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Appliance Age Calculator: How Old Is My Appliance?
Enter the serial number and get the build date, the age today and how much of its typical life is left. Then see whether a repair still makes sense.
- Decodes GE, Monogram, Bosch and LG AC serials
- Typical lifespans for 12 appliances
- Built-in 50 percent repair test
- Any brand works with a purchase year
Date rules from GE Appliances, Bosch and LG. Lifespans from NAHB. Cost rule from Consumer Reports.
What kind of appliance is it?
It sets the typical lifespan we compare against.
Which brand is on the label?
We only decode serials where the maker publishes the date rule. Any other brand, you enter the year.
Built
Have a repair quote? Run the 50 percent test
The basics
How old is my appliance?
Your appliance’s age is coded in its serial number, not the model number, and every brand codes it differently. GE, Bosch and LG publish their rules, so the calculator decodes those. For Whirlpool, Samsung, Frigidaire and most other brands, the reliable route is a printed date on the rating label, your receipt or the warranty registration.
I’d read the serial tag before booking any repair, because the age decides how much a fix is worth.
Brand by brand
How the calculator reads each brand
Only brands with a published rule get a serial lookup. Here’s what each manufacturer says, and where the calculator stops.
GE and Monogram
GE Appliances’ support page on manufacture dates says the serial starts with two letters followed by six numbers. The first letter is the month and the second is the year.
The letters start again every 12 years, so one serial fits several dates. GE’s tip for narrowing it down is the owner’s manual print date, usually on the front or back page.
GA= April 2001 or April 2013 (GE’s own example)Bosch FD numbers
The date is in the FD number on the rating plate, next to the E-Nr (the model number). Bosch’s French support site gives the formula: add 1920 to the first two digits for the year, and read the last two as the month.
That formula runs out at FD 99, which is 2019. Bosch hasn’t published how newer FD numbers read, so for those the calculator asks for the year instead of guessing.
FD 9405= May 2014 (Bosch’s own example)LG air conditioners
LG Canada’s support page says its air conditioner serials start with three numbers: the first is the year, the next two are the month. The tag is usually on the outside of the unit, on the right side as you face it, though some models have it on the left.
One digit only gives the last digit of the year, so it repeats every 10 years. LG describes this rule for its air conditioners, so that’s the only place the calculator uses it.
5 12= December 2025 or December 2015Whirlpool, Samsung, Frigidaire and others
We couldn’t find a published date rule from Whirlpool, Samsung or Frigidaire, and the charts on third-party sites don’t agree. For Samsung, one guide reads the date from the first two characters of the serial and another from the eighth and ninth.
A guessed year is worse than no year. Look for a printed manufacture date on the rating label first. If there isn’t one, use your receipt, the delivery paperwork or your warranty registration, or call the manufacturer with the model and serial number.
GE serial letter chart
The same letters work as month codes in the first position and year codes in the second.
| Letter | Month (1st letter) | Years (2nd letter) |
|---|---|---|
| A | January | 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977 |
| D | February | 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978 |
| F | March | 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979 |
| G | April | 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980 |
| H | May | 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981 |
| L | June | 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970 |
| M | July | 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971 |
| R | August | 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972 |
| S | September | 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973 |
| T | October | 2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974 |
| V | November | 2023, 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 |
| Z | December | 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976 |
Lifespans
How long appliances last
The lifespans in the calculator come from Table 1 of the NAHB / Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (February 2007), which drew its appliance figures from Appliance Magazine and Grainger. They’re based on first-owner use.
Treat them as benchmarks, not deadlines. NAHB notes that an appliance’s life depends to a great extent on how much it’s used, and that people often replace appliances long before they wear out because newer styles and features look better.
More detail by type: refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and microwaves.
The decision
Repair or replace?
Consumer Reports’ rule is about money. Put in your quote and a new price, and the calculator runs the test for you. Age tells you how hard to apply it, so the calculator sorts every appliance into one of three bands. That banding is our rule of thumb.
“No matter who does the repair, don’t spend more than 50 percent of the cost of a new product on repairing an old one.”
Consumer Reports, January 9, 2014
It hasn’t reached half its typical life. Fix the cause and keep it running.
If the quote is more than half the price of a new one, replace it.
It may keep going, but price a replacement alongside any repair.
