This article is a quick reference guide for the most common manufacturers of heating and cooling equipment (or HVAC equipment). Most heating/cooling equipment manufacturers do not clearly state the manufacture year on the data plate or label. Most of the time, however, the year of manufacture is typically coded in the serial number. By referencing the manufacturer below with the serial number, the age of the equipment can be determined in most cases.
Manufacturers have been inconsistent with their labeling over the years, so buyers should verify this information by following up with the manufacturer. A lot of information can be included in the serial number, including the month of manufacture, day of manufacture, manufacture plant, type of unit, and more. When determining a unit’s life expectancy, we are most interested in the year of manufacture,which is the focus of this article.
What is the average life expectancy of a heat pump or AC?
What is the average life expectancy of a furnace?
Which type of refrigerant does my AC or heat pump use?
How old is my ADP heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Aire-Flo heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my AirBloc heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my AMBIRAD heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Alumacoil heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Amana heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my American Standard heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Armstrong heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Benson heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Broan heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Borg-Warner heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Bosch heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Bryant heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Carrier heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Champion heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Coleman heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Evcon heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Fraser-Johnson heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my First Co heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Fujitsu heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Frigidaire heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Gibson heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Goodman heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Guardian heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Heil (or Heil-Quaker) heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Intertherm heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my ICP or International Comfort Products heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Janitrol heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Kelvinator heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Lennox heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Luxaire heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Maytag heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Mammoth heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Miller heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Mitsubishi heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Moncrief heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Mortex heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Nortek heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Nordyne heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my NuTone heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Payne heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Philco heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Pioneer heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Reznor heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Red T heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Rheem heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Ruud heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Rinnai heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Snyder Generalheat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Tappan heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Thermo Pride heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Trane heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Ventrol heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my Westinghouse heat pump, AC, or furnace?
How old is my York heat pump, AC, or furnace?
Advanced Distributor Products (ADP)
SeeLennox.
Aire-Flo
SeeLennox.
AirBloc
See Nortek.
Alumacoil
See Goodman
Amana
See Goodman
AMBIRAD
See Nortek.
American Standard
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for American Standard equipment is encoded in the serial number. (For example, if YY was 00 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2000).
Before 2000 — letter than YY
2000-2009 —– Y777XXX7X (first number– decade needs to be assumed)
2010 and later —YY777XXXXX (1st and 2nd number indicate the year)
XYY-77777 (Other styles– 1st and 2nd number indicate the year)
YY7777777
YYX-77777-77
2001 and earlier Y7777XXXX (1st letter indicates the production year)
E=1990 F=1991 G=1992 H=1993 J=1994 K=1995 L=1996 M=1997 N=1998 P=1999 R=2000 S=2002
Armstrong
SeeLennox.
Benson
See Nortek.
Broan
See Nortek.
Borg-Warner
See York.
Bosch
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Bosch equipment is encoded in the serial number.
The year should be verified. The manufacturer has been inconsistent with labeling.
7777- Y77 -777777-X777XX7777 (1st number after the dash indicates the year, decade needs to be assumed)
Bryant (See also Carrier)
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Bryant equipment is encoded in the serial number and is usually indicated by the third and fourth position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
90s and later: 77YYX77777 (3rd and 4th number)
1980s (Old): YY7777777 (1st and 2nd number)
Carrier
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Carrier equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the third and fourth position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
77YYX77777 (3rd and 4th number indicates year)
Champion
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Champion equipment is encoded in the serial number and is usually indicated by the second and third position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
XYY777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
XYXY777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
Coleman
See York.
Evcon
See York.
Fraser-Johnson
See York.
First Co
Y=letter code that represents the year of manufacture (see below)X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for First Co equipment is encoded in the serial number.
The date of manufacture is often listed on the label.
2001 and earlier Y7777XXXX (1st letter indicates the production year)
A= 1994/2017 B=1995/2018 C=1996/2019 D=1997/2020 E=1998/2021 F=1999/2022 G=2000/2023 H=2001/2024 J=2002/2025 K=2003/2026 L=2004/2027 M=2005 N=2006 P=2007 R=2008 S=2009 T=2010 U=2011 V=2012 W=2013 X=2014 Y=2015 Z=2016
Fujitsu
To determine the year of manufacture for Fujitsu equipment the company must be called with the serial number. 888-888-3424
Frigidaire
See Nortek.
Gibson
See Nortek.
Goodman
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Goodman equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the first and second position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
YYXX777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
Guardian
See York.
Heil or Heil-Quaker
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Heil or Heil-Quaker equipment is encoded in the serial number and is usually indicated by the second and third position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
XYY777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
International Comfort Products (ICP)
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for ICP or International Comfort Products equipment is encoded in the serial number and is usually indicated by the second and third position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
XYY7777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
Intertherm
See Nortek.
Janitrol
See Goodman
Kelvinator
See Nortek.
