If your furnace has a label, it’s safe to say that you can easily determine the age of your heater. Your heater’s age can be listed as a code or can be clearly stated as the manufacture date depending on the brand of the furnace. Knowing the age of your furnace plays an important role in informing you when you need to replace it. Your heater needs to be replaced after 15 to 20 years to keep your home safe, efficient, and warm during the colder months.
You’ll know that your furnace is on the newer side if you can see a manufacturer’s date. This lets you know when it was built, so you can determine when to replace it in the future.
However, if you have an older furnace, you may need to use your detective skills. Don’t let the Digging around for the label, deciphering the mysterious code, and determining the age of your furnace deter you. It’s easier than you may think, and today, we will show you step-by-step how to find out whether your furnace is due for an update.
Step 1: Find the Label of Your Furnace
Find the removable door on the outside of your furnace that is usually lengthways along the front bottom of the unit. Open or pull off the door and look at the interior metal of the door. There should be a label here stating the furnace’s serial number.
If your unit is newer or a specific brand that tends to list the manufacturer’s date, this will be on the label as well. However, if you don’t see a manufacturer’s date, you’re not at a loss! Read on to find out how to determine the age of your heating unit.
Step 2: No Label on the Door? Turn Off the Power to Your Furnace!
Sometimes, the label isn’t as apparent as it may seem and may be in odd places that are difficult to find. We want you to be safe every step of the way when determining the age of your furnace. To do this, you must turn your furnace’s power off to keep anything dangerous from possibly occurring.
You can do this by either turning off the power switch or going to the master fuse and turning off the unit. Then, look at the fan and its blades. Sometimes, the serial number may be stamped onto the fan. This is an older method of applying for serial numbers, but it’s still an effective way of determining your furnace’s age.
Step 3: Found the Serial Number! What Next?
Once you’ve found the serial number, the first four digits will help you find out the week and year of the manufacturer’s date. The first two digits are the week of the year while the second two digits signify the year it was built.
For example, if the first four digits are 0798, that means that the furnace was built in the seventh week of 1998.
Step 4: Now I Know the Age of My Furnace. How Do I Find Out When It Was Serviced?
Finding out when your furnace was last serviced is just as easy as finding the label of the manufacturer’s date or the serial number. When your unit was last serviced, a sticker and/or tag are usually placed in the same area as the serial number label. This will state the date when the furnace was last serviced.
If for some reason, the serial number sticker was not found to determine the age of your furnace, the service label may serve as a substitute for the approximate age of your heater.
Step 5: Help! I Can’t Find Any Labels, Stickers, or Tags Telling Me the Age of My Furnace.
No need to panic. There is still hope in determining the age of your furnace, even if there are no stickers, tags, or labels. For this last resort, we recommend calling the manufacturer to get the age of the furnace.
The manufacturer’s rep could look at a picture of the unit and determine the period that the furnace was built.
Step 6: Wait – I Don’t See a Label & My Manufacturer Went Out of Business!
You can still determine the age of your heater! There are many experts in the field, such as a heating expert like Precision Heating & Air, to help you determine the age of your furnace. We understand the ins and outs of heaters when to replace them when to service them and more.
Contact Precision Heating & Air Today
Heating Service & Repair for Dallas, Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, Hiram & Douglasville, Georgia.
If you need help determining the age of your furnace, or if you need to replace your furnace, contact Precision Heating & Air. We’re the experts you can trust when it comes to all things heating and air.
We are easily contacted via phone at (770) 758-4552 or through our convenient online form. We look forward to helping you with your heating and air goals!
