U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled 412,873 units in October 2025, marking a 49.4% decline compared to 815,360 units shipped in October 2024, according to new data.
Central air conditioner shipments fell by 54.9% year-on-year, with 202,990 units shipped in October 2025 compared to 449,972 units the previous year. Shipments of air-source heat pumps dropped by 42.6%, reaching 209,883 units versus 365,388 units in October 2024.
Cumulative shipments from January to October 2025 for both product categories reached 6,961,815 units, down 17.7% compared to 8,455,008 units during the same period in 2024. Central air conditioners accounted for 3,734,995 units, a 23.4% decrease from 4,873,899 units year-to-date in 2024. Heat pump shipments for the same period declined by 9.9% to 3,226,820 units, from 3,581,109 units in 2024.
The decline was evident across nearly all capacity categories. For October 2025, shipments in the 22–26.9 (000) BTUH range dropped by 59.3% compared to the previous year. Units in the 16.5–21.9 (000) BTUH range fell by 57.7%, and the 27–32.9 (000) BTUH segment declined by 57.3%.
A few capacity ranges showed slight increases. The 185–249.9 (000) BTUH category rose by 0.2%, and the 540–639.9 (000) BTUH segment increased by 8.4% in October 2025 compared to the previous year.
On a year-to-date basis, only the smallest capacity category — under 16.5 (000) BTUH — showed growth, increasing by 2.7% to 347,233 units. All other size categories recorded declines ranging from single-digit to nearly 40%.
These figures reflect data from U.S. manufacturers on central air conditioner and air-source heat pump shipments.
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