Appliance age decoder and brand guides
Appliance Serial Number Lookup: Date Codes by Brand
There is no single serial number rule for every appliance brand. GE uses month and year letters, Carrier uses a production week and year, while Bosch prints the date in a separate FD number. Select the brand from the rating plate, and Appliage will use the correct rule.
Find the Age of Your Appliance with Appliage
Select the brand exactly as it appears on the rating plate, then enter the complete serial number. For some brands, the serial number alone shows one manufacture date. Other brands use the same year code more than once, so the serial number may point to several possible years. For those brands, enter the model number too. Appliage compares the years in the serial number with the period when that model was made. It can then return the most likely manufacture year and month, or the most likely year and production week. If the model number cannot narrow the result to one date, Appliage shows every possible date.
What to Copy from the Rating Plate
- Find the plateCheck inside a refrigerator, around a washer or dryer opening, behind a range drawer, or on the cabinet of HVAC and water-heating equipment.
- Read the full brandWhite-Westinghouse is not the same selection as Westinghouse. Amana, Maytag, and Frigidaire also use different rules for household appliances and HVAC equipment.
- Copy both numbersKeep the model and serial number from the same plate. Do not remove zeros, spaces, revision suffixes, or leading letters.
- Read the resultAppliage shows the manufacture date and estimated age. If more than one year is possible, it shows every possible year.
Why Appliage Sometimes Needs the Model Number
The model number does not usually contain the manufacture date. It tells Appliage which appliance you have. If a serial number year code can mean more than one year, the model number may help choose the most likely one. A GE year letter may point to several years about 12 years apart. Whirlpool and LG use the same year digit again every ten years.
Kenmore, Kenmore Elite, and Sears work differently. The first three digits of the model number tell Appliage who made the appliance. Appliage needs that information before it can choose the serial number rule. Carrier, Goodman, Nordyne, and modern A. O. Smith water heaters put a full two-digit year in the serial number, so the model number is optional.
Common Ways a Serial Number Stores the Date
How Far Back Each Serial System Goes
A serial number only decodes as far back as its maker’s code system reaches. Every span below is tested against the decoder itself, and where a system stops, the result says so instead of guessing.
| Brands | Decodes from | Why it stops there |
|---|---|---|
| GE/Hotpoint/Americana | 1944–today | GE’s own table starts there |
| Café | 2001–today | GE’s Café chart; years before the 2007 launch are shown as unlikely |
| RCA | 1989–2002 | the RCA name was only used then |
| Admiral, Amana + 8 more | 1990–today | X can mean either 1990 or 2020 |
| Bosch | 1933–today | the first Bosch home appliance |
| Gaggenau | 1995–today | Gaggenau joined BSH; FD is a BSH rating-plate field |
| Thermador | 1998–today | Thermador joined BSH; FD is a BSH rating-plate field |
| Samsung | 2005–today | no published table before then |
| LG | any year | the model picks the decade |
| Haier | 1984–today | Haier began in 1984; dates before its 1999 U.S. evidence floor can appear as unlikely candidates |
| Alliance Laundry, Speed Queen | 1995–today | the first two digits give the year, starting with 95 for 1995 |
| Electrolux, Frigidaire + 5 more | 1997–today | confirmed by a 1997 federal recall |
| Kenmore, Kenmore Elite, Sears appliances | 1991–today | follows the real maker’s system |
| A. O. Smith, American Water Heaters + 3 more | 1991–today | letters 1991–2007; American and Whirlpool digits from 2000 |
| Bradford White | 1984–today | the letter table starts there |
| Rheem water heaters, Ruud water heaters | 1981–today | serial numbers from 1981 onward can provide an age |
| Rinnai | 2000–today | the 2000 serial system starts there |
| Navien | 2008–today | Navien reached North America then |
| Weil-McLain | 1988–today | the CP table starts there |
| Utica Boilers | 1979–today | older letter serials can go back to 1979 |
