U.S. factory shipments of gas-fired, warm-air furnaces totaled 171,539 in August, a 10.6 percent drop compared with the same month a year ago, the AHRI reported.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute also reported that oil-fired, warm-air furnaces for the same month totaled 4,611, a 32.1 percent drop compared with August 2008 totals. For the year, gas furnace shipments totaled 1.2 million, a 14.3 percent drop compared with the same period last year. Oil furnace shipments for the year to date totaled 26,137, a 21 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Residential gas water heater shipments totaled 275,048, an 18.7 percent drop compared with shipments for the same month last year. Residential electric water heater shipments for August totaled 284,079, an 18.8 percent drop from the same month a year ago. For the year so far, about 2.4 million residential gas and 2.4 million electric storage water heaters have been shipped, a 12.2 percent drop and a 14.5 percent drop compared with the same period a year ago.

According to the AHRI, combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for August totaled 466,770, down 14.2 percent compared with the same month a year ago. For the year to date, combined shipments totaled 3.8 million, a 17.3 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Heat pump shipments for August totaled 130,303, down 16.2 percent from the same month a year ago. For the year, heat pump shipments totaled 1.2 million, a 14.8 percent drop compared with the same period last year.