How old is this unit?
Type the brand and the serial number off the nameplate. We’ll tell you the year it was built. Free, no signup.
Got a photo of the nameplate instead?
Upload it and we’ll read the make, model, serial, and age off it and email you the result. This is the same reader Dataplate techs use on the job.
How to find the manufacture date on a nameplate.
Most HVAC manufacturers put the manufacture date inside the serial number rather than printing it outright. The format is different for every brand and has usually changed two or three times over the years, which is why the same serial style can mean different things on a 1990s unit and a 2010s unit.
| Brand | Where the date hides | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier | Positions 1–4: two digits for the production week, then two for the year. | 4006A17330 → week 40 of 2006 |
| Bryant | Same format as Carrier — week, then year, in positions 1–4. | 4006A17330 → week 40 of 2006 |
| Payne | Same format as Carrier — week, then year, in positions 1–4. | 4006A17330 → week 40 of 2006 |
| Trane | 2010 and newer: positions 1–4, year then production week. 2002–2009: position 1 is the year, 2–3 the week. | 10161KEDAA → week 16 of 2010 |
| American Standard | Same format as Trane, in the same positions. | 91531S41F → week 15 of 2009 |
| Lennox | Positions 3–5: two digits for the year, then a letter for the month (A–M, with I skipped). | 5207K24862 → October 2007 |
| Goodman | Positions 1–4: two digits for the year, then two for the month. | 9704011000 → April 1997 |
| Amana | Same format as Goodman — year, then month, in positions 1–4. | 9704011000 → April 1997 |
| Rheem | Positions 2–5: two digits for the production week, then two for the year. Some older plates run month then year in positions 1–4. | W291013412 → week 29 of 2010 |
| Ruud | Same format as Rheem, in the same positions. | 0804B10488 → August 2004 |
| York | No documented rule in here yet. Send a photo and we'll add it. | — |
| Daikin | No documented rule in here yet. Send a photo and we'll add it. | — |
Serial number questions we get asked.
- How old is my AC unit?
- Type the brand and the serial number off the nameplate. We'll tell you the year it was built. Free, no signup.
- Where is the serial number on an HVAC unit?
- It's on the metal plate on the unit — usually near the electrical connections on a condenser, inside the door on a furnace.
- Why doesn't the serial number just say the date?
- Most HVAC manufacturers put the manufacture date inside the serial number rather than printing it outright. The format is different for every brand and has usually changed two or three times over the years, which is why the same serial style can mean different things on a 1990s unit and a 2010s unit.
- What if the serial number can't be decoded?
- The page says so and shows no year. We'd rather say nothing than say the wrong year. Send a photo of the nameplate and we'll decode it and add the rule.
If you’re a tech: this runs on every job in Dataplate.
Point the camera at the plate, and the make, model, serial, refrigerant, and age go straight into the job — and onto the customer’s report, with the recommendation drafted for you. Free for one tech, up to 10 jobs a month.