How old is my appliance? Has this question ever crossed your mind? You might be surprised to learn that it has an answer. Though, finding that answer takes quite a bit of effort, especially if the appliance in question is very old.
5 Ways To Find My Appliance Age
1). Serial Number
If you can find the serial number, you can find your appliance’s age.
For GE appliances,
- The first letter in their serial numbers tells you the month.
- The second letter reveals the year.
For instance, an appliance whose serial number begins with ‘GA’ was made between April 2001 and April 2013.
GE has published a table that explains the months and years associated with specific letters.
By using this table, you can determine the age of your GE appliance. Naturally, this method applies specifically to GE products.
With Bosch and Thermador appliances,
- The first character (a number) reveals the manufacturing facility.
- The second character (a letter) identifies the product.
- The third character (a number) is the last digit of the production year. The character after that tells you the production week.
A is for ‘Refrigerator’, B for ‘Freezers’, C for ‘Washers’, D for ‘Dryers’, and so on.
How old is my Maytag Appliance by serial number?
Maytag Appliance with the serial number 33777184JN & Model number PDB61600AWE may have been manufactured in July of 2006. Thus, it is 15 years old as of today date 2021.
- Maytag appliance first letter of the serial number tells you the year and the second letter tells you the month
Maytag Date Code
| Code | Year | Year | Year |
| E | 1980 | 2004 | |
| G | 1981 | 2005 | |
| J | 1982 | 2006 | |
| L | 1983 | 2007 | |
| N | 1984 | 2008 | |
| P | 1985 | 2009 | |
| R | 1986 | 2010 | |
| T | 1987 | 2011 | |
| V | 1988 | 2012 | |
| X | 1989 | 2013 | |
| B | 1966 | 1990 | 2014 |
| D | 1967 | 1991 | |
| F | 1968 | 1992 | |
| H | 1969 | 1993 | |
| K | 1970 | 1994 | |
| M | 1971 | 1995 | |
| Q | 1972 | 1996 | |
| S | 1973 | 1997 | |
| U | 1974 | 1998 | |
| W | 1975 | 1999 | |
| Y | 1976 | 2000 | |
| Z | 1977 | 2001 | |
| A | 1978 | 2002 | |
| C | 1979 | 2003 |
| Code | Year |
| A | January |
| B | January |
| C | February |
| D | February |
| E | March |
| F | March |
| G | April |
| H | April |
| J | May |
| K | May |
| L | June |
| M | June |
| N | July |
| Q | July |
| P | August |
| S | August |
| R | September |
| U | September |
| T | October |
| W | October |
| V | November |
| Y | November |
| X | December |
| Z | December |
How old is my Samsung Appliance by serial number?
Samsung Appliance with the serial number J0V07DDD801404K & Model number NE595R0ABSR may have been manufactured in August of 2013. Thus, it is 8 years old as of today date 2021.
- Samsung Appliance with 15 digits serial number – 8th digit is the year and 9th digit is the month.
- Samsung Appliance with 11 digits serial number – 4th digit is the year and the 5th digit is the month
Samsung Date Code
| Year | Code |
| 2001 | R |
| 2002 | T |
| 2003 | W |
| 2004 | X |
| 2005 | Y |
| 2006 | A or L |
| 2007 | P |
| 2008 | Q |
| 2009 | S |
| 2010 | Z |
| 2011 | B |
| 2012 | C |
| 2013 | D |
| 2014 | F |
| 2015 | G |
| 2016 | H |
| 2017 | J |
| Month | Code |
| January | 1 |
| February | 2 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 4 |
| May | 5 |
| June | 6 |
| July | 7 |
| August | 8 |
| September | 9 |
| October | A |
| November | B |
| December | C |
How old is my Whirlpool Appliance(Kitchenaid + Hotpoint)?
Whirlpool Appliance with the serial number C60842986 & Model number WTW5000DW1 may have been manufactured in the 8th week of 2016. Thus, it is 5 years old as of today date 2021.
- 1st Alpha character of the serial number denotes manufacturing divison code
- Second Alpha character denotes Manufactured date
- 1st and 2nd digit denotes Week of year manufactured
Whirlpool Date Code
| ode | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
| X | 1990 | K | 2000 | 0 | 2010 | X | 2020 |
| A | 1991 | L | 2001 | 1 | 2011 | A | 2021 |
| B | 1992 | M | 2002 | 2 | 2012 | B | 2022 |
| C | 1993 | P | 2003 | 3 | 2013 | C | 2023 |
| D | 1994 | R | 2004 | 4 | 2014 | D | 2024 |
| E | 1995 | S | 2005 | 5 | 2015 | E | 2025 |
| F | 1996 | T | 2006 | 6 | 2016 | F | 2026 |
| G | 1997 | U | 2007 | 7 | 2017 | G | 2027 |
| H | 1998 | W | 2008 | 8 | 2018 | H | 2028 |
| J | 1999 | Y | 2009 | 9 | 2019 | J | 2029 |
How old is my Kenmore Appliance By Serial Number?
Kenmore Appliance with the serial number H55116328 may have been manufactured in the 51st week of 1987. Thus, it is 34 years old as of today date 2021.
- Serial number 1st Alpha character denotes manufacturing divison code
- Second Alpha character denotes Manufactured date
- 1st and 2nd digit denotes Week of year manufactured
| Code | Year | Code | Year |
| 0 | 1970 | 0 | 1980 |
| 1 | 1971 | 1 | 1981 |
| 2 | 1972 | 2 | 1982 |
| 3 | 1973 | 3 | 1983 |
| 4 | 1974 | 4 | 1984 |
| 5 | 1975 | 5 | 1985 |
| 6 | 1976 | 6 | 1986 |
| 7 | 1977 | 7 | 1987 |
| 8 | 1978 | 8 | 1988 |
| 9 | 1979 | 9 | 1989 |
Do not expect every brand to interpret their serial numbers the same way. Make sure you use the serial number, not the model number. You can find them both on the label that shows the manufacturer’s name.
