How old is my refrigerator?

The build date is coded into the serial number on the tag inside the fresh-food compartment. Choose the brand and type the serial to get the month and year.

Find the age from the serial number

Look for “Serial”, “Serial No.” or “S/N” on the rating plate. It is not the model number. What you type stays in your browser.

Choose the brand for its date-code chart

Where is the serial number?

Open the fresh-food door. The serial tag is usually on the left or right interior wall near the top, on the ceiling of the compartment or behind the crisper drawers.

On some models the tag is on the door frame, on the inside of the door, or behind the kick plate at the bottom front.

The tag shows a model number and a serial number. The date is in the serial number.

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

EquipmentTypical service life
Refrigerator12 to 14 years

Questions and answers

How long does a refrigerator last?

Typical service life: refrigerator 12 to 14 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: size, style, color and features. It is the same for every unit of that model, whatever year it was built.

Other equipment

Page last reviewed on October 5, 2026. Method and sources.