The third character is the year digit
A Frigidaire or Electrolux serial is usually two letters followed by digits. The date sits in characters 3 to 5:
| Position | Meaning | LA81503430 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Factory | L |
| 2 | Product type | A |
| 3 | Last digit of the year | 8 |
| 4–5 | Week of the year (01–52) | 15 |
| 6–10 | Unit sequence number | 03430 |
Basis: electrical-forensics.com’s Electrolux date-code page, which matches the other independent decoding references checked. No official Frigidaire or Electrolux decoder was found as of September 2026; the rule comes from independent references that agree with each other and with documented units.
On a unit built in 2026, the third character is 6. If a serial doesn’t fit the two-letters-then-digits pattern, don’t force the rule. Contact Frigidaire or Electrolux support with the model and serial.
Turning the week into a month
| Weeks | Month (approx.) | Weeks | Month (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01–04 | January | 27–30 | July |
| 05–08 | February | 31–35 | August |
| 09–13 | March | 36–39 | September |
| 14–17 | April | 40–43 | October |
| 18–22 | May | 44–48 | November |
| 23–26 | June | 49–52 | December |
Basis: our estimate. Each week is assigned to the month holding most of its days, counting from January 1. The exact split shifts by a few days from year to year, so treat a week at a boundary as either month.
One layout across the Electrolux family
The same serial layout is used across the Electrolux family’s North American brands:
- Frigidaire
- Electrolux
- Older Gibson, Kelvinator, Tappan, White-Westinghouse and Philco appliances
- Kenmore models built by Frigidaire. Their model numbers start 253, 417, 587, 790 or 970; see the Kenmore page
Finding the tag: left wall or right wall?
Frigidaire and Electrolux publish the same location guide. On a fridge the label sits on different sides depending on the style: on the left in top-freezer models and on the right in French-door and side-by-side models.
- Frigidaire top-freezer models: upper left wall of the fresh-food section
- Frigidaire French-door and side-by-side models: upper right wall
- Frigidaire: on the rim, trim or frame of the door opening, often at the top
- Frigidaire: under the lid, on the tub rim or the back of the opening
- Frigidaire: at the top of the door opening
- Frigidaire: right edge of the tub frame
- Frigidaire: side or top edge of the door, or its inside
- Frigidaire: oven frame or side trim, seen with the door open
- Frigidaire: frame of the storage drawer, with the drawer pulled out
- Frigidaire cooktops: on the underside
Basis: Frigidaire's official help pages. Diagrams are simplified; your model's exact spot can differ.
| Appliance | Where Frigidaire says to look |
|---|---|
| Top-freezer fridge | Upper left side wall of the fresh-food compartment, visible with the door open |
| French-door or side-by-side fridge | Upper right side of the fresh-food compartment |
| Upright freezer | Interior side trim, visible with the door open |
| Chest freezer | Left exterior wall, above the access panel |
| Range | Interior side trim of the oven (door open); the left side panel when opened; or the storage-drawer panel |
| Wall oven | Interior side trim of the oven, door open |
| Cooktop | Underside of the cooktop base, when lifted |
| Dishwasher | Inside of the door, or the right side of the tub, with the door open |
| Front-load washer | Along the trim of the door |
| Top-load washer | Back of the tub opening, under the lid |
| Dryer | Top of the door opening |
| Laundry center | Along the trim of the dryer door |
Basis: official (Frigidaire and Electrolux Owner Center, “Where can I find my model and serial number?”).
Real Frigidaire and Electrolux serials with known build dates
Five documented units
These real serials are documented by electrical-forensics.com. The decade for each was settled from other evidence about the unit.
- Refrigerator LA81503430: 8, week 15 → April 1998
- Dryer 4D72904857: 7, week 29 → July 2017
- Range VF71042765: 7, week 10 → early March 2007
- Cooktop 3F91400621: 9, week 14 → early April 2009
- Dishwasher TH00257759: 0, week 02 → January 2000
Checked against a 2024 CPSC recall and a dated manual
These are published records, not units we inspected. We found no decoder published by Frigidaire, so a 2024 CPSC range recall that gives production dates serves as an official check on the rule above; the dishwasher’s year was settled by electrical-forensics.com from its manuals.
| Serial | Appliance | Code reading | Built | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TH30728110 | Frigidaire dishwasher, model FFBD2411NW0A | T = factory; H = dishwasher; 3 = year ending in 3; 07 = week 7 | 2013 (week 7 is mid-February) | electrical-forensics.com, Electrolux date codes |
| VF34316279 | Frigidaire rear-controlled range, model FCRG3051BS: the only serial CPSC lists for that model | V = factory; F = range; 3 = year ending in 3; 43 = week 43 | Late October 2023 | CPSC recall 24-117 (February 2024) |
| VF34618322 | Frigidaire rear-controlled range, model FCRE3052BW: the highest serial in the recall | V = factory; F = range; 3 = year ending in 3; 46 = week 46 | Mid-November 2023 | CPSC recall 24-117 |
Basis: official for the ranges. CPSC recall 24-117 says they were produced from October 2023 through November 2023, and every serial it lists has 3 in the year position and a week from 43 to 46. electrical-forensics.com dates the dishwasher to 2013, not 2003, from its owner’s manual (January 2012) and parts manual (January 2016). The product letters follow electrical-forensics.com’s table; the week-to-month readings are ours, from the table above.
1994, 2004, 2014 or 2024? The year digit repeats
electrical-forensics.com puts it bluntly: “The first digit of the year (the decade) is not in the serial number or model number!” A 4 could be 1994, 2004, 2014 or 2024, so every decode needs a decade check.
For a used appliance you’re looking at today, usually only two decades are realistic. To choose between them:
- Look up the model number on Frigidaire’s or Electrolux’s owner site. If manuals, parts and registration exist for that exact model, it narrows the era.
- Check the manual’s print date, usually on the front or back cover. It should sit close to the build year.
- Look for a printed date. If the label or a separate sticker shows a full manufacture date, trust it over the decoded digit.
- Ask for paperwork: receipt, delivery note or registration record.
- Compare the design. Controls, finishes and features change a lot over 10 years.
Still unsure? Contact Frigidaire or Electrolux support with the model and serial number.
Buying a used Frigidaire: from build year to price
The build year is the starting point for judging remaining life. Our lifespan guides cover refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers. The week gives the build date only. It says nothing about hours of use, repairs or storage conditions.
For a price check, see used refrigerator prices in our guide to what a used appliance is worth. Warranty coverage normally runs from the original purchase date, not the build week.
- Enter the serial in the checker above.
- Run the model through the recall check.
- Inspect the unit with the used appliance buying checklist.
- Checking a Frigidaire fridge or dishwasher next to another brand’s? Use how old is my refrigerator or how old is my dishwasher.
Checked against the sources below on 26 September 2026; the dishwasher and recall serial table on 20 October 2026.