| Peerless Boilers | 1984–today | the ending digits show the manufacture month and year |
| Bryant, Carrier, Payne | 1985–today | real plates verify it back to 1985 |
| American Standard, Trane | 1980–today | nothing published earlier |
| Amana HVAC, Goodman, Janitrol | 1996–today | Amana HVAC also covers 1987–1994 |
| Airquest, Arcoaire + 6 more | 1990–today; some earlier readings shown as unlikely | 1990 is the dated ICP evidence floor, not a published start for the serial layout; brand start dates still apply |
| AirEase, Armstrong Air + 3 more | 1970–today, depending on brand and format | Lennox records reach further back; the published Allied Air layout for AirEase, Armstrong Air and Concord starts in 1993 |
| Champion, Coleman HVAC + 4 more | 1971–today | York’s letter and SAP formats reach back to 1971. Champion itself became a brand in June 2015; older Champion series units carry the York name and decode as York. |
| Frigidaire HVAC, Intertherm + 4 more | 1989–today; some earlier readings shown as unlikely | 1989 is the Nortek evidence floor, not a published format start; each licensed brand has its own start date |
Amana’s older ten digit serials also decode from 1987 to 1994, and years far past an appliance’s working life come back flagged as very unlikely.
Serial Number Age Rules by Brand
Find the brand printed on your rating plate. Each card shows the serial number structure, which positions give the date, and whether you should enter the model number. Select the brand name to open the full guide.
GE month and year letters
These serial numbers begin with a month letter and a year letter. Many year letters are used again about 12 years later, so the model number may be needed.
GE
Month letter | year letter | unit sequence
The first letter gives the month, and the second gives the year. GE uses many year letters again about every 12 years. Enter the model number to help Appliage find the most likely year.
Example: DR527459 = D | R | 527459. D means February. R is the year letter, and model GTS21FSKBSS narrows it to 2020.
DB is a special case. GE’s prefix list reads DB as 1968, while the month-and-year table reads it as February 1945. Appliage shows both dates for DB123456 rather than choosing one.
Hotpoint
Month letter | year letter | unit sequence
Hotpoint appliances sold in the United States use the GE letter tables. Appliances sold in Britain or Europe use a different serial number system.
Example: HS000000 = H | S | 000000. H means May. Model RAS200DMWW helps Appliage identify S as 2021.
Café
Month letter | year letter | six-digit sequence
The first letter gives the month. For the year letter, Appliage uses GE’s Café-specific chart, not the general GE chart. GE’s chart includes 2001–2006 dates even though another GE page says Café launched in 2007. Appliage keeps those earlier dates but marks them unlikely. A model number can help identify the appliance, but it may not settle which Café year applies.
Example: GR527460 = G | R | 527460. G means April, and GE’s Café chart gives 2008 or 2020 for R. Appliage shows both as candidates.
Americana
Month letter | year letter | six-digit sequence
Americana uses the GE month and year letters. You can enter the model number, but Appliage cannot currently use it to choose one year. It shows every matching date.
Example: AB227462 = A | B | 227462. A means January, B means 1945, and 227462 is the unit sequence.
RCA
Month letter | year letter | unit sequence
This rule is for GE-built RCA appliances made from 1989 through 2002. RCA appliances made later may come from another manufacturer and use a different rule.
Example: DR527465 = D | R | 527465. D means February. Of the possible R years, only 1996 falls within the 1989–2002 RCA period.
Whirlpool and Maytag serial number rules
A Whirlpool-style serial number starts with a factory code. This code tells you which factory made the appliance, but it does not give the date. The year and production week come next. Older Maytag-style serial numbers put the year and month at the end.
Whirlpool
Factory code | year digit | production week | sequence
In a modern nine-character serial number, position 1 identifies the factory that made the appliance. Position 2 is the year code. Positions 3–4 give the production week. The year code repeats every ten years, so enter the model number too.
