Free appliance age finder

How old is my appliance? Check it before you buy or sell

The serial number on the rating plate tells you when it was made. We decode it, then show how its age compares with typical lifespans, whether its model appears in a recall notice, what it's worth and what to inspect.

8 brand families decoded
Official CPSC recall data
Sources on every figure

Check an appliance Buying checklist

WASHER · RATING PLATE

MODELWTW5000DW1

SERIAL S/NC60842986

VOLTS / Hz120 V · 60 Hz

C plant code

6 year code → 2016

08 week 8 → built February 2016

Free tool · no sign-up

Appliance Age Finder & Used Appliance Checker

Brand + serial number → manufacture date, age vs typical lifespan, recall check, fair price and what to inspect.

For U.S. appliances · prices in USD · U.S. CPSC recall data.

One check, five answers

What the checkup tells you

Manufacture dateDecoded from the serial, with a confidence label when a code repeats across decades.

Age vs lifespanAge against published lifespans from NAHB, InterNACHI, ENERGY STAR and Consumer Reports.

Recall checkModel number matched against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notices.

Fair priceA transparent estimate from new price, age and condition, compared with the asking price.

What to inspectA 10-minute checklist for fridges, washers, dryers, dishwashers and ranges.

How we check facts →Sources, formulas and limits, plus a public correction log.

Step one

Where is the serial number?

Fridge label by brand →

Open the door or lid: the model and serial number share one label, usually on the frame around the opening. These are the spots manufacturers list most often.

Refrigerator with the door open, showing five places the serial number label is usually found — **Refrigerator**
Upper left wall of the fresh-food section (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Frigidaire top-freezer; Samsung French-door and side-by-side; newer LG models)
Upper right wall (LG on most models; Frigidaire French-door and side-by-side; Whirlpool and Maytag side-by-side)
Ceiling of the fresh-food section (GE, Kenmore, KitchenAid quad-door)
Beside, behind or under the crisper drawers (GE, Kenmore)
Outside, low on the front (a second label on Samsung; GE bottom front edge on some models)

Front-load washer with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Front-load washer**
On the rim, trim or frame of the door opening, often at the top (Whirlpool, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, GE)
Outside, lower right front corner (some GE models)

Top-load washer with the lid open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Top-load washer**
Under the lid, on the tub rim or the back of the opening (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, LG, GE near the right hinge)
Back of the control panel or the back panel (GE, LG; Samsung top-loaders on the back)
Outside, lower corner of the cabinet (some GE models)

Clothes dryer with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Dryer**
Rim of the door opening, often at the top (Whirlpool, Maytag, Samsung; LG and Frigidaire say the top)
Left or right side of the drum opening (GE). Ventless Whirlpool and Maytag dryers: behind the water tank

Dishwasher with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Dishwasher**
Left edge of the tub frame (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, Samsung)
Right edge of the tub frame (GE, Frigidaire, Samsung)
Side or top edge of the door, or its inside (LG, GE, Frigidaire, Bosch, Samsung)

Kitchen range with the oven door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Range**
Oven frame or side trim, seen with the door open (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, GE, LG)
Frame of the storage drawer, with the drawer pulled out (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, LG, GE)
Under the cooktop or behind the control panel on some models (GE; Frigidaire and Maytag cooktops underneath)

Basis: Official manufacturer help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, Bosch) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore. Diagrams are simplified; your model's exact spot can differ.

Published lifespan ranges, in years

How long appliances last

~12 yrs

~10 yrs

~13 yrs

~10 yrs

~15 yrs

05101520

Bar = range across published sources; yellow mark = typical figure we use. Many units outlive these ages; they describe typical replacement, not a hard limit.

Serial number lookup