How old is my appliance?
The build date of a major appliance is coded into the serial number on its tag. Find the tag, choose the brand and type the serial to get the month and year.
Find the age from the serial number
Choose the brand for its date-code chart
- Amana3 serial formats
- Bosch1 serial format
- Frigidaire1 serial format
- GE1 serial format
- Kenmore5 builders
- KitchenAid1 serial format
- LG1 serial format
- Maytag2 serial formats
- Samsung1 serial format
- Whirlpool1 serial format
Where is the serial number?
Every major appliance carries a tag with a model number and a serial number. The date is in the serial number. The tag is placed where it survives cleaning and can be read without moving the machine.
| Appliance | Where the serial tag is |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall or the ceiling, or behind the crisper drawers |
| Top-load washer | Under the lid on the rim of the cabinet, or on the back of the control console |
| Front-load washer | On the door frame, visible when the door is open |
| Dryer | On the door frame or the inside of the door |
| Dishwasher | On the edge of the inner door or on the tub frame, visible when the door is open |
| Range or oven | On the frame behind the oven door or behind the storage drawer |
| Over-the-range microwave | Inside the door frame or on the inner left wall |
No readable serial number?
- Store brands are built by other manufacturers. The first digits of the model number identify the builder, and the serial follows the builder’s format.
- The manufacturer’s support line can read the date from the model and serial numbers.
- A delivery receipt or the purchase record gives the purchase date, which is normally within a year of manufacture.
What the age means
| Equipment | Typical service life |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 12 to 14 years |
| Clothes washer | 10 to 13 years |
| Clothes dryer | 13 to 14 years |
| Dishwasher | 9 to 15 years |
| Range or oven | 13 to 17 years |
Questions and answers
How long does this equipment last?
Typical service life: refrigerator 12 to 14 years, clothes washer 10 to 13 years, clothes dryer 13 to 14 years, dishwasher 9 to 15 years and range or oven 13 to 17 years. Water quality, maintenance and how hard the equipment works move a given unit above or below the range.
Is the date in the model number or the serial number?
In the serial number. The model number describes the design and is the same for every unit of that model. The serial number is unique to one machine and carries its build date.
Do all appliances from one brand use the same date code?
Usually. Most manufacturers use one serial system for all their major appliances. Brands that changed owners often switched systems at that point, so older machines can read differently.
Other equipment
- How old is my water heater?Tank and tankless, by serial number
- How old is my furnace?Gas, oil and electric furnaces
- How old is my AC unit or heat pump?Central air conditioners and heat pumps
- How old is my refrigerator?Refrigerators and freezers
Page last reviewed on October 5, 2026. Method and sources.