Example: M92510000 = M | 9 | 25 | 10000. M is the factory code, 9 is the year digit, and 25 is the production week. Model WRS325SDHZ helps identify the year as 2019.
Maytag
Eight digits | year letter | month letter, or Whirlpool layout
Maytag uses two main formats. In the older ten-character format, position 9 is the year letter and position 10 is the month letter. Later appliances may use the Whirlpool year-and-week format.
Example: F42510000 = F | 4 | 25 | 10000. F is the factory code, 4 is the year digit, and 25 is the production week. Model MDB8969SDE0 identifies the year as 2014.
KitchenAid
Factory code | year digit | production week | sequence
Modern KitchenAid appliances may use Whirlpool’s nine-character format. Position 1 identifies the factory. Position 2 gives the year code, and positions 3–4 give the production week. On serials from 1991 through 2009, position 2 holds a letter year instead, A for 1991 through Y for 2009. Enter the model number because the numeric year code repeats.
An X in the year position can point to 1990 or 2020. Add the KitchenAid model number and Appliage may be able to narrow the result to one year.
Example: XR1512345 = X | R | 15 | 12345. R is the year letter for 2004, so this serial is week 15 of 2004. With a digit instead, 9 can point to 2019, 1989, or another open numeric cycle outside the published 1991–2009 letter span until a dated record narrows the result.
Admiral
Factory code | year digit | production week | sequence
Admiral rating plates use the Whirlpool platform layout: position 1 is the factory code, position 2 the year digit, and positions 3–4 the production week. The digits-plus-letters tail table belongs to Maytag-built machines, so a ten-character Admiral serial ending in two letters returns no age.
Example: C92510000 = C | 9 | 25 | 10000. The year digit 9 can mean 2019, 1989, or 1979 in the range covered by Admiral’s model records. The published Whirlpool table uses letters for 1991 through 2009, so numeric readings in that span are not included.
Amana
Appliance: factory | year | week; HVAC: YY | MM
Choose Appliance or HVAC before entering the serial number. Amana appliances may use the Whirlpool year-and-week format or Maytag’s trailing-letter format from 2001 through 2013. Amana HVAC units may use the Goodman year-and-month format from 1996 on, and older ten digit serials from 1987 through 1994 also decode.
Example: M42510000 = M | 4 | 25 | 10000. With no model number, the code can mean production week 25 of 2024, 2014, or 1984. The published Whirlpool table uses a letter, not digit 4, for 2004.
JennAir
Maytag ending letters, or Whirlpool front date
Older JennAir serial numbers end with a Maytag year letter and month letter, dated from 1990 through 2013. Codes B, D, F, and H cover 1990 through 1993, and those dates appear as Estimated. Serial numbers from 2008 and 2009 can carry the letter W or Y in position 2 instead, and from 2010 the nine character layout uses a numeric year code.
Example: 12438097QQ = 12438097 | Q | Q. The first Q is the year letter for 1996 and the second Q is the month letter for July.
Magic Chef
Eight digits | year letter | possible month letter
A matching ten-character serial number uses the Maytag letter table from 1990 through 2013. Codes B, D, F, and H cover 1990 through 1993, and those dates appear as Estimated. Nine character serials from 2008 and 2009 carry the letter W or Y in position 2, and from 2010 the same layout uses a numeric year code, where the model number helps pick the decade.
Example: 12345678AA = 12345678 | A | A. The year letter A means 2002, and the month letter A means January.
Roper
Model identifies the format; some use factory | year | week
Roper does not use one serial number rule for every appliance. Enter the model number first. If the model shows that Whirlpool made the appliance, Appliage reads the year code and production week from the serial number.
Example: For model RTW4516FW2, C92510000 = C | 9 | 25 | 10000. C is the factory code, 9 is a year ending in 9, and 25 is the production week. The model must identify the correct Roper system before Appliage uses these positions.
