Factory shipments of gas-fired, warm-air furnaces in the United States totaled 243,190 in September, a 2.5 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago, according to AHRI.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute also reported that oil-fired, warm-air furnaces for the same month totaled 7,567, a 4 percent increase compared with September 2008 totals.

For the year-to-date, gas furnace shipments totaled 1.4 million, a 12.5 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil furnace shipments for the year to date totaled 33,704, an 11.5 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Residential gas water heater shipments totaled 319,796, a 7.4 percent increase compared with shipments for the same month last year. Residential electric water heater shipments for September totaled 320,224, a 3.8 percent drop from the same month a year ago. For the year, about 2.7 million residential gas and 2.8 million electric storage water heaters have been shipped, a 10.3 percent and 13.4 percent drop, respectively, compared with the same period a year ago.

Commercial gas water heater shipments for September totaled 6,199, down 8.9 percent compared with the same month last year, while commercial electric water heater shipments totaled 4,948, a 4.2 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago. For the year to date, commercial gas heater shipments totaled 57,500, down 19.1 percent from the same period last year. Year-to-date commercial electric water heater shipments totaled 43,165, down 20.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago.

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for September totaled 419,025, which is unchanged compared with the same month a year ago. For the year, combined shipments totaled 4.2 million, a 15.8 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for September totaled 128,684, down 6.3 percent from the same month a year ago. For the year to date, heat pump shipments totaled 1.3 million, a 14 percent drop compared with the same period last year.