Decode your
HVAC serial number
in seconds

Find out when your unit was manufactured, how old it is, and exactly how we decoded it — every time.

Serial Number Decoder
How It Works

No black boxes, ever.

We show every step of the decoding so you can verify the result — not just trust it.

1
Select your manufacturer

Each brand structures its serial numbers differently. Choosing the right manufacturer ensures the correct decoding logic is applied.

2
Enter the serial number

Find the serial number on your unit's nameplate — typically on the exterior cabinet or inside the service panel door. Type it exactly as printed.

3
Read the full breakdown

You'll see the manufacture date, unit age, a character-by-character decode, confidence level, and the source documentation behind our logic.

FAQ

Common questions

Straightforward answers about how the decoder works and what the results mean.

SerialAge decodes the manufacture date embedded in your unit's serial number. Each manufacturer encodes the date differently — once decoded, the age is calculated from today. Select your manufacturer above, enter the serial number from your data plate, and you'll see the manufacture date and current age instantly.
The serial number is printed on the data plate — a metal or foil sticker on the unit. On outdoor air conditioners and heat pumps, look on the side or back of the cabinet near the refrigerant pipes. On indoor furnaces and air handlers, check inside the front panel door. The data plate also shows the model number — make sure you enter the serial number, not the model number.
The model number describes what the unit is — its product family, capacity, and efficiency rating. The serial number identifies the specific unit and encodes when it was manufactured. Both appear on the same data plate, usually labeled 'Model No.' and 'Serial No.' To find the age of your equipment, you need the serial number.
There is no single universal format — each manufacturer encodes the date differently. For example, Carrier encodes week and year in the first four digits (WWYY), while Goodman uses year and month (YYMM). SerialAge handles these differences automatically: select your manufacturer and enter your serial number exactly as printed.
No. The manufacture date is when the unit left the factory. Equipment can sit in a warehouse or distributor inventory for weeks or months before being installed. Warranty terms may depend on the installation date and registration — check the manufacturer's documentation for details.
If the result is unsupported or unrecognized, the serial number format either predates the documented era for that manufacturer, uses a variation we have not verified, or may have been entered with a typo. We will not guess — if we cannot decode it reliably, we say so. Check the data plate carefully and re-enter the serial exactly as printed. For older equipment, the data plate sometimes includes a printed manufacture date you can use directly.

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Decode a Serial Number