2). Code Search Tools
Have you visited Appliance 411 Information? This is one of several websites on the internet that can tell you the age of your appliances. You need the serial number and model number. But rather than interpreting them, you can just enter these figures in the form that Appliance 411 has provided.
Once you submit this data, the website will use the information to identify the age of your appliance. But they can’t date appliances that came out before the 1970s. If you can find the serial and model numbers, this is the easiest way to find the age of an appliance.
3). Call The Manufacturer
Yes, tools like Appliance 411 are convenient. But can you trust them to accurately identify the age of your appliance? What if they make a mistake?
You should call the manufacturer. Try sending them the serial and model numbers. If you cannot find these numbers, describe the appliance to them. Send them pictures if possible. By looking in their archives, they may identify the model as well as the year in which it was manufactured.
4). Compare The Historical Information
Consumers can find a product’s age by looking at the features of the appliance and comparing them to any historical information they can find about that particular category of appliances.
For instance, if your refrigerator generates a sound whenever you open the door, you can look for models from the past or present that have that feature.
Compare the look of your fridge to the pictures you discover. By identifying other unique attributes, you can narrow your options down until you locate a model that matches your own.
Finding the age of that model will reveal the age of your refrigerator.
As you may have guessed, this method isn’t necessarily accurate. It also consumes a lot of time and effort. You can simplify matters by consulting a technician that specializes in fridges. They may identify your refrigerator’s model by simply looking at it.
5). Check The Manual
Check the manual. You don’t have to look for the serial or model numbers. Some manuals have the date on which the appliance in question was manufactured.
If they don’t, they can point you in the direction of an online resource (like the manufacturer’s website) that has the information you need.
If all these methods fail, you can try talking to the people that previously owned the appliance. If you found the appliance in a house, call the previous owners of that house. If you bought the appliance from a store, call the store owner.
How Long Should an Appliance Last?
A survey performed by Consumer Reports revealed that most manufacturers expect their appliances to last ten years. Some of them raised that figure to 25 years. But the average was 10 years.
Which carried out a similar survey; they gave washing machines a lifespan of 13 to 21 years.
Tumbler dryers have a lifespan of 17 to 24 years; 13 to 22 years for dishwashers, 23 to 29 years for built-in ovens, 14 to 24 years for freezers, 9 to 10 years for cordless vacuum cleaners, 13 to 25 years for corded vacuum cleaners, and 18 to 29 years for fridges.
As you can see, the lifespan depends on the type of appliance. The amount of usage the appliance gets can also affect its lifespan.
When Should I Replace My Appliances?
1). Replace The Aged Appliance
How old is your appliance? What is the typical lifespan of that appliance? If freezers are expected to last 25 years at the most, you are better off replacing any freezer that has been in your possession for more than 25 years.
2). Replace The Appliance With Wear and Tear
Appliances that have reached their expiration dates will manifest signs of trouble.
For instance, the people at Clever expect consumers to keep an eye out for excess heat at the back of a refrigerator, not to mention excessive condensation and worn-out rubber seals.
A faulty spark igniter can prevent stoves and ovens from turning on. If you can’t fix the spark igniter, you must replace the appliance.
A dying dishwasher will burden homeowners with overheating, overcooling, and leaking.
Washers and dryers at the end of their lifespan will also leak. Pools of water will continue to form around them. Different appliances will show you different signs. You must learn to read these signs.
How Do I know If I Need a New Appliance?
- Refrigerators that allow food to spoil should be replaced, especially if their backs are hot.
- You should also consider replacing a range that has failed to attain the temperatures you need to cook your meals.
- Microwaves that keep sparking should be replaced immediately.
Talk to the manufacturer of the appliance. They will tell you whether or not the signs you have identified prove that the appliance should be replaced.
You can fix some of these problems. But if your appliance keeps breaking down no matter how many times you fix it, get a new one.
Some appliances are dangerous. For instance, if a faulty water heater rusts, the water could punch a hole through the walls of the tank, flooding your basement. You are better off replacing the heater before it makes a bad situation worse, especially if you can tell that the rust has weakened the walls of the tank.
Is It Worth Repairing An Appliance?
Basically, if the appliance in question has crossed the halfway mark of its lifespan and it will cost half as much to repair as it would to replace the product, just buy a new appliance.
Remodelista has a rule about repairs and replacements that many people use.
Choice believes that consumers should fix appliances that have expensive components. On the other hand, they expect you to replace cheaper items.
As far as how-to-geek is concerned, it is a question of the number of repairs the appliance needs. If the appliance keeps breaking down and you keep repairing it, you should replace the appliance.
Conclusion
If your new home came with some old appliances, you have to find out their age. This will allow you to determine whether you should replace the appliances or if they will last a few more years.
You can probably tolerate an aging fridge for a few months. But heavier appliances like water heaters and boilers are a different story. You cannot afford to have them fail at a critical moment. At the very least, identifying the age will enable you to perform the necessary repairs.
Consumers that want to buy second-hand appliances have the same problem.
According to HWA, a refrigerator can last as long as twenty-five years. The last thing you want is to buy a 24-year-old refrigerator. By identifying the age before you make a purchase, you can protect yourself from hefty repair and replacement costs in the near future.
The challenges you will encounter in trying to identify the age of your appliance will largely depend on the approach you have decided to use.
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