ARLINGTON, Va. - Combined January U.S. factory shipments of 407,380 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps were up 6 percent compared to shipments from the same month last year, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute reported. Heat pump shipments of 125,165 were also up 11 percent compared to January 2003.

January 2004 factory stocks were down 68,258 units from the previous year, and up 31,614 units from December 2003. Distributor inventories were down 98,536 units from a year earlier, and up 38,188 units from the previous month. Distributor shipments were up 8 percent from the previous year.