U.S. residential gas water heater shipments edge higher in June; A/C deliveries drop sharply

Shipments of residential gas storage water heaters in the U.S. rose 0.7% in June to 340,647 units from 338,361 a year earlier, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Residential electric storage water heater shipments climbed 1.9% to 419,323 units.

Year-to-date, residential gas water heater shipments were up 1.1% to 2.23 million units, while residential electric models slipped 0.6% to 2.63 million. Commercial gas water heater deliveries were virtually flat at 46,706 units, while commercial electric units gained 3.7% to 87,050.

Warm air furnace shipments posted double-digit growth, with gas models up 13.1% to 1.66 million units and oil models up 10.6% to 13,527 units year-to-date.

In cooling equipment, combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps plunged 22.2% in June to 840,769 units. Air conditioner shipments dropped 26.3% to 477,270 units, while heat pumps fell 16.0% to 363,499 units.

For the year to date, combined shipments of central air conditioners and heat pumps declined 3.0% to 4.58 million units. Central air conditioners were down 8.1% to 2.50 million, while heat pumps rose 4.0% to 2.08 million units.