HVAC shipments inch up after nine months of declines
U.S. combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled nearly 639,000 units in February
Image: Freek Wolsink / Pexels
U.S. combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled nearly 639,000 units in February 2026, according to AHRI data released Friday, a 0.4 percent year-over-year increase.
- Why it matters: That marks the first month since April 2025 when combined shipments grew compared to the previous year.
Go deeper: Shipments of air conditioners, in particular, fell 4.2 percent year-over-year during the month, while heat pump shipments grew 5.8 percent.
- Of note: Heat pumps outsold A/Cs on a monthly basis for the first time in September 2025, as Homepros recently reported, a trend that lasted through January — but didn’t continue in February.
Zoom out: Year-to-date, combined shipments are down 14.3 percent compared to the same period in 2025.
What they’re saying: “I think the annual shipment rate has bottomed here,” HARDI analyst Brian Loftus told Homepros via email.
- “Look at the rolling three-month shipment growth rate for each product line,” which “leads the annual” rate, he added. “The 3-month rate is improving for AC[s] and heat pumps.”
Keep reading
$13 billion HVAC disruption averted in port deal
An agreement was reached on Wednesday, preventing a port strike that could have impacted roughly $13 billion worth of HVAC goods
Charted: Where U.S. household debt payments stand
In the first quarter of this year, household debt payments represented 11.16 percent of disposable income, according to the Federal Reserve
AHRI presses court to fast-track EPA refrigerant rule challenge
Refrigerant prices across the industry could rise under an updated rule published in May, the association argues