Estate
Factory code | year digit | production week | sequence
Estate was a Whirlpool brand, and Estate serials decode with the Whirlpool positions: position 1 is the factory code, position 2 the year digit, and positions 3–4 the production week. The model number helps rank the possible decades.
Example: With model ETW4400WQ1, serial M92510000 returns week 25 of 2019 (Candidates). The model record narrows the displayed list, but it does not prove the manufacture year of this individual washer.
Inglis
Factory code | year digit | production week | sequence
A matching nine-character Inglis serial number uses the Whirlpool format. Position 1 identifies the factory. Position 2 gives the year code, and positions 3–4 give the production week. The model number may help choose the correct decade.
Example: M92610000 = M | 9 | 26 | 10000. M is the factory code, 9 is the year digit, and 26 is the production week. Model YIED5900HW helps identify the year as 2019.
Frigidaire and Electrolux ten-character serial numbers
In this ten-character format, position 1 identifies the maker or factory. Position 2 identifies the appliance type. Position 3 gives the final digit of the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. The final five digits identify the individual appliance. The year digit repeats every ten years.
Frigidaire
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
A Frigidaire serial number in this format has ten characters. Position 3 gives the final digit of the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. Enter the model number to narrow down the year.
Example: VF34618193 = V | F | 3 | 46 | 18193. V is the maker or factory code, F means range, 3 is the year digit, and 46 is the production week. Model FCRE3052BW identifies the year as 2023.
Electrolux
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
A North American Electrolux serial number in this format has ten characters. Position 3 gives the year code, and positions 4–5 give the production week. Appliage checks dates from 2005 onward.
Example: 1K91272383 = 1 | K | 9 | 12 | 72383. The year digit 9 and week code 12 can mean 2009 or 2019. Model ERMC2295AS narrows the result to 2019.
Kelvinator
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
For North American Kelvinator household appliances, Appliage uses this ten-character rule from 1997 onward. Kelvinator Commercial products and appliances sold in other countries may use another rule.
Example: XC90306228 = X | C | 9 | 03 | 06228. The year digit 9 and week code 03 can mean production week 3 of 1999, 2009, or 2019 when no model number is entered.
Gibson
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
Position 3 gives the final digit of the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. Appliage uses this Gibson rule from 1997 onward. Enter the model number to help choose the exact year.
Example: VF72303525 = V | F | 7 | 23 | 03525. The year digit 7 and week code 23 can mean production week 23 of 1997, 2007, or 2017.
Tappan
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
Position 3 gives the final digit of the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. The year digit repeats every ten years. Enter the model number so Appliage can show which possible dates fit that model.
Example: VF61425577 = V | F | 6 | 14 | 25577. The year digit 6 and week code 14 can point to production week 14 of 2006, 2016, or 2026.
White-Westinghouse
Maker or factory | appliance type | year digit | week | sequence
A matching serial number has ten characters. Position 3 gives the final digit of the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. Enter the model number because the year code repeats every ten years.
Example: XC90306228 = X | C | 9 | 03 | 06228. The model WWS833FS and the complete serial number select production week 3 of 2009 from the possible decades.
Westinghouse
Check the product, country, and manufacturer first
The Westinghouse name appears on products made by different companies. A plate that says only Westinghouse does not identify one date rule. Appliage needs the product type, country, and manufacturer before it can find the age.
Example: XC90306228 can be decoded only when the rating plate says White-Westinghouse and the model is WWS833FS. A plate that says only Westinghouse does not provide enough information to use this rule.
Bosch-family FD numbers
Bosch, Thermador, and Gaggenau print the manufacture date in a four-digit FD number. The E-Nr is the model number. The Z-Nr identifies the individual appliance.
Bosch dates under this rule go back to 1933. Gaggenau joined BSH in 1995 and Thermador in 1998, so an FD calculation before each brand’s BSH start year is not returned as that brand’s manufacture date.
Bosch
FD year code | FD month code
The first two FD digits give the year code, and the last two give the month. Add 1920 to year codes 13–99. For current codes 00–06, add 2020. Enter the E-Nr so Appliage can check the date against the model.
