The lifespan of home appliances determines how well the machine will function. It can also help you confirm your appliance’s warranty status or if you need to repair it.
Even with your GE devices, it is possible to decode the appliance’s age. However, it might be a bit challenging.
It does not matter if the appliance was in the very first series from the 1900s. There are different ways to get the information you seek.
You can determine the age of your GE appliance through several methods. These methods could be as simple as making inquiries from the previous house owners or the device manufacturers. Or the methods could be as complex as having to decode the information from the serial number.
How Do You Find the Age of a GE Appliance?
There are at least six methods to know how old your GE appliance is. Each method has a different level of accuracy and will suffice depending on why you need the information.
#1. Previous House Owners
Contacting the previous house owners is one of the easiest methods. Especially if the appliance you want to date came with the house, most house owners should know when they bought or replaced a machine.
This method would be effective if the previous owners were meticulous with documentation.
The major downside to this method is the date might not be exact. In addition, it might only give you a range of production years and is therefore limited.
#2. Age of the House
It is safe to say that the oldest appliance in your house is about the same age as the house itself.
So, if your house is relatively new, it is likely that the appliance’s production date is in recent years.
The only time this will not be true is if there were renovations before you moved in. In this case, you can call the previous owners for confirmation.
The disadvantage of this method is that, like with the precious method, it is a limited means of information.
#3. Owner’s Manual
Your owner’s manual is your next best bet for accurate information. If your appliance came with the house, you might be lucky if the owners leave the instruction manuals intact.
If, on the other hand, your device is new, it makes everything easy for you. In most manuals, the manufacture date is either on the front or back page beside the publication number.
However, there is one good thing about this method. Even if the exact date is not on the manual, there will be enough information to tell you the production year.
#4. Serial Number
The serial number of any machine is the most accurate way to determine the age of the machine.
A serial number is a string of numbers and alphabets. Each character has information that is specific to the appliance.
GE serial numbers have nine characters. The first two characters are alphabets followed by six numbers and another alphabet.
Decoding the first alphabet will give you the month of manufacture, while the second tells you the year.
GE has a table on its website to decode these letters. Unfortunately, every appliance brand has a different decoding system for its serial numbers.
So, you cannot use this table for other brand appliances. There is only one drawback to using a serial number to tell the age of a GE device.
This drawback is that GE recycles its letters every 12 years. So, if your first two letters are AA, the translation is two-fold. First, the manufacture date is either January 2001 or January 2013.
#5. Decoding Websites
Different websites can help you determine the age of your appliance. The only information they request is the appliance’s serial number and model number.
You can use this method if you do not want to go through the trouble of decoding the serial number yourself. Examples of such websites are Appliance 411 and Cannons Appliance.
#6. Manufacturers
You can use the brand site if you do not trust external websites to give you accurate information. Then, you can either call the customer care service or mail them the serial and model number.
There is one advantage to this method. You can send them a picture of the appliance, and they will be able to narrow down the manufacture date.
How Do You Find the Age of a GE Fridge?
You can use any of the methods above to determine the age of your GE fridge. However, if you want to use the methods that need serial numbers, you must first find the numbers.
#1. Finding the Serial Number
Both model and serial numbers are on the owner’s manual. But if you do not have the manual for some reason, there is another way out.
You will have to look for a label or nameplate on the appliance itself. This nameplate holds all necessary codes identifying the appliance, including the serial number.
There are four GE refrigerators: French door, bottom freezer, side-by-side, and top freezer refrigerators. As a result, the location of the nameplate varies.
Below are the possible locations of the label on different GE fridges.
| Refrigerator | Possible Location |
|---|---|
| French Door & Side by Side | The bottom floor in the fresh food section back of the crisper drawers, right or left inner wall beside the crisper drawer right or left inner wall near the top of the fridge top ceiling inside the fridge. |
| Top/Bottom Freezer | Right or left inside walls near the freezer section right or left inside the freezer |
The nameplate is easy to identify. You will see model no. and serial no on it with the numbers beside each.
