Appliance Serial Number Lookup: Find Its Age

Wondering how old your refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher or range is? Pick the brand, type the serial number from the label and get the manufacture date. Everything runs in your browser: the serial you type is not sent to us.

Where to find the serial number

It is printed on the rating label. The place depends on the maker and the type of machine: often the door frame, the rim of the door opening, a side wall inside, or the back. Look for a line marked Serial, S/N or Ser. No. and copy it exactly, because the first characters often hold the year and the month. By brand:

Bosch. Bosch dates are in the FD number on the rating plate (inside the door edge, or behind the filter flap on washers), not in the serial: FD followed by four digits, e.g. FD 9405.
Frigidaire / Electrolux. Find the serial on the rating label (door frame, inside wall or behind the drawer). Frigidaire and Electrolux serials have 10 characters: two plant/product characters, a year digit and a two-digit week, e.g. VF71042765.
GE Appliances. Find the serial on the rating label (door frame, inside the door or behind the drawer). GE serials start with two letters, then six digits and a letter, e.g. AS123456S.
LG. Find the serial on the label inside the door, on the door frame or on the side or back. LG serials start with three digits (year digit, then two-digit month), e.g. 603KWWZ73713.
Samsung. Find the 15-character serial on the label inside the door, on the door frame or on the back. The 8th character is the year and the 9th is the month, e.g. 0ARV5BBJ400798K.
Whirlpool. Find the serial on the rating label (door frame, inside the fridge or behind the drawer). Whirlpool-built serials start with one or two letters, then a year character and a two-digit week, e.g. C60842986.

Supported brands and sources

A brand is included only when its rule comes from the manufacturer's own documentation, or from two independent sources that agree. Rules were checked on November 11, 2026. Where a year code repeats, the tool shows every possible year.

Bosch

Not covered: Thermador and Gaggenau. The date is in the FD number, not the serial.

Frigidaire / Electrolux

Also covers: Electrolux, White-Westinghouse, Tappan, Kelvinator, Gibson.

Not covered: The decade: the serial shows only the last digit of the year, so you pick the decade from the manual's print date.

GE Appliances

Also covers: Hotpoint, GE Profile, Café, Monogram.

Not covered: Newer serials that don't follow the two letters + six digits format.

LG

Not covered: Serials before 2000. The serial shows only the last digit of the year, so you pick the decade.

Samsung

Not covered: Year codes for 2014, 2018–2020 and 2026 (the sources disagree or have a single source), and 11-character serials.

Whirlpool

Also covers: Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, Jenn-Air, Roper, Estate, Admiral, and Kenmore models built by Whirlpool.

Not covered: Year codes K–Y (2000–2009) and anything before 1990. Maytag serials made before 2006 use a different system.

Kenmore and other store brands

Kenmore is a store brand, so the maker depends on the model. Kenmore models that start with 790. are built by Electrolux: choose Frigidaire. Kenmore models built by Whirlpool use the Whirlpool rule.

Typical lifespan of home appliances

Choose an appliance type in the tool and the result shows how its age compares with the typical lifespan. The figures come from the InterNACHI — Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes, which states them as averages for normal use and maintenance and as guidelines only:

Refrigerator: 9–13 years
Washer: 5–15 years
Dryer: about 13 years
Dishwasher: about 9 years
Range: 13–17 years
Microwave: about 9 years

A machine past these numbers can still run, and a young one can still fail; the age alone doesn't decide between repair and replacement.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out how old my appliance is?

Choose the brand, type the serial number from the rating label and press Find age. Most makers hide the production date inside the serial, and each brand writes it in its own way; the lookup reads the code and counts the time from that date to today. The same steps work for a refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, range or microwave.

Where is the serial number on an appliance?

On the rating label. It is usually on the door frame or the rim of the door opening, on a side wall inside, behind the drawer or on the back, depending on the maker and the type of machine. Look for a line marked Serial, S/N or Ser. No. Bosch is the exception: its date is in the FD number printed on the rating plate, not in the serial.

Why does the result show more than one year?

Some makers reuse the same year code. GE's year letter repeats about every 12 years, Samsung's on a 20-year cycle, and Frigidaire, Electrolux and LG show only the last digit of the year. The lookup lists every possible year, newest first, instead of guessing. To pick the right one, check the print date of the owner's manual, a date printed on the label, or your purchase records.

Is the date the purchase date?

No. It is the production date the manufacturer coded into the serial. The purchase or installation date can be later than the production date.

How long does a refrigerator, washer or dryer last?

InterNACHI's life expectancy chart lists: refrigerator 9–13 years; washer 5–15 years; dryer about 13 years; dishwasher about 9 years; range 13–17 years; microwave about 9 years. These are averages for normal use and maintenance, given as guidelines only. Pick the appliance type in the tool to see its line next to the age.

My brand or serial isn't recognized. What now?

The lookup supports GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire/Electrolux, LG, Samsung and Bosch, and only decodes formats confirmed by the maker's own documentation or by two independent sources that agree. When a serial doesn't fit, the tool says so and shows where to find the right number instead of guessing. Kenmore is a store brand: models starting with 790. are built by Electrolux, so choose Frigidaire.

Appliance Age Lookup by Serial Number