How can I tell how old my washer is?
Two steps: find the model and serial label, then read the date code with your brand’s rule. The checker above does step two for you. The serial gives the build date. The washer may have sat in a warehouse or showroom for months before it was sold.
Step 1: Find the label
Open the door or lid first. Front-load washers keep the label on the rim of the door opening. Top-load washers keep it under the lid, or on the back panel.
- On the rim, trim or frame of the door opening, often at the top (Whirlpool, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, GE)
- Outside, lower right front corner (some GE models)
- Under the lid, on the tub rim or the back of the opening (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, LG, GE near the right hinge)
- Back of the control panel or the back panel (GE, LG; Samsung top-loaders on the back)
- Outside, lower corner of the cabinet (some GE models)
Basis: Official manufacturer help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, Bosch) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore. Diagrams are simplified; your model's exact spot can differ.
| Brand | Front-load washer | Top-load washer |
|---|---|---|
| Whirlpool, Maytag | Inside the door, on the rim of the opening | Beneath the lid, on the tub rim |
| GE | Inside the door panel on the wash compartment face; or outside, lower right front corner | Under the lid near the right hinge; back of the control panel; outside bottom-left corner; outside back near the water inlets |
| LG | Silver label on the front panel behind the door, near the drum opening, usually at the top | Back panel toward the top; under the lid toward the bottom right; or the top right corner of the left side panel |
| Samsung | Sticker around the door: open it and check the frame or the area near the door seal | Label on the back of the washer |
| Frigidaire, Electrolux | Along the trim of the door | Back of the tub opening, under the lid |
| Kenmore | Along the door opening | Under the lid |
Basis: official manufacturer help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, LG, Samsung Canada, Frigidaire) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore.
The serial is the line marked “S/N” or “Serial”. The model number sits on the same label: don’t decode it by mistake.
Step 2: Decode the serial by brand
| Brand | Where the date is | Cycle | Washer example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whirlpool, Maytag (modern), Amana | Year character after the 1–2 letter plant code, then a 2-digit week | Digits: 2010s; K, L, M, P, R, S, T, U, W, Y: 2000s; X, A–J: 1990s or 2020s | C60842986 (Whirlpool WTW5000DW1) = week 8, 2016 |
| GE family | 1st letter = month, 2nd letter = year | 12 years | SD = September 2002, 2014 or 2026 |
| LG | 1st digit = last digit of the year; digits 2–3 = month | 10 years | 410… = October 2004, 2014 or 2024 |
| Samsung | 15 characters: 8th = year, 9th = month (1–9, then A, B, C). 11 characters: 4th = year, 5th = month | 20 years | see the year table |
| Frigidaire, Electrolux | 3rd character = last digit of the year; 4th–5th = week | 10 years | a 6 in 3rd place = 2016 or 2026 |
| Maytag (legacy) | Serial ends in two letters: year, then month | 24 years | see the Maytag guide |
| Kenmore | Decode with the real maker’s rule, from the model prefix | Varies | 110 = Whirlpool, 796 = LG, 417 = Frigidaire |
Basis: GE’s and LG’s rules are official (their support pages). The others come from independent date-code references (electrical-forensics.com and Sears PartsDirect; for Samsung, electrical-forensics and Samsung’s US community forum), cross-checked against documented units. Full year tables are on the brand pages: Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, LG, Frigidaire and Kenmore.
How old is my Whirlpool washer?
Whirlpool serials start with one or two plant letters. The next character is the year and the two digits after it are the week.
- A digit usually means the 2010s: 6 = 2016 (on very old units, the 1980s).
- X and A–J mean the 1990s or the 2020s: X = 2020, A = 2021 … F = 2026.
- K, L, M, P, R, S, T, U, W, Y mean 2000–2009: K = 2000, Y = 2009 (Sears PartsDirect reads some of these one year later).
Example: Whirlpool washer model WTW5000DW1, serial C60842986. C is the plant, 6 is 2016 and 08 is the week, so it was built in late February 2016 (electrical-forensics).
How old is my Maytag washer?
Modern Maytag washers use the same Whirlpool code, because Whirlpool owns Maytag. The code works the same on Maytag dryers: one with serial MX06404786 decodes as plant M, year X (2020), week 06: early February 2020. Older Maytag serials that end in two letters use the legacy code: see the Maytag guide.
How old is my GE washer?
The first two letters of a GE serial are the month and the year. GE publishes the chart, and it repeats every 12 years, so a serial starting SD means September 2026, 2014 or 2002. The GE guide has the full letter table.
How old is my Kenmore washer?
Kenmore didn’t build its own washers. Read the three digits before the dot in the model number:
- 110 = built by Whirlpool, so use the Whirlpool rule. Sears PartsDirect reads a serial starting RA01 as the first week of 1991 or 2021.
- 796 = LG, so the first serial digit is the year and the next two the month.
- 417 = Frigidaire, so use the Frigidaire rule: the year digit comes first on all-digit serials and third on serials that start with two letters, followed by the week.
More prefixes are on the Kenmore guide.
How old is my LG washer?
LG’s rule is official: the first digit is the last digit of the year and digits 2–3 are the month. A serial starting 410 was made in October of 2014 or 2024. Check the model’s era to choose the decade.
Step 3: Settle the decade
Most codes repeat, so check your reading against at least one of these:
- Model number. Look it up on the maker’s support site; the manuals and parts listed show the era.
- Owner’s manual print date. Many manuals print a date on the front or back page.
- Paperwork. A receipt, delivery note or registration card.
- Design. A 2006 top-loader and a 2026 top-loader look and feel very different.
If the label is missing or unreadable
- Check every spot. Top-loaders can carry the label on the back panel as well as under the lid.
- Use the model number alone. It gives the era and lets you run a recall check, but not the build month.
- Ask the seller for the receipt, manual or registration card.
If there’s no age evidence at all, treat the age as unknown when you judge the price. The used washer price page shows how much age moves value.
What the age means
Washers typically last about 10 years, with published figures from 5 to 15. A washer’s age tells you how much of that typical life may be left: see how long washing machines last. Weighing a repair? Use the repair or replace calculator.
Limitations
- The serial shows the build date, not the sale, installation or service history.
- Only GE and LG publish their date rules. The others come from well-corroborated independent references.
- Samsung’s 2026 year code isn’t confirmed by any source yet.
Next steps
- Enter the brand and serial in the checker above.
- Run the recall check with the model number.
- Inspect the washer with the used appliance buying checklist.
Checked against the sources below on 26 September 2026.