#2. Decoding the Serial Number
Decoding the serial number for a GE refrigerator’s age starts from the first character. This first character stands for the manufacturing month.
The letters GE uses to represent the 12 months of the year are:
| Letter Representation | Month |
|---|---|
| A | January |
| D | February |
| F | March |
| G | April |
| H | May |
| L | June |
| M | July |
| R | August |
| S | September |
| T | October |
| V | November |
| Z | December |
The second character represents the production year. GE only uses 12 letters which reoccur every twelve years.
This letter system first started in 1970, so the first letters and the years they started with are:
| Letter | Years of Production |
|---|---|
| A | 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 |
| D | 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 |
| F | 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 |
| G | 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 |
| H | 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 |
| L | 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 |
| M | 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 |
| R | 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| S | 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| T | 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| V | 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 |
| Z | 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 |
With this system, we can tell that a refrigerator with serial number ZR525322 came in August 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012.
You can use the owners’ manual or contact the manufacturer to pinpoint the specific decade.
How Do You Find the Age of a GE Washing Machine?
The steps to finding the age of a GE washing machine are the same as with other appliances. The only difference is in the position of the nameplate.
Since there are different washing machines, the label position will also vary, even on similar washers.
On top-loading washers, the label has four different locations. It could be near the lid’s hinges, behind the control panel, or at the bottom by the left corner.
In some models, you will find the label around the water inlets at the back. However, on front-loading washers, there are only three possible locations.
Some models have labels on the door’s inner panel or frame or around the wash compartment.
Other front-loading models have labels on any of the sides of the machine. The label could be on the washer’s back, front, or sides.
When you locate the label, you can write down the serial number and deduce the age of the washer from it.
Where Is the Model Number on an Old GE Range?
The model number of an old GE is also on the rating plate (nameplate). This number holds information that helps to track the component hardware parts.
It also gives information on the manufacturing brand, the performance status of the appliance, and its design.
Since there are at least five different old range models, the position of the rating plate varies, as is shown in the table below.
| Type of Range | Model | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Americana Ranges | Pre 1980 models | Between the hinges on the inside frame of the lower oven door |
| Post-1980 models | Inside the frame of the oven door The frame behind the storage drawer | |
| Microwave on top | Inner left wall The frame around the lower oven door | |
| Gas | Under the cooktop | |
| Drop-in ranges | 27” Drop-in | Inside frame around the oven door Below the oven on the cross member |
| 30” Drop-in | Near the end of the left wall | |
| Slide-in & Free-standing ranges | Old Electric models | Inside the left wall, when you raise the left surface unit. Inner oven door frame |
| Old Lift-up cooktop | On the metal burner support underneath the cooktop The left leg of the storage | |
| Old non-lift-up cooktop | The right or left side of the storage drawer | |
| Solid disk burner | Inside frame on the right side of the storage drawer | |
| 20” apartment sized | The right wall is visible when you raise the cooktop | |
| 40” range models | The frame around the frame of the storage drawer The frame around the oven door | |
| Older induction models | Bottom right side | |
| Radiant burners | Pre 1980 models | Under the front or rear proper control knobs |
In newer models, the position of the rating plate is different depending on the range or cooktop model.
How Do You Find the Age of a GE Dishwasher?
The process required to know the age of a GE dishwasher is the same as with fridges and washing machines.
The only tweak in the process is the location of the rating plate. On GE dishwashers, check the insides of the right or left edges or the edges of the appliance door.
How Do You Find the Age of a GE Microwave?
You can use the serial number of the microwave to deduce its age. On old models, the label containing the model and serial numbers s usually found behind or under the unit.
Olde models are those manufactured before 1982. For post-1982, the rating plate can be on the left wall inside the microwave.
The label around the back could also be behind the appliance if your microwave is an over-the-range model.
Conclusion
When writing serial numbers, ensure you do not confuse them with model numbers. Newer models of most GE appliances now have QR codes on them.
When you scan this code, it opens a page on your browser. This page contains all information specific to your appliance. This method makes it less tedious to determine the age of your GE appliances.
