year prior. Recall that 2020 monthly shipment levels were somewhat erratic; shipments in the second quarter were significantly impacted by the coronavirus shutdowns, resulting in a surge in Q3/Q4 shipments as manufacturers ramped up production.
Total 2021 shipments through August are now up to 16.6 million units, up 13.5% compared to 14.6 million units shipped in the same period of 2020. As seen in the chart below, year-to-date (YTD) shipments for all three equipment types are at record levels, each the highest seen in SMU’s 14-year data history.
As a three-month moving average (3MMA), total heating and cooling shipments are down 0.2% year over year. Recall that May and June 2021 hold the record high 3MMA annual rate of change at 31.9% and 27.2%, respectively, and the record high prior to 2020 was 16.6% in February 2015. As shown in the chart below, August marks the first month 3MMA shipments have decreased on a year-over-year basis, following 13 consecutive months of increases.
Residential and commercial storage water heater shipments decreased 3.3% year over year to a combined 785,721 units in August; 763,823 units were shipped for residential use and 21,898 units for commercial use.
August shipments of warm air furnaces totaled 336,119 units, an increase of 3.2% compared to the same month last year. This is now the 14th consecutive month that warm air furnace shipments have increased year-over-year.
Central air conditioners and air-source heat pump shipments were down 2.2% from levels one year ago to 929,560 total units; 588,595 air conditioners and 340,965 heat pumps were shipped in August. This is now the third consecutive month that shipments have decreased year-over-year.
The full press release is available on the AHRI website here.
Below is a graph showing the history of total water heater, warm air furnace and air conditioner shipments through the latest data. To use its interactive features, view the graph on our website by clicking here. For assistance with either logging in or navigating the website, contact Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
By Brett Linton, Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SMU_BL_headshot-V4-150x150.png)
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/GrafTech.jpg)
GrafTech’s Q2 loss widens in ‘challenging’ business environment
GrafTech cited a “challenging” part of the business cycle as its net loss widened in the second quarter.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Poor steel margins continue to push down raw material prices
Both iron ore and coking coal prices fell this week because of resistance from buyers. Iron ore prices have continued to fall throughout the past week, following sharp declines in steel prices in China, given no new policy announcement from the ‘Third Plenum’ meeting.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/canacero-logo.png)
Op-Ed: The myth of the Mexican steel surge
We have heard ominous warnings about a flood of Mexican steel threatening the US market. It's the kind of rhetoric that gets thrown around often with little regard for the facts. The reality is that the Mexican steel surge is simply not happening, and the US steel industry has consistently maintained a significant trade surplus in finished products with Mexico. In 2023 alone, this surplus exceeded $3 billion.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Demand weakness continues to weigh on global sheet markets
Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/graph_up_arrow.png)
Influx of coated products fuels recent import surge
Steel imports fell back in May from April’s recent high but remained elevated compared to the levels seen over the past year. A deeper dive into the data confirms what SMU has been hearing from sources: Coated sheet is driving the recent rise in overall import levels.