April Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Released

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) reports U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters for April 2020 decreased 15.1%, to 311,683 units, off from 367,028 units shipped a year earlier. Residential electric storage models shipped fell 5.7% in April 2020 to 322,258 units, down from 341,834 units shipped in April 2019. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters are off 4.6% to 1,473,757, compared to 1,544,800 shipped during that same period in 2019. Residential electric storage water heater shipments increased 3.3% year-to-date, to 1,489,496 units, compared to 1,442,421 shipped during the same period in 2019.

Commercial gas storage water heater shipments decreased 21% in April 2020, to 5849 units, down from 7404 units shipped in April 2019. Commercial electric storage water heater shipments decreased 26.2% in April to 9888 units, down from 13,395 units shipped in April 2019. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of commercial gas storage water heaters declined 8% to 28,703 units, compared with 31,183 units shipped during the same period in 2019. Year-to-date commercial electric storage water heater shipments were off 3.5% to 49,253 units, down from 51,022 units shipped during the same period in 2019.

U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces for April 2020 decreased 42.5% to 156,483 units, down from 272,138 units shipped a year earlier. Oil warm air furnace shipments decreased 66.8% to 905 units in April 2020, down from 2725 units shipped in April 2019. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces decreased 24.6% to 831,733 units, compared with 1,103,145 shipped during the same period in 2019. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of oil warm air furnaces decreased 33.3% to 7697 units, versus 11,542 units shipped during the same period in 2019.

U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled 634,036 units in April 2020, down 14.7% from 743,068 units shipped in April 2019. U.S. shipments of air conditioners decreased 18.6% to 398,040 units, off from 488,907 units shipped in April 2019. U.S. shipments of air-source heat pumps decreased 7.1% to 235,996 units, down from 254,161 units shipped a year prior. Year-to-date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps decreased 0.7% to 2,585,007, off from 2,604,077 units shipped during the same period in 2019. Year-to-date shipments of central air conditioners decreased 1.5% to 1,579,040 units from 1,602,941 units shipped in 2019. The year-to-date total for heat pump shipments increased 0.5% to 1,005,967, up from 1,001,136 units shipped during the same period in 2019.

SOURCE: The Weekly Propane Newsletter, June 11, 2020. Weekly Propane Newsletter subscribers receive all the latest posted and spot prices from major terminals and refineries around the U.S. delivered to inboxes every week. Receive a center spread of posted prices with hundreds of postings updated each week, along with market analysis, insightful commentary, and much more not found elsewhere.