Going deeper on the big ones: is it worth repairing a dryer and is it worth fixing a refrigerator.
Find the tag
Where’s the serial number on my appliance?
Most people who can’t date an appliance simply can’t find the tag. These are the spots GE and Whirlpool list on their own model and serial locator pages, and between them they cover the layouts most US appliances use.
Refrigerator
- GE says
- Inside the fresh food section, usually on a side wall near the top. On side-by-sides it can also sit behind or under the crisper drawers.
- Whirlpool says
- Inside the refrigerator compartment on the left-hand side. Side-by-sides have it on the right-hand side.
Dishwasher
- GE says
- On the left or right front inside edge of the tub, or on the right side edge of the door.
- Whirlpool says
- On the left side of the tub frame. Double-drawer models: on the right side of the top drawer.
Top-load washer
- GE says
- Under the lid near the right hinge, on the back of the control panel, at the bottom left corner or at the back near the water inlets.
- Whirlpool says
- Beneath the washer lid on the tub rim.
Front-load washer
- GE says
- Inside the door on the wash compartment face, or outside on the lower right front corner.
- Whirlpool says
- Inside the washer door, on the rim of the opening.
Dryer
- GE says
- Inside the front face of the drum opening, left or right side, with the door open.
- Whirlpool says
- Inside the dryer door, on the rim of the opening. Ventless models: behind the water tank.
Microwave
- GE says
- Inside on the left side wall, on the back, or on the bottom of over-the-range models, usually near the back.
- Whirlpool says
- Over-the-range: on the front frame when the door is open. Built-in: under the control panel along the vent, right-hand side.
Ranges: GE lists behind the door on the front frame, inside the drawer frame, or, on gas models with a rear control panel, a metal flag you reach behind the panel and rotate up. Whirlpool lists the frame of the oven or of the storage drawer. Two quick tells: GE says its model numbers always begin with a letter, and some newer GE tags carry a QR code that opens the product’s page on your phone.
Tag worn off or missing?
Heat and cleaning wear these labels down, especially on ranges. Before you give up on a date, try these in order:
- Look for a second label. Check the back panel and, on corded appliances, the power cord.
- Check the paperwork. Your receipt, delivery slip or warranty registration gives a purchase date, which is close enough for the calculator.
- Read the manual’s print date. GE points to the date printed on the front or back page of the owner’s manual.
- Date it by its neighbors. Kitchen appliances often go in together, so a readable tag on the dishwasher or fridge beside it gives a fair estimate.
- Ask with photos. Post the full front and a close-up of the control panel to r/Appliances. Regulars there often name the model from the button layout.
“The info tag on the inside of the door is worn away so i do not have the serial number or date :(“
Owner on r/Appliances, June 2026“You might also find another product label on the back, or on the power cord, if that helps.”
Reply in the same thread“Brand logo, button layout, and door style are usually enough for people here…”
Another reply in the same thread
Before you pay
Three checks before you pay for a repair
Once you know the age, these three can turn a paid repair into a free one, or show that replacing is the cheaper path. Each needs only the model number and the date you just found.
Is it still under warranty?
Warranty clocks start on the purchase date, not the build date, so keep the receipt. Samsung’s warranty page says coverage starts automatically on the purchase date.
The 1-year standard warranty isn’t the whole story. Samsung’s US refrigerator warranty lists:
- 1 year parts and labor on the whole fridge
- 5 years parts and labor on the sealed system (condenser, evaporator and compressor)
- 10 years parts on the digital inverter compressor
So a 7-year-old Samsung with a failed compressor may still get the part free. Terms vary by brand, model and purchase date, so read the warranty card for yours.
Source: Samsung US refrigerator warranty page, checked October 25, 2026.
Has it been recalled?
Search the brand and model at cpsc.gov/Recalls. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says recall remedies typically consist of a refund, repair or replacement, and that you should typically stop using a recalled product and follow the recall notice.
Recall notices name the affected model numbers. Have the model and build date in hand before you search.
The CPSC also takes reports of unsafe products at SaferProducts.gov.
Source: CPSC FAQ and recall search, checked October 25, 2026.
What is an old fridge costing to run?
