GE Appliance Age
GE hides the build month and year in the first two letters of the serial number. Enter yours below and the decoder reads both letters and shows every year the code can mean.
Part of the appliance age lookup
Serial number age lookup
Where to find the serial number
The serial number is on the rating or data label, which is in a different place on every kind of appliance:
- Refrigerator: inside the fresh-food compartment, usually on the upper left or right wall or under the top shelf. On some models it is on the ceiling of the compartment.
- Washer: on the door frame of a front-loader, or under the lid or on the back of a top-loader.
- Dryer: inside the door frame, or just inside the opening behind the door.
- Dishwasher: along the edge or inner side of the door, or on the tub frame when the door is open.
- Range: on the frame around the oven door, behind the storage drawer, or on the back of the range.
Copy the serial number, not the model number. The serial is labelled “SERIAL” or “S/N”, and a GE serial begins with two letters.
How the GE code works
GE’s support site explains the system in two sentences: the serial number begins with two letters followed by six numbers, and the first letter identifies the month while the second identifies the year. GE uses only twelve letters in both positions, so there is a small chart to learn:
| Letter | As the first letter, the month is | As the second letter, the year is |
|---|---|---|
| A | January | 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977 |
| D | February | 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978 |
| F | March | 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979 |
| G | April | 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980 |
| H | May | 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981 |
| L | June | 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970 |
| M | July | 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971 |
| R | August | 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972 |
| S | September | 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973 |
| T | October | 2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974 |
| V | November | 2023, 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 |
| Z | December | 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976 |
- Month
- Year
- Not part of the date
Worked examples
| Serial | Built |
|---|---|
| GA123456 | April 2025 or April 2013, April 2001, April 1989, April 1977 |
| AD123456 | January 2026 or January 2014, January 2002, January 1990, January 1978 |
| TL654321 | October 2018 or October 2006, October 1994, October 1982, October 1970 |
| ZR456789 | December 2020 or December 2008, December 1996, December 1984, December 1972 |
Example serials are made up to show the format; they don't belong to real units.
Reading an example
Take a serial that begins VM. The first letter, V, is November. The second letter, M, is a year that appears as 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983 or 1971 on the chart. So the appliance was built in November 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983 or 1971.
GE’s own examples work the same way: GA is April 2001 or April 2013 (and also 2025 and earlier years on the full chart), and AD is January 2002 or January 2014.
Choosing the right year
Because the letters repeat every twelve years, you need one more clue to choose between the candidates. These work well:
- Appearance and features. A digital display, a dispenser in the door or a touch panel points to a recent unit. A mechanical timer on a dryer or a coil burner on a range points to an older one.
- The printed label date. Many labels also print a manufacture date. If one is present it wins over any decoder, and you can enter it in the tool above.
- Paperwork. The purchase receipt, the warranty card and the owner’s manual narrow the range quickly. GE notes that the print date in an owner’s manual may not exactly match the month and year in the serial number, but it will be close.
- The house. If the appliance came with the home, the year the kitchen or laundry room was built or last remodelled is a hard upper limit.
Twelve years is roughly the gap between a refrigerator in its prime and one well past its typical life, so it is worth taking a minute to get this right.
What the age tells you
The NAHB’s 2007 study of home components puts the typical life of a standard refrigerator at about 13 years, a dryer at 13, a washer at 10, an electric range at 13, a gas range at 15 and a dishwasher at 9. Those are planning numbers for first-owner use, not guarantees.
- Under about three-quarters of the typical life: repair freely. A control board or a door gasket is worth fixing.
- Near the typical life: start budgeting. A repair quote of half the price of a new machine is the point to consider replacing instead.
- Past the typical life: the odds of another failure rise each year. Weigh a major repair carefully, especially on a refrigerator that has to keep food safe.
Our guides on refrigerators, washers, dryers and dishwashers go into the repair-or-replace decision for each.
When the decoder does not recognize the serial
The decoder accepts serials that start with two of GE’s twelve letters followed by five or six digits and, at most, a couple of trailing letters. If yours does not fit:
- Check for a zero typed as an O or a one typed as an I. Neither letter is on the chart.
- Read the label again for a longer number. The model number is often mistaken for the serial.
- Look for a printed manufacture date instead.
- If the appliance is a very old GE or Hotpoint, it may predate this code. Send it to us with the wrong-result form and we will look at it.
About this decoder
The letter chart on this page is GE’s own, restated from the GE Appliances support page. The decoder is still marked as being checked against real labels, which means we have not yet confirmed it against a large set of serials with printed dates. If your label’s printed date disagrees with the decoder, tell us, and use the printed date.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the age of a GE appliance from its serial number?
Look at the first two letters of the serial. The first letter is the month and the second is the year. GE uses only twelve letters for both (A, D, F, G, H, L, M, R, S, T, V and Z), and the year letters repeat every twelve years, so the same two letters can point to more than one year.
Why does my GE serial number give several possible years?
GE's year letters start over every twelve years. GA, for example, is April 2001 or April 2013 in GE's own worked example, and the same letters also fit April 2025 and several earlier years on the full chart. The decoder lists the most recent possible date first, and the appliance's styling, features and paperwork settle which one is yours.
What do the six digits after the letters mean?
They are a production sequence number. GE's chart does not give them a date meaning, and the decoder ignores them.
My GE serial number starts with letters that are not on the chart. What now?
Letters such as B, C, E or K are not used by this code. Re-check the characters, and watch for a zero typed as the letter O. If the serial really starts with other letters, it may be a different format, so look for a printed manufacture date on the label.
Does this work for Hotpoint, Profile, Café and Monogram?
GE publishes the chart on its support site for its Monogram line, and trade publications apply the same letters to GE-built appliances generally. Hotpoint, Profile and Café are GE Appliances brands, so the code is expected to apply, but confirm any result against the label's printed date if there is one.
Is this the same code as a GE water heater?
No. GE water heaters were built by another manufacturer and follow that maker's serial format. Use the GE water heater page for those.
Sources and accuracy
The GE appliances decoder is built from these references and cross-checked between them. Facts are restated in our own words; any mistakes are ours.
- GE Appliances support: how to determine the age or manufacture date (Monogram, same letter chart)
- GE Appliances support: RCA appliance, how to determine the age or manufacture date
- ServiceMag: how to read your appliance model and serial number, brand by brand (2026)
Status: being verified against real data plates. Rules last reviewed 2026-10-18; page updated 2026-11-08. Not affiliated with GE appliances. Report a wrong result.
Part of the appliance age lookup
This page covers one brand. For all refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher and range brands, go to the appliance age lookup.