Serial Number Age

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How Old Is My Rheem Furnace?

In a Rheem or Ruud heating and cooling serial number, the factory letter is followed by the week and then the year. Type the serial number from your furnace's data plate below.

Rheem furnace age decoder

Type it exactly as printed. Spaces and dashes don't matter.

Where the serial number is on a furnace

FURNACEMODEL NO.SERIAL NO.W421724596
Example Rheem serial number on a furnace data plate.

Take off the front lower panel (turn the power off first). The data plate is a metal or foil sticker on the inside of the door or on the side of the cabinet, next to the blower. The serial number is usually labelled "Serial No.", "S/N" or "Ser. No."

How to read a Rheem serial number

In a Rheem or Ruud heating and cooling serial number, the factory letter is followed by the week and then the year.

10 characters, starts with a letter (most units)

L WW YY #####

  1. The letter is the factory.
  2. The next two digits are the week of the year: 42 is mid-October.
  3. The two digits after that are the year: 17 means 2017.

Example: W421724596

Longer serials (14 to 17 characters)

…L WW YY #####

  1. Find the factory letter near the middle (usually F, G, M, N or W).
  2. The two digits after it are the week, the next two are the year.

Example: 7143W1519143722

Older units: starts with 4 digits

MM YY L #####

  1. Digits 1 and 2 are the month.
  2. Digits 3 and 4 are the year.

Example: 0902C11246

How long does a furnace last?

Most furnaces last 15 to 20 years. Yearly servicing, the local climate and how hard it works all move it within that range. Past 15 years, it is worth getting a replacement price before the unit fails, so you aren't forced into a rushed decision.

Furnaces made before 1992 were built before the federal 78% efficiency minimum. If yours is that old, a new 95% furnace could cut your heating fuel use by a quarter or more.

Questions

How do I find the age of my Rheem furnace?

In a Rheem or Ruud heating and cooling serial number, the factory letter is followed by the week and then the year. You'll find the serial number on the data plate. Take off the front lower panel (turn the power off first). The data plate is a metal or foil sticker on the inside of the door or on the side of the cabinet, next to the blower. The serial number is usually labelled "Serial No.", "S/N" or "Ser. No."

How long does a Rheem furnace last?

Like most furnaces, a Rheem typically lasts 15 to 20 years with regular servicing.

Related

How sure are these dates? Checked against official records (recall notices or data plates with printed dates). How we test the decoder.

Keeping an older furnace going