Example: FD9304 = 93 | 04. Add 1920 to 93 to get 2013; 04 means April. The E-Nr WTB86202UC/01 confirms that the date fits the model.
Thermador
FD year code | FD month code
The four-digit FD number gives the manufacture month. Its first two digits are the year code, and its last two digits are the month code. The E-Nr identifies the model, while the Z-Nr does not change the date.
Example: FD9304 = 93 | 04. The year code 93 gives 2013, and 04 means April.
Gaggenau
FD year code | FD month code
The first two FD digits give the year code, and the last two give the month. The FD number can find the age by itself. Enter the E-Nr so Appliage can check whether the date fits the model.
Example: FD9107 = 91 | 07. The year code 91 gives 2011, and 07 means July.
Kenmore and Sears model prefixes
Kenmore and Sears appliances were made by different manufacturers. The first three digits of the model number tell Appliage which serial number rule to use.
Some prefixes need a narrower check. Prefix 596 includes older Amana-built appliances, but a documented Maytag-built recall cohort can be dated when both its model and serial match. Prefix 204 identifies Galanz; Appliage reads the six-digit year-month-day code only for the listed recall model and serial range. Prefix 407 identifies Gree but has no verified serial-date rule, so the tool names the maker without giving a manufacture date.
Kenmore
Model prefix → manufacturer → serial rule
Enter both the model number and serial number. Model prefixes such as 110, 795, and 790 identify Whirlpool, LG, and Frigidaire/Electrolux. Appliage then uses that manufacturer’s serial number rule.
Example: Model 795.7554440 starts with 795, which identifies LG. Serial 405KR12345 = 4 | 05 | KR12345. The model and serial together give May 2004.
Kenmore Elite
Model prefix → manufacturer → serial rule
Kenmore Elite is not one manufacturer. Appliage first reads the three-digit model prefix to identify who made the appliance. It then decodes the serial number with that manufacturer’s rule.
Example: Model 795.7554440 identifies LG. Serial 405KR12345 = 4 | 05 | KR12345, which gives May 2004 after the model identifies the correct decade.
Sears
Model prefix → manufacturer → serial rule
A Sears serial number cannot be decoded until the manufacturer is known. Enter the model number so Appliage can read its three-digit manufacturer prefix, then apply the correct serial number rule.
Example: Model 795.7554440 starts with the LG maker prefix 795. Serial 405KR12345 = 4 | 05 | KR12345, so Appliage returns May 2004.
Samsung, LG, Haier, and Speed Queen
These brands use different date positions. Check the complete serial number before deciding which characters give the date.
Samsung
Prefix | year code | month code | five-digit sequence | optional control
Find the five-digit unit sequence near the end of the serial number. The two characters directly before it are the year and month codes. Enter the model number when the year code is L, P, Q, S, Y, or Z because Samsung used those codes again 20 years later.
Example: 01H057BR600001 = 01H057B | R | 6 | 00001. R means 2021, 6 means June, and 00001 is the five-digit unit sequence.
LG
Year-ending digit | two-digit month | unit characters
The first digit gives the final digit of the year. The second and third digits give the month. The year digit repeats every ten years, so enter the model number to help find the correct decade.
Example: 110KWFL42716 = 1 | 10 | KWFL42716. The first digit is the year ending, and 10 means October. Model WT5101HV narrows the date to October 2011.
Haier
The serial length and appliance type choose one of four rules
Haier uses four serial number formats. Eight- or nine-character serial numbers begin with month and year letters. General 10- or 11-character serial numbers contain a two-digit year and month near the front. Wine coolers and long serial numbers use different positions.
Example: BL04F4E8N00BLF1D0156 = BL04F4E8N00BL | F | 1 | D | 0156. F means 2015, 1 means January, and D means day 13.
