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.

Appliance and water heater date codes
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 → manufacture date, age vs lifespan, recalls, fair price and what to inspect.

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

Appliance

Brand

Serial number

"S/N" on the rating plate. Where is it?

Model number

Needed for the recall check.

Year made (optional)

Add price and condition (optional)

Asking price ($)

Condition

Model class when new

The checker needs JavaScript. To read a serial by hand, see the appliance date-code cheat sheet or water heater date codes by brand.

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**
Start high on the side walls of the fresh-food section (1, 2), then the ceiling (3) and around the crisper drawers (4). Some models have a label outside, low on the front (5). Fridge label spots by brand →

Front-load washer with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Front-load washer**
Open the door and look around the rim or frame of the opening, often near the top (1). Some models have it outside, on the lower right front corner (2). Front-loader label spots by brand →

Top-load washer with the lid open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Top-load washer**
Lift the lid and check the tub rim or the back of the opening (1). If it isn't there, try the back of the control panel or the back panel (2), then low on an outside corner (3). Top-loader label spots by brand →

Clothes dryer with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Dryer**
Open the door and check the rim of the opening, often at the top (1), then either side of the drum opening (2). On some ventless dryers it sits behind the water tank. Dryer label spots by brand →

Dishwasher with the door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Dishwasher**
Open the door all the way and check both edges of the tub frame (1, 2), then the side or top edge of the door (3). Dishwasher label spots by brand →

Kitchen range with the oven door open, showing where the serial number label is usually found — **Range**
Open the oven door and check the frame or side trim (1), then pull out the storage drawer and check its frame (2). On some models it's under the cooktop or behind the control panel (3). Range label spots by brand →

Basis: the manufacturers' own help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, Bosch) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore, cited on the linked guides. 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

~11 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