You should consider several things when looking to purchase a Whirlpool washer. One of these is the potential lifespan of that washer. Sometimes, the washers seem to last forever.
However, they break down other times before it has lived up to their expectations. In times like these, one might be curious to know how old the appliance is.
You can easily determine the age from the model serial numbers. The model number tells the year the design was made, while, the serial number tells the time of this model’s introduction. The appliance’s age is not written directly in the model or serial number. Instead, you would have to deduce it from the letters and numbers combination.
How to Determine the Age of a Whirlpool?
The first step in determining the age of a whirlpool is finding the washer’s nameplate. This nameplate usually holds information like the model and serial numbers.
It can also contain the manufacturing date and other important information. It is often advised that you do not rely on the model or serial numbers found on the appliance manual.
The position of the nameplate varies depending on whether the machine is a top-loader or a front-loader.
You can find the nameplate on the frame under the lid on some top-loading washers. On others, you can find it on the top body of the machine.
Sometimes, you can find it on the side of the device near the bottom. For example, the nameplate is located behind the door or in the door jam with front-loading washers.
Another place to check is the back of the control panel when the machine is pulled from the wall.
The next step is to write down the serial number carefully. When it comes to age determination for washers, the serial number is more important than the model number.
Therefore, you should pay attention not to mistake a serial number for a model number.
Usually, the model number and serial number on whirlpool appliances are indicated by “Mod” and “Ser,” respectively.
You should also be careful when writing down the number to not mistake letters for numbers.
After writing this number down, you can decode the numbers using an online site like Appliance 411. This website helps to give all the necessary details about any given appliance.
All required is the serial number written down and entered correctly in a given form. The form might also require additional important information.
The only downside is that it only works for appliances manufactured in or after 1970.
Can You Tell How Old a Washing Machine Is by The Model Number?
Ideally, the model number cannot tell you how old your washer is. However, the model number is essential in other instances.
For example, if a washer part is broken and needs to be repaired or replaced. In this case, the model number helps the technician find the exact part replica that can replace the broken one.
The model number is used to mark the products with a particular design or similar features. These products must have been manufactured around the same time.
On the other hand, the serial number is specific to each product within that production time.
This is why serial numbers are used to determine the age of a whirlpool appliance instead of model numbers.
The model number has ten characters, sometimes with more letters than the serial number. Some model numbers can have the year of manufacture embedded in them.
It is usually encoded as a letter or number, known as the date code. The date code is always the third to the last character.
For example, in an appliance with the model number LRS6233BW1, the letter B stands for 1994.
It is also essential to know that whirlpool has several subsidiaries. Common examples of these subsidiaries are Maytag and KitchenAid.
Each of these subsidiaries will have its slight variation. These variations can be the location of nameplates and the style of writing the model number.
Despite these variations, it is still easy to deduce the age of any whirlpool washer.
How Old Is My Whirlpool By Serial Number?
You can find the serial number on the nameplate, like the model number. Also, like the model number, it is an organized mix of numbers and letters.
Each character in the serial number stands for something. And with the correct information, it is easy to decode.
When correctly decoded, the serial number of the whirlpool appliance can tell the year, month, and week it was manufactured.
Knowing this makes it easy to understand how old the washer truly is.
The first letter in the serial number stands for the manufacturing division of the washer. The numbers that come after the letters stand for the year of manufacture.
After this, the numbers that come next indicate the week and the manufacturing batch.
How Do You Read A Whirlpool Date Code?
Serial numbers consist of nine characters containing letters and numbers. The first character stands for the code of the manufacturing division. It is usually an alphabet.
The second character, which could be an alphabet or a number, indicates the year of manufacture.
The following characters are sometimes referred to as the first and second digits.
These characters, always numbers, indicate the same week of the year that the washer was manufactured.
From 1970 to 1979, the codes assigned to each year ran from 0 to 9. the manufacturers also repeated this sequence from 1980 to 1989.
However, from 1990 to 2009, the manufacturers replaced the number codes with alphabets.
These alphabets ran almost in alphabetical order. From 2010 to 2019, manufacturers repeated the number code sequence.
Washers manufactured from 2020 have again been placed in the alphabet code sequence like those from 1990.
There are two peculiarities to be noted in the alphabet code sequence. This first is that there is an exclusion of some letters.
These letters include “I,” “N,” “O,” “Q,” and “Z.” These letters are excluded in the 1990-2009 sequence as well as in the 2020-2029 sequence.
The second peculiarity is that the alphabet sequence always begins with an “X.”
The 5th – 9th characters are usually numbers. They are used to indicate the order in which the appliances were manufactured that week.
In other words, this is like the index number. All devices manufactured in the same week of the same year have similar first four characters.
However, the 5th to 9th numbers are specific to the washer itself. This is what makes the serial number of each appliance unique.
Consider a washer, for example, with the serial number MB1402320. The “M” stands for the manufacturer.
Following the year codes, it is deduced that “B” represents the year 1992.
The following two digits after B tell us that the appliance was manufactured in the 14th week of the year 1992.
“02320” stands for the index number of the washer in the manufactured series for the week.
Summary
Most people want to know the age of their washer for different reasons. The most common cause is to estimate the longevity of the washer.
It is essential to know that the expected longevity of whirlpool washers is usually 10 to 20 years.
The manner of usage and maintenance throughout its lifetime can affect how long an appliance will last.