About $95 a yearThat’s how much more ENERGY STAR estimates a refrigerator over 15 years old could cost to run. It puts an old fridge at about 20% more energy than an ENERGY STAR model, and replacing and recycling it at about $150 saved over the new one’s 12-year life.
Count that running cost on the repair side of the 50 percent test. ENERGY STAR also notes many retailers will pick up and recycle the old fridge when you buy a new one.
Source: ENERGY STAR refrigerators page, checked October 25, 2026.
When I find the tag, I photograph it before booking anything, so the model and serial are on my phone when the parts counter or the warranty line asks for them.
Inherited or secondhand
Just moved in, or buying used?
Many of the “how old is this?” threads on r/Appliances come from two groups: people who got appliances with a house, and people about to buy one secondhand. Neither has a receipt, and the age changes what’s worth doing next.
It came with the house
- Date each one now, while nothing is broken. Run the calculator for every appliance and note the results, so you’re not guessing during a breakdown.
- Search recalls by model. A recall notice may have gone out before you moved in, so nobody told you. Use cpsc.gov/Recalls.
- Look for the paperwork. Ask the sellers for manuals and receipts. A receipt gives the purchase date, and a manual’s print date gives a rough year.
- Don’t replace it for its age alone. If it runs well, the age tells you how to budget, not that it has to go. The fridge is the exception worth costing: ENERGY STAR puts one over 15 years old at about $95 a year extra to run.
You’re about to buy it used
- Ask for a photo of the serial tag before you go. With it you can run the calculator, and see how much typical life is left, before you agree on a price.
- Search the model at cpsc.gov/Recalls before you pay, not after it’s in your kitchen.
- Ask for the original receipt. Warranties run from the original purchase date, and some cover only the first owner, so check the terms before you count on any coverage.
- Price against life left. An appliance past its typical life can still be a good buy for its price, but budget as if it could need a repair or replacement soon.
“How old is my dishwasher? Should I replace it?”
“The previous owners were definitely a ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ people. … we are worried about energy efficiency and utility bills.”
New homeowner on r/Appliances, February 2025, 229 comments (thread)“Don’t replace it for the sake of energy savings.”
Reply in the same thread
Dating it when the serial won’t decode
“I tried and couldn’t determine its age.”
Owner who pulled a dishwasher out of a new home, r/Appliances, July 2025 (thread)“Tappan closed the Mansfield Ohio plant July 26, 1992, so older than that…”
Top reply: brand history set the latest possible date
The Marketplace buyer’s worry
“I’m worrying I should maybe have not jumped on this Facebook marketplace deal”
Buyer of a used Kenmore freezer, r/Appliances, April 2025 (thread)“It’s a simple machine. If it works, it works.”
Top reply in the same thread
Owners disagree on running costs
“You’d be surprised at just how little difference there is in energy consumption between something built today vs 25 years ago”
Reply on a second-hand freezer thread, r/Appliances, January 2026 (thread)“It was about $35-40/mo in electricity.”
Another owner in the same thread, on a mid-2000s upright freezer
These are owners’ reports, not measurements. For a fridge, ENERGY STAR’s figure in the checks above is the number to plan with.
FAQ
Appliance age questions
Can I tell the age from the model number?
Not on a GE. GE says the manufacturing date is coded into the serial number, not the model number. Bosch is similar: the E-Nr is the model and the FD number carries the date.
Why does the calculator show more than one year?
Because the code repeats. GE’s year letters cycle every 12 years and LG’s year digit every 10, so the serial alone can’t tell 2013 from 2001. Pick the year that fits when the appliance came into your home, or check the owner’s manual print date.
Should I replace an appliance that’s past its typical life?
Not just because of its age. If it’s running fine, keep using it. The age matters when something breaks, because that’s when you’re deciding whether a repair is worth the money.
Where do I find the serial number?
On the rating label or plate. On a Bosch it sits beside the E-Nr, and on an LG air conditioner it’s usually on the outside of the unit on the right side. For GE and Whirlpool layouts, see where the tag sits on each appliance. For other brands, look up the label location in the owner’s manual for your model.
Last checked October 25, 2026. Brand rules come from each manufacturer’s own support pages. If a brand publishes its rule, we’ll add it.
Dating a water heater? The serial rules are different, so use our water heater age calculator. More free tools: see all our appliance repair tools.