Take a photo of the data plate on your furnace, air conditioner, water heater or kitchen appliance and drop it below. We’ll read the model and serial numbers and tell you when the unit was made, how old it is, how long that type of equipment typically lasts, and whether its model number appears in a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall.
Where to find the data plate
The data plate (or rating label) is the sticker or metal tag that lists the model and serial numbers. Common spots:
- Furnace: inside the front panel, usually on the blower or burner compartment door.
- Air conditioner or heat pump: on the side or back of the outdoor unit.
- Water heater: on the side of the tank, often near the gas valve or the top.
- Refrigerator: inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall, or behind the bottom grille.
- Dishwasher: on the edge of the door or the side of the tub when the door is open.
- Range or oven: behind the storage drawer, inside the oven door frame, or under the cooktop.
- Washer or dryer: under the lid, inside the door opening, or on the back panel.
How it works
Most manufacturers hide the build date inside the serial number, and every maker uses a different code. We read the plate, then decode the serial against the same database of manufacturer date codes we use on our own inspections. When a plate prints its manufacture date outright, we use that date instead.
Some makers reuse their date codes every ten or twelve years, so one serial number can fit two decades. For those, we check the build years of other units of the same model we’ve already seen, on our inspections and through this tool, to tell which decade yours is from.
If we don’t recognise a serial number format yet, we research it while you wait and add it to the database, so the next person with that brand gets an instant answer.
Typical service life comes from InterNACHI’s estimated life-expectancy chart. Recall matches come from the CPSC recall database and compare your model number (and serial number, where the recall lists a range) against the recall notice.
Your photo and your privacy
We don’t ask for your name, email or address. Your photo is only kept when we can’t recognise the serial number format, so we can add that format to the database. Every photo is re-saved without location or camera information before we keep it or read it.
What this tool can and can’t tell you
- A serial-number date is when the unit was made. It was often installed months later.
- Service life is a typical range with regular maintenance, not a prediction for your unit. Plenty of equipment outlasts the chart, and some fails early.
- A recall match means the model appears in a recall notice. Always confirm on the CPSC recall page or with the manufacturer. No match is not a guarantee that there is no recall.
- This is an estimate from a photo, not an inspection of the equipment’s condition, installation or safety.
Buying a home?
Age is one number. A home inspection looks at how the furnace, air conditioner, water heater and appliances are actually installed and operating, and our reports record the age of each one so you can plan what’s coming due.