Speed Queen
YY | MM | six-digit unit sequence
A modern ten-digit residential serial number begins with a two-digit year and month. For example, 12 means 2012 and 24 means 2024. If the serial number begins with 09, 10, or 11, Appliage returns an estimated date, and a record for that exact model makes it firm.
Example: 1505000001 = 15 | 05 | 000001. The first pair means 2015, the second means May, and the last six digits identify the machine.
Water heater serial number rules
Most of these serial numbers contain a two-digit year and either a month or production week. Bradford White uses letters instead of numbers.
A. O. Smith
YY | production week | unit sequence
For a modern A. O. Smith serial number, positions 1–2 give the year. Positions 3–4 give the production week. Appliage uses this rule from 2008 onward, and the model number is not required. American and Whirlpool badged tanks carry the same digits back to 2000, and letter serials decode for 1991 through 2007.
Example: 1719106145074 = 17 | 19 | 106145074. The first pair means 2017, and the second means production week 19.
State
Modern: YY | week; legacy: month letter | YY
A modern State serial number begins with a two-digit year and production week. Older State serial numbers may begin with one or two letters: a month letter, or a factory letter plus a month letter, then a two-digit year. Those letter dates decode for 1991 through 2007 on State’s published month tables.
Example: 1601123456789 = 16 | 01 | 123456789. The first pair means 2016, and the second means production week 1.
Rheem
Through Aug. 2012: MMYY; later: factory | WWYY
Rheem used two main formats. Units made through August 2012 usually begin with month and year. Most later units begin with a factory letter followed by production week and year.
Example: 1209D01234 = 12 | 09 | D | 01234. In the older format, 12 means December and 09 means 2009.
Ruud
Through Aug. 2012: MMYY; later: factory | WWYY
Ruud uses the same two main formats as Rheem. Older serial numbers begin with month and year. Most later serial numbers begin with a factory letter followed by production week and year.
Example: M301703203 = M | 30 | 17 | 03203. M is the factory code, 30 is the production week, and 17 means 2017.
Bradford White
Year letter | month letter | production sequence
The first letter gives the year, and the second gives the month. The year letters repeat every 20 years. The model number does not choose the correct cycle, so use installation, purchase, service, or factory records to confirm it.
Example: FC12345678 = F | C | 12345678. F can mean 1989 or 2009 and C means March; Appliage returns March 2009 as the estimate and lists March 1989 as an unlikely candidate. An installation or service record can confirm the cycle.
Carrier and ICP HVAC serial numbers
Carrier, Bryant, and Payne put the production week before the year. Their factory letter comes after the date. ICP brands put the factory letter first, followed by the year and production week.
Carrier
Production week | YY | factory | sequence
Positions 1–2 give the production week, and positions 3–4 give the year. The next letter identifies the factory that made the unit. Appliage uses this format from 1985 onward, the earliest year real plates verify. The model number is not required.
Example: 1214P12345 = 12 | 14 | P | 12345. The unit was made in production week 12 of 2014; P is the factory code.
Bryant
Production week | YY | factory | sequence
Bryant uses the same format as Carrier. Positions 1–2 give the production week, and positions 3–4 give the year. The factory letter and unit sequence do not change the date.
Example: 2515C67890 = 25 | 15 | C | 67890. The unit was made in production week 25 of 2015; C is the factory code.
Payne
Production week | YY | factory | sequence
Payne also uses the Carrier format. The first two digits give the production week, and the next two give the year. The serial number alone is enough to estimate the age.
Example: 3608D11223 = 36 | 08 | D | 11223. The unit was made in production week 36 of 2008; D is the factory code.
Day & Night
Factory | YY | production week | sequence
Position 1 identifies the factory that made the unit. Positions 2–3 give the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. ICP’s dated evidence for this layout begins in 1990; earlier-looking codes near that boundary may still appear as unlikely candidates.
Example: E074412345 = E | 07 | 44 | 12345. E is the factory code, 07 means 2007, and 44 is the production week.
