Have you ever asked yourself – how old is my GE refrigerator? If you have, this article will show you how to determine the correct age of your refrigerator.
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How Can I Tell How Old My GE Refrigerator Is?
You can tell the age of your refrigerator using the serial number or the user manual.
Using the Serial Number
GE, like most of the other brands, uses date codes. They show what year and month an appliance is manufactured.
Here is how to decode those date codes:
Find the Serial Number
The serial number can be located in different areas on the refrigerator. This depends on the model of the refrigerator. Below are the likely locations of the serial number in different types of GE refrigerators:
Compact Refrigerators and Wine & Beverage Refrigerators
The serial number is usually located on the left side interior wall of the refrigerating/main compartment.
Bottom-freezer Refrigerators
The serial number of the bottom freezer refrigerator can be found on either of these two locations:
- Inside the freezer compartment on the left or right interior wall
- The left or right interior wall of the upper part of the refrigerating section
Side-by-Side Refrigerators
The serial number of the side-by-side refrigerator is located on either of these five places:
- The floor of the main compartment, right under the crisper drawer
- The lower rear wall in the main compartment. Take out the 2nd crisper drawer from the bottom up
- Right or left interior wall of the main compartment, next to the crisper drawers
- Either side of the interior wall of the refrigerating compartment, near the top
- The roof of the main compartment
The video will help you locate the serial number on these refrigerator models…
Top-freezer Refrigerators
You can find the serial number of a top freezer refrigerator in any of these places:
- Left side interior wall of the refrigerating section, near the top
- The front edge of the roof of the freezer
- Next to the temperature controls in the fresh food compartment
- The rear wall, close to the crisper drawers
- The front edge of the refrigerator’s floor
- Left or right interior wall next to the crisper drawer in the refrigerating section
The serial number is different from the model number. It is written on the right side of the model/serial tags.
To make things easier, some newer models come with QR codes. You can scan them with your smartphone or tablet.
Once scanned, you will be redirected to a web browser. The browser will give you information related to your specific model. The QR codes are on the model/serial tag.
Decode the Serial Number
The serial number of a GE refrigerator has 8 digits that start with 2 letters, followed by 6 numbers. The letters indicate the month and the year of production. While the 1st letter determines the month of production, the 2nd one determines the year.
Decoding the Month Code
Firstly, the alphabet codes for the first four months (January, February, March, and April) are A, D, F, G respectively. Then, the second quarter alphabet codes come in this order H, L, M, R respectively. Lastly, the last quarter alphabet codes are ordered thus – S, T, V, Z respectively.
Decoding the Year Code
The 2nd letter, which connotes the year of production, alternates approximately every twelve years. Hence, an alphabet code may correspond to several years. For instance, a serial number that starts with “DF” could mean the refrigerator was produced in February of 2015 or February of 2003.
This chart will help you know the manufacture month and year of your appliance.
Using the User Manual
As an alternative to the serial number, you can use your user manual to tell the age of your appliance.
On most user manuals, the date appears on the cover of the manual. It could either be on the front or the back page. This date usually appears close to the publication number. And may appear like this: 03-19 ( March of 2019) or 02/21 (February of 2021).
The date on the cover sometimes does not exactly correspond with the one on the serial number. However, if the date is closer to what is on the serial number, that could show you have ascertained the right age.
Quick Note
You can contact GE with your refrigerator’s serial or model number. Their service agents will further assist you with the information you seek.
However, it may not be totally necessary to contact GE for the age of your appliance. You should only contact them if you are unable to decode the serial number.
Check out these other articles…
GE Refrigerator Troubleshooting [Quick Guide]
How to Replace a GE Ice Maker [Quick Guide]
How to Take Apart GE Refrigerator Drawers [Quick Guide]
GE Refrigerator Water Coming Out Slowly [How to Fix]
How to Set Temperature on a GE Refrigerator [Quick Guide]
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