U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps fell sharply in November 2025, totaling 379,470 units — a 46.4% decrease compared to 707,436 units shipped in November 2024, according to data released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
Air conditioner shipments declined 53.7% to 181,223 units, down from 391,531 in November 2024. Air-source heat pump shipments dropped 37.2% to 198,247 units, compared to 315,905 units in the same month the previous year.
For the year to date, combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps reached 7,341,285 units — a 19.9% decline from 9,162,444 units shipped in the same period in 2024. Shipments of central air conditioners fell 25.6% to 3,916,218 units, while heat pump shipments decreased 12.1% to 3,425,067 units.
The data also detailed unit shipments by capacity. In November 2025, most size categories saw significant decreases, with shipments in the 22–26.9 (000 BTUH) range down 60.1%, and those in the 16.5–21.9 range down 58.0% compared to the previous year. A few categories showed growth, including the 640–799.9 range, which increased by 19.4%.
Year-to-date figures showed similar trends. Units in the 16.5–21.9 range declined by 40.5%, while shipments under 16.5 (000 BTUH) saw a marginal increase of 0.5%. Only a few categories, such as 900.0–999.9 and 1,000.0–1,199.9, reported slight gains.
AHRI’s monthly statistical release provides a benchmark for U.S. manufacturing trends in HVAC equipment and is compiled from data submitted by AHRI member manufacturers.
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