Slight Dip in October Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments

U.S. heating and cooling equipment shipments slipped 1.9% in October to 2.05 million units, according to recent data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). October levels are down 1.5% from those 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. This past June saw a record-high shipment level of 2.32 million units in a single month.

Total 2021 shipments through October are now up to 20.7 million units, up 10.7% compared to 18.7 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 remain at record levels in 2021, each the highest seen in SMU’s 14-year data history.