Cooling Equipment Shipment Growth Hits 7-Month Streak

Manufacturers shipped more cooling equipment again in August, continuing a run of growth that's lasted seven months straight. Combined shipments of central air conditioners and heat pumps hit 756,739 units nationwide, up 11.4% from the same month last year. Air conditioners alone grew faster than heat pumps this time, up 17.2%, while heat pumps rose a more modest 5%. Still, heat pumps now make up 44.7% of all cooling equipment shipped, a share that's climbed steadily from 31% a decade ago. That shift matters for homeowners because it shows the equipment industry is building and stocking more heat pumps than ever, a trend that makes them easier to find and increasingly treated as standard cooling equipment, not just a winter heating option.

On the heating side, gas furnace shipments dipped slightly while oil furnaces kept up a recent rebound, rising 27% from last August even though they remain a small slice of the market compared with gas. Water heater shipments slipped too, with both gas and electric storage models down slightly from last year, though electric units still outsell gas ones overall.

None of this changes what any one household needs to do about their own aging furnace or water heater. But the broader pattern, more heat pumps shipped every month this year, suggests continued availability and manufacturer investment in that technology, which is worth keeping in mind if you're weighing a heat pump for your next cooling or heating upgrade.