Hotpoint Serial Number Lookup: Month and Year Letters
U.S. Hotpoint appliances use the GE serial number system. A typical serial number begins with a month letter and a year letter, followed by six digits that identify the individual appliance. Some serial numbers also have a final suffix.
For example, split serial number HS000000 as H | S | 000000. H means May, while S can mean 1959, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, or 2021. The six zeros are the unit sequence and do not influence the manufacture date. Because GE reuses most year letters about every 12 years, we advise you to enter the model number as well. For model RAS200DMWW, the production period leaves 2021 as the only possible S year.
Therefore, the manufacture date is May 2021. If Appliage cannot find a production period for the model, it shows every possible past date. Hotpoint appliances sold in Britain or Europe use a different serial-number system.
Appliage decodes two Hotpoint date systems, and both look the same on the plate: two letters, then six digits. Serial numbers from 1944 to today use the month letter and year letter tables below, which give a month and a short list of years. Serial numbers from 1961 through 1968 use one of eight fixed two letter prefixes instead, and each prefix names one exact year. Both are covered under Hotpoint Age Rules below.
The two systems share one shape, so the letter pair itself is the test. Look at the prefix table for 1961 through 1968 first. VU, WV, XW, YX, AY, BZ, CA, and DB each name one year and give no month. Any other pair belongs to the month and year tables.
Hotpoint Serial Number Rules
- 1 month letter
- 2 year letter
- 3–8 unit sequence
- 9 optional suffix
Position 1 gives the month and position 2 gives the year. Positions 3–8 form the unit sequence, which identifies the individual appliance but does not influence its manufacture date. If a ninth character appears, it is an optional suffix and is not used to calculate the date.
Month code in position 1
| Code | Month |
|---|---|
| A | January |
| D | February |
| F | March |
| G | April |
| H | May |
| L | June |
| M | July |
| R | August |
| S | September |
| T | October |
| V | November |
| Z | December |
Year code in position 2
| Code | Possible manufacture years |
|---|---|
| A | 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1944 |
| B | 1945 |
| C | 1946 |
| D | 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1947 |
| E | 1969, 1948 |
| F | 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1949 |
| G | 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1950 |
| H | 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1951 |
| J | 1952 |
| K | 1953 |
| L | 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1954 |
| M | 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1955 |
| N | 1972, 1956 |
| P | 1973, 1957 |
| R | 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1958 |
| S | 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1959 |
| T | 2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1960 |
| V | 2023, 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 |
| Z | 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976 |
Hotpoint uses the same month and year codes as GE. The month table omits several letters, so do not read an unlisted letter as a month. For example, B is not a valid Hotpoint month code.
Year only prefixes for 1961–1968
The year table above has no entry for 1961 through 1968. GE dated those eight years with fixed two letter prefixes instead, and Hotpoint plates from that stretch carry them. Each prefix stands for one year on its own.
| Prefix | Year |
|---|---|
| VU | 1961 |
| WV | 1962 |
| XW | 1963 |
| YX | 1964 |
| AY | 1965 |
| BZ | 1966 |
| CA | 1967 |
| DB | 1968 |
The rest of the serial number does not change: six digits for the unit sequence, plus the optional suffix at the end. A prefix from this table supplies the year and nothing else, so a result in this range carries no month. Enter VU123456 and Appliage returns 1961 with no month attached.
DB belongs to both systems. D is the month letter for February and B is the year letter for 1945, but Appliage takes DB from the prefix table, so DB123456 comes back as 1968 rather than February 1945. The other seven pairs are not valid month and year combinations, so only the prefix table accepts them.
Enter the model number too when you have one. If GE’s dated record for that model does not cover the prefix year, Appliage reports the disagreement and calculates no age. Serial number VU123456 with model RAS200DMWW gives that answer, because that range family entered production in October 2018.
Hotpoint Serial Numbers Appliage Cannot Find the Age
If Appliage cannot find the production period for your model, it cannot use the model number to select one repeated year. It still decodes the first two letters and shows every possible past manufacture date. If the month letter is unreadable or is not listed in the month table, Appliage cannot return a complete manufacture date.
Hotpoint serial numbers from 1961 through 1968 use one of the eight prefixes in the table above, and the answer is that year with no month. Anything earlier falls outside the published tables used here.
Do not use the U.S. chart for a Hotpoint appliance sold in Britain, Europe, or Russia. Those products belong to a separate brand history and use different serial number systems, so Appliage returns no date for them on this page.
One serial system across the GE family
Hotpoint is a GE Appliances brand and uses the same U.S. Owner Center as GE, GE Profile, and Café. A 2022 range recall also groups GE, Café, and Hotpoint appliances under the same HS and LS serial prefixes.
The Café, Americana, and RCA nameplates decode the same way, and the GE serial number lookup covers all of them.
Sources
- GE Appliances month and year codes. American Hotpoint appliances use these GE date codes.
- GE Appliances: Hotpoint owner support
- GE Owner Center: RAS200DMWW range. GE gives October 2018 as the start of production for this range.
- GE Owner Center: HTX26EASWWW dryer. GE gives April 2024 as the start of production for this dryer.
- CPSC: GE, Café and Hotpoint range recall (22-028). The three brands share the serial prefixes listed in the recall.
For other brands, see our appliance serial number lookup.