In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the superstorm it spawned in the Northeastern United States, manufacturers represented by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) have increased production to meet the unexpected increased demand for residential and light commercial boilers, furnaces, and heat pumps.

At this point in a typical year, much of this equipment has already been manufactured and shipped to distributors, so manufacturers and parts suppliers have quickly ramped up production to meet the unexpected and unprecedented need for these products.

"Manufacturers could not have predicted this spike in demand during what is typically a slower manufacturing period for heating products," said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek. "But they are making every effort to provide these products to consumers and small businesses as quickly as possible so their lives can begin to return to normal," he said.

As one manufacturer put it, "We understand the importance of getting heat back on in people's homes all across the most hard-hit areas in New York and New Jersey, and we are doing everything we can to accelerate our manufacturing to meet such a significant spike in demand. We are shipping every piece of equipment we can manufacture as quickly as possible."