Heil
Factory | YY | production week | sequence
Position 1 identifies the factory that made the unit. Positions 2–3 give the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. The model number is not required.
Example: L004112345 = L | 00 | 41 | 12345. L is the factory code, 00 means 2000, and 41 is the production week.
Tempstar
Factory | YY | production week | sequence
Position 1 identifies the factory that made the unit. Positions 2–3 give the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. ICP’s dated evidence for this layout begins in 1990; earlier-looking codes near that boundary may still appear as unlikely candidates.
Example: A053212345 = A | 05 | 32 | 12345. A is the factory code, 05 means 2005, and 32 is the production week.
Arcoaire
Factory | YY | production week | sequence
Position 1 identifies the factory that made the unit. Positions 2–3 give the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. The serial number alone is enough to estimate the age.
Example: B074512345 = B | 07 | 45 | 12345. B is the factory code, 07 means 2007, and 45 is the production week.
Comfortmaker
Factory | YY | production week | sequence
Position 1 identifies the factory that made the unit. Positions 2–3 give the year, and positions 4–5 give the production week. The factory letter and final unit sequence do not change the date.
Example: F093312345 = F | 09 | 33 | 12345. F is the factory code, 09 means 2009, and 33 is the production week.
Trane and American Standard serial numbers
Both brands use three date formats. The format depends on when the HVAC unit was made.
Trane
1980–2001: year letter + week (not alphabetical); 2002–2009: one year digit + week; 2010+: two year digits + week
Trane uses three date formats. For example, 2306ABCDEF can be split as 2 | 30 for production week 30 of 2002, or as 23 | 06 for production week 06 of 2023. Both readings are valid, so Appliage shows both dates. The model number does not currently choose one.
Example: 24061381FA can be read as 24 | 06 for production week 6 of 2024, or as 2 | 40 for production week 40 of 2002. Appliage shows both dates because both splits are valid.
American Standard
1980–2001: year letter + week (not alphabetical); 2002–2009: one year digit + week; 2010+: two year digits + week
American Standard uses the same three formats as Trane. Appliage reads a year letter and week on older units, one year digit and a week on 2002–2009 units, or two year digits and a week on units from 2010 onward.
Example: 17224GHJKL = 17 | 22 | 4GHJKL. The first pair means 2017, and the second means production week 22.
York-family HVAC serial numbers
The older format begins with four letters. The later SAP format places two year digits on each side of the month letter.
York
Older: factory | month | year letter | product; SAP: factory | Y | month | Y
In the older format, position 2 gives the month and position 3 gives the year letter. That year letter repeats after 21 years. In the later SAP format, positions 2 and 4 form the year, while position 3 gives the month.
Example: EECM123456 = E | E | C | M | 123456. The second E means May, and C can mean 1973 or 1994. A dated serial range identifies 1994.
Coleman
Older: factory | month | year letter | product; SAP: factory | Y | month | Y
Coleman uses the same two formats as York. The older year letter can point to two years that are 21 years apart. The later SAP format gives one two-digit year and one month.
Example: W2D3456789 = W | 2 | D | 3 | 456789. The digits 2 and 3 form 23, which means 2023, and D means April.
Luxaire
Older: factory | month | year letter | product; SAP: factory | Y | month | Y
Luxaire also uses the York formats. The later SAP format gives one year. For an older serial number, a dated record for the exact model may help choose between the two possible years.
Example: WFKM003094 = W | F | K | M | 003094. F means June, and K can mean 1980 or 2001. A dated serial range identifies 2001.
Lennox and Allied Air serial numbers
The main format begins with a factory code, two-digit year, and month letter. The factory code identifies where the unit was made, but it does not change the date. Ducane also has an all-numeric format.
Lennox
Factory code | YY | month letter | sequence
Positions 1–2 are the factory code. Positions 3–4 give the year, and position 5 gives the month. The month letters skip I. Some serial numbers with factory code 69 provide the year but not a verified month.