Lennox
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Lennox equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the third and fourth position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
77YYX77777 (The 3rd and 4th number indicates the year of manufacture — after 1992)
Luxaire
See York.
Maytag
See Nortek.
Mammoth
See Nortek.
Miller
See Nortek.
Mitsubishi
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Mitsubishi equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the first number. (For example, if Y was 1 it could indicate 2001, 2011, or 2021. The decade must be assumed)
Y7X77777X (The 1st number indicates the year, the decade must be assumed)
Y777777 T (The 1st number indicates the year, the decade must be assumed)
Moncrief
See York.
Mortex
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of the manufacturer is encoded in the serial number.
X7777YY7777 (5th and 6th number indicates the year of manufacture)
Nortek
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of the manufacturer is encoded in the serial number.
X7XYY77-77777 (2nd and 3rd number indicates the year of manufacture)
XXXYY7777777 (1st and 2nd number indicates the year of manufacture)
Nordyne
See Nortek.
NuTone
See Nortek.
Payne
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Payne equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the first and second position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
YY77X77777 (The 1st and 2nd numbers indicate the year of manufacture)
1980s 77YYX77777 (Older – the 3rd and 4th numbers indicate year of manufacture)
Philco
See Nortek.
Pioneer
The age of the equipment cannot be found in the serial number. Call the manufacturer with the serial number to determine the year of manufacture– 305-513-4488 or email prwd@pd-hvac.com.
Reznor
See Nortek.
Red T
See York.
Rheem
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Rheem or Ruud equipment is encoded in the serial number.
X77YY77777 (The 3rd and 4th numbers indicate the year of manufacture)
Older XX7X777X77YY77777
Ruud
See Rheem.
Rinnai (HVAC)
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Rinnai equipment is encoded in the serial number and is indicated by the first and second position numbers. (For example, if YY was 01 that would indicate that the unit was manufactured in 2001).
YY77777777 (1st and 2nd numbers indicate the year of manufacture)
Snyder General
Snyder General heating and cooling equipment was discontinued in 1994. All Snyder General equipment still in use is beyond its expected service life – homeowners should budget to replace this equipment.
Tappan
See Nortek.
Thermo Pride
The age of the equipment cannot be found in the serial number. Call the manufacturer with the serial number to determine the year of manufacture– 800 476 4328
Trane
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Trane equipment is encoded in the serial number.
The date of manufacture is often listed on the label.
2010 and later YY777XXXX or YY7777777X (1st and 2nd numbers indicate year of manufacture)
2002-2009 Y7777X77X (1st number indicates the year of manufacture, decade must be assumed)
2001 and earlier Y7777XXXX (1st letter indicates the production year)
E=1990 F=1991 G=1992 H=1993 J=1994 K=1995 L=1996 M=1997 N=1998 P=1999 R=2000 S=2002
Ventrol
See Nortek.
Westinghouse
See Nortek.
York
Y=code that represents the year (see below)X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for York equipment is encoded in the serial number.
2004 and later XYXY777777 (1st and 2nd numbers indicate year of manufacture)
before 2004 XXYX777777 (3rd letter indicates the year of manufacture)
A=1992 B=1993 C=1994 D=1995 E=1996 F=1997 G=1998 H=1999 J=2000 K=2001 L=2002 M=2003 N=2004 P=1984 R=1985 S=1986 T=1987 V=1988 W=1989 X=1990 Y=1991
Coleman (some models)
Y=year of manufacturer X=letter 7=numbers
The year of manufacture for Coleman equipment is encoded in the serial number.
YY7777777 (1st and 2nd numbers indicate the year of manufacture)
Life Expectancy of Heat pumps and ACs:
Heat pumps and ACs typically have a 15-20 year service life expectancy depending on model, manufacturer, installation, and luck. Air conditioners in hot or coastal regions last only 8-12 years. The life expectancy also depends on the brand/quality, location, maintenance, and type of refrigerant.
R22 vs R410A vs R-454b Refrigerant
Heat pumps and Air Conditioners use refrigerant to create heat differential efficiencies. Units with R-22 refrigerant have been phased out and are no longer manufactured. Today heat pumps are manufactured using newer R410A and R454b refrigerants. When a homeowner has a heat pump that uses R22 refrigerant they should budget to replace the unit as it can fail at any time.
Which type of refrigerant does my Heat Pump or AC use?
The type of refrigerant can typically be found on the data plate of the outdoor condenser or AC unit- listed on the label as R22 or HCFC-22 or R410A or R454b. The Trane condenser below was built in 2005 and used R22 refrigerant (the older type). The owner should budget to replace this unit as it could fail at any time.
Life Expectancy of Furnaces:
Furnaces can last 20-25 years. Keep in mind furnaces can continue to heat a home long after the heat exchanger has become cracked or corroded. Damaged heat exchangers are dangerous, less efficient, and can release unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide into the home’s living areas. Heat exchangers should be inspected every year after 15 years. The life expectancy also depends on the brand/quality, location, maintenance, and type of refrigerant.
