How can I tell how old my dryer is?
Find the model and serial label, then read the date code with your brand’s rule. The checker above decodes it for you. The serial gives the build date, not the purchase date.
Step 1: Find the label
Open the door. On almost every dryer the label sits on the rim or frame of the door opening.
- 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
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.
| Brand | Where the manufacturer says to look |
|---|---|
| Whirlpool, Maytag | Inside the door, on the rim of the opening (ventless dryers: behind the water tank) |
| GE | Inside front face of the drum opening, left or right side, with the door open |
| LG | Silver label on the front panel behind the door, near the drum opening, usually at the top |
| Samsung | Sticker around the door: check the frame or the area near the door seal |
| Frigidaire, Electrolux | Top of the door opening |
| Kenmore | Inside the door opening, or on the back panel |
Basis: official manufacturer help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, LG, Samsung Canada, Frigidaire) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore.
Read the line marked “S/N” or “Serial”, not the model number on the same label.
Step 2: Decode the serial by brand
| Brand | Where the date is | Cycle | Dryer example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maytag (modern), Whirlpool, Amana | Year character after the 1–2 letter plant code, then a 2-digit week | Digits: 2010s; K, L, M, P, R, S, T, U, W, Y: 2000s; X, A–J: 1990s or 2020s | MX06404786 (Maytag MED7230HW0) = week 6, 2020 |
| GE family | 1st letter = month, 2nd letter = year | 12 years | SD = September 2002, 2014 or 2026 |
| LG | 1st digit = last digit of the year; digits 2–3 = month | 10 years | 410… = October 2004, 2014 or 2024 |
| Frigidaire, Electrolux | 3rd character = last digit of the year; 4th–5th = week | 10 years | 4D72904857 = week 29, July 2017 |
| Samsung | 15 characters: 8th = year, 9th = month (1–9, then A, B, C). 11 characters: 4th = year, 5th = month | 20 years | see the year table |
| Maytag (legacy) | Serial ends in two letters: year, then month | 24 years | see the Maytag guide |
| Kenmore | Decode with the real maker’s rule, from the model prefix | Varies | 110 = Whirlpool, 796 = LG, 417 = Frigidaire |
Basis: GE’s and LG’s rules are official (their support pages). The Maytag and Frigidaire examples are real units documented by electrical-forensics.com; the other rules come from independent date-code references (for Samsung, electrical-forensics and Samsung’s US community forum) cross-checked against documented units. Full tables: Maytag, Whirlpool, GE, LG, Frigidaire, Kenmore.
How old is my Maytag dryer?
Look at the start of the serial:
- Starts with a letter, then a year character and a real week number (01–53): modern Whirlpool-style code. In MX06404786, M is the plant, X is 2020 and 06 is the week, so the dryer was built in early February 2020 (electrical-forensics).
- Mostly digits and ends in two letters: the older Maytag code, where the last two letters give the year and month. The Maytag guide has both tables.
How old is my GE dryer?
The first letter of a GE serial is the month and the second is the year, from GE’s own chart. The chart repeats every 12 years, so settle the decade with the model number. A GE dryer built in September 2026 has a serial starting SD. The GE guide has both letter tables.
How old is my Whirlpool dryer?
Same rule as Maytag: after the plant letter or letters, the year character, then two digits for the week. A 6 means 2016, an F means 2026 (or 1996), and an R means 2004 (Sears PartsDirect reads it as 2005). The full year table is in the Whirlpool guide.
Step 3: Settle the decade
- Model number. Look it up on the maker’s support site; the manuals and parts listed show the era.
- Owner’s manual print date, usually on the front or back page.
- Paperwork: a receipt, delivery note or registration card.
- Design and controls: dial-only dryers and touch panels belong to different decades.
If the label is missing or unreadable
- Check the back panel as well as the door opening, especially on Kenmore dryers.
- Use the model number alone to get the era and run a recall check.
- Ask the seller for any receipt, manual or registration card.
What the age means
Dryers typically last about 13 years, with published figures from 10 to 14: see how long dryers last. For safety, cleaning matters as much as age. The U.S. Fire Administration found failure to clean was the leading factor contributing to ignition in residential dryer fires, so check the lint screen and vent on any used dryer. Weighing a repair? Use the repair or replace calculator.
Limitations
- The serial shows the build date, not the sale, installation or service history.
- Only GE and LG publish their date rules; the others come from well-corroborated independent references.
- Samsung’s 2026 year code isn’t confirmed by any source yet.
Next steps
- Enter the brand and serial in the checker above.
- Run the recall check with the model number.
- Inspect the dryer with the used appliance buying checklist.
Checked against the sources below on 26 September 2026.