Example: 5604G12345 = 56 | 04 | G | 12345. 56 is the factory code, 04 means 2004, and G means July.
Ducane
Letter format: factory | YY | month; numeric: sequence | YY | week
Ducane uses two formats. In the letter format, positions 3–4 give the year and position 5 gives the month. In the all-numeric format, the published placement puts the year in positions 7–8 and the week in positions 9–10, and a serial that also fits a reported 1980s front placement shows both dates.
Example: 4605K23456 = 46 | 05 | K | 23456. 46 is the factory code, 05 means 2005, and K means October.
Armstrong Air
Factory code | YY | month letter | sequence
In this format, positions 1–2 are the factory code. Positions 3–4 give the year, and position 5 gives the month. Factory code 84 identifies Armstrong Air equipment.
Example: 8498C13579 = 84 | 98 | C | 13579. 84 is the factory code, 98 means 1998, and C means March.
Goodman and Janitrol serial numbers
Both formats begin with a two-digit year and month. Janitrol uses this rule only for its 1990–2005 serial numbers.
Goodman
YY | MM | factory and unit details
Positions 1–2 give the year, and positions 3–4 give the month. Appliage uses this Goodman format from 1996 onward. The model number is not required.
Example: 1306ABCDEFG = 13 | 06 | ABCDEFG. The first pair means 2013, and the second means June.
Janitrol
YY | MM | factory and unit details
Positions 1–2 give the year, and positions 3–4 give the month. This Janitrol rule covers 1990 through 2005. Enter the model number because some Janitrol units were made by other manufacturers.
Example: 9704011000 = 97 | 04 | 011000. The first pair means 1997, and the second means April.
Nordyne-family HVAC serial numbers
These serial numbers begin with a three-character product prefix. The next two digits give the year, and the following two give the month.
Nordyne
Three-character prefix | YY | MM | sequence
Positions 1–3 are the product prefix. Positions 4–5 give the year, and positions 6–7 give the month. Nortek’s dated evidence for this layout begins in 1989; earlier-looking codes near that boundary may still appear as unlikely candidates.
Example: M1B9810123 = M1B | 98 | 10 | 123. M1B is the product prefix, 98 means 1998, and 10 means October.
Intertherm
Three-character prefix | YY | MM | sequence
Positions 1–3 are the product prefix. Positions 4–5 give the year, and positions 6–7 give the month. The final characters identify the individual unit but do not change the date.
Example: T1H0311123456 = T1H | 03 | 11 | 123456. T1H is the product prefix, 03 means 2003, and 11 means November.
Miller
Three-character prefix | YY | MM | sequence
Positions 1–3 are the product prefix. Positions 4–5 give the year, and positions 6–7 give the month. The model number is not required.
Example: CBA9705123456 = CBA | 97 | 05 | 123456. CBA is the product prefix, 97 means 1997, and 05 means May.
Maytag HVAC
Three-character prefix | YY | MM | sequence
Maytag HVAC units do not use the Maytag household-appliance rule. Positions 4–5 give the year, and positions 6–7 give the month in the Nordyne-built HVAC format.
Example: MAY0402112233 = MAY | 04 | 02 | 112233. MAY is the product prefix, 04 means 2004, and 02 means February.
Frigidaire HVAC
Three-character prefix | YY | MM | sequence
Frigidaire HVAC units do not use the Frigidaire household-appliance rule. Positions 4–5 give the year, and positions 6–7 give the month in the Nordyne-built HVAC format.
Example: FRG9911223344 = FRG | 99 | 11 | 223344. FRG is the product prefix, 99 means 1999, and 11 means November.
When Appliage Cannot Return an Age
Appliage may not return an age if the serial number is incomplete, a character was entered incorrectly, or the serial number does not match the selected brand. Our database is still growing, so some brands, production years, regional models, and less common serial number formats may not be included yet. A result of “age not found” can therefore mean that Appliage has not added the matching date rule or model information.