Rating plate: where to find the model and serial number

The model and serial number are on the rating plate, also called the nameplate or data plate. Its place depends on the maker and product: Carrier, for example, puts it inside a furnace’s front door panel and on the back of an outdoor unit. The yellow EnergyGuide label is a separate thing.

What is a rating plate?

A rating plate is the label on equipment that carries its model number, serial number and ratings. Carrier calls it the rating plate, Lennox and Trane call it the nameplate, and an A. O. Smith manual calls it the data plate.

You need the plate for parts and service. Carrier says the first step to a replacement part is to find the model number on the rating plate. A. O. Smith says to write down the model and serial number from the data plate before you call its help line.

UL says the nameplate of every unit bearing its listing mark must include a distinctive model identification. Leave the plate in place. A. O. Smith tells owners not to remove the data plate.

Where is the rating plate on a furnace, air conditioner or water heater?

It depends on the maker and the product. This table gives each maker’s own wording. Whirlpool calls the appliance label the model number tag, and GE calls it the serial or model tag. GE says some newer tags carry a QR code that opens information for your product, and A. O. Smith puts a QR code on its rating plate.

EquipmentWhere the maker says to look
Gas furnaceCarrier: inside the front door panel. Lennox: left side of the interior cabinet or top of the blower deck. Trane: right or left panel.
AC or heat pump outdoor unitCarrier: back, near the service valve connections. Trane: top, right-rear. Lennox: near the service panel.
Air handlerCarrier: inside the front door panel. Trane: front panel. Rheem: inside front cover.
Tank water heaterRheem: front of the tank.
Tankless water heaterRheem: front or right-hand side. Rinnai: side of the unit.
RefrigeratorWhirlpool top-freezer: inside the refrigerator compartment, left-hand side. Whirlpool side-by-side: right-hand side. GE top-freezer: fresh food section, left wall near the top.
WasherWhirlpool: door rim (front-load) or tub rim under the lid (top-load). GE: inside the door panel (front-load) or under the lid near the right hinge (top-load).
DryerWhirlpool: inside the door, on the rim of the opening. GE: inside the front face of the dryer compartment.
DishwasherWhirlpool built-in: left side of the tub frame. GE: left or right front inside edge.
RangeWhirlpool: frame of the oven or storage drawer. GE: behind the door, on the front frame.

If the plate is missing, Rheem says its model and serial numbers can also be found on the original warranty or sales invoice. Once you have the serial number, date it with the brand decoders for furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters or appliances. The model number of a furnace or outdoor unit also gives its size: read it with the model number decoder.

What do the lines on an HVAC rating plate mean?

An HVAC plate lists the model and serial number, the electrical supply, the circuit sizing numbers, the refrigerant and, on a furnace, the gas ratings. Carrier tells installers to check the rating plate to ensure the unit matches the job specifications.

LineWhat it means
ModelUL requires a distinctive model identification on listed units.
SerialCarrier says the serial number is on the rating plate.
Volts, phase, hertzThe electrical supply. Goodman’s sheet reads 208/230 V, 1 phase, 60 Hz. Daikin: the supply must match the plate.
RLARated load amps, the compressor rating. UL: always given for a hermetic refrigerant compressor.
LRALocked rotor amps, or inrush current. Copeland: normally six or more times the running amperage.
FLAFull load amps. Copeland: the term most industries use for a maximum running current rating.
MCAMinimum circuit ampacity. UL: the minimum supply-circuit conductor ampacity. Carrier: use it to size the wires.
MOCP, or maximum fuse or breakerMaximum overcurrent protection. UL: the maximum ampere rating of the protective device. Daikin: size the fuse or breaker by it.
Refrigerant and factory chargeUL: the refrigerant for field charging and any factory charge. Lennox: the nameplate charge is the factory charge.
Design pressureUL: the pressure at which the refrigerant system or its components were factory tested for leakage.
Gas inputDaikin: the plate lists the approved gas input rating and gas types. The input rate must never exceed it.
Temperature riseDaikin: the temperature difference between supply and return air. It must be within the range on the plate.
Manifold pressureGoodman: the gas manifold pressure must be as specified on the rating plate.

For a furnace’s output and efficiency, check the product data. The US Department of Energy defines annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) as the heat delivered to the house compared with the fuel supplied to the furnace. Goodman’s sheet for the smallest GMVC96 lists an input of 40,000 BTU/h, an output of 38,440 BTU/h and an AFUE of 96.

What is on a water heater rating plate?

A Rheem water heater manual points to the rating plate for the model and serial number, the input rating, the maximum working pressure, and the voltage and wattage. Rheem gives the conversion as 1 watt equals 3.412 BTU/h.

Capacity, input and recovery are different measures. Capacity is the tank size, which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule calls the rated storage volume. State Water Heaters defines input as the gas or electricity used per hour to heat the water in the tank. It defines recovery as that input converted into gallons heated per hour at a 90 degree rise.

The first-hour rating is on the EnergyGuide label. The FTC rule requires the label to show both the tank size and the first hour rating. State says the first hour rating combines the rated storage volume with recovery. Use it with the water heater size calculator.

What is the difference between the rating plate and the EnergyGuide label?

The rating plate identifies the unit and gives its ratings, while the EnergyGuide label compares energy use. The FTC calls the label a yellow tag that tells you how much energy an appliance uses and how it compares with similar appliances.

Not every product has one. The FTC list includes boilers, central air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, furnaces, heat pumps, refrigerators and water heaters. It does not list ranges or dryers.

The label is made to come off. The FTC rule says adhesive labels should be applied so they can be easily removed without tools. If you do not see a label when you shop, the FTC says to look inside the appliance or to check the seller’s or manufacturer’s website. A furnace label shows the AFUE. A storage water heater label shows the tank size and the first hour rating.

Questions and answers

Where is the model and serial number on a furnace?

Carrier says the plate is inside the front door panel. Lennox says to remove the top-front service panel and look at the left side of the interior cabinet or the top of the blower deck. Trane puts the serial number label on the right or left panel.

What do MCA and MOCP mean on an air conditioner?

MCA is minimum circuit ampacity, the minimum supply-circuit conductor ampacity, according to UL. MOCP is maximum overcurrent protection, the maximum ampere rating of the protective device. Carrier says to use MCA to size the wires and MOCP to size the disconnect fuse or breaker.

Is the rating plate the same as the EnergyGuide label?

No. The rating plate carries the model, serial number and ratings. The EnergyGuide label is the yellow FTC tag that tells you how much energy an appliance uses and how it compares with similar appliances.

Where is the first-hour rating on a water heater?

On the EnergyGuide label. The FTC rule says capacity for storage water heaters is presented as both rated storage volume, called tank size, and first hour rating.

What if I cannot find the rating plate?

Rheem says its model and serial numbers can also be found on the original warranty or sales invoice. Without those documents, they are on the unit itself.

Sources

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The facts in this guide rest on 78 passages in the sources above. Each passage was found in its document on October 5, 2026. Method and sources.