--- title: "Model and serial numbers: starting a service record for every appliance at home" description: "One page per appliance with its numbers, age and every part changed turns a visit from guesswork into a checklist, and makes recall searches take seconds." url: "https://appliancemaintenance.center/guides/model-and-serial-for-a-service-record/" date_modified: "2026-09-26" --- Checks between visits # Model and serial numbers: starting a service record for every appliance at home An appliance service record starts with the model and serial number from each rating tag, adds the purchase date and seller, the build date the serial encodes, the filter and hose part numbers, and then a dated line for every cleaning and part change. It speeds up visits and recall searches, and shows that routine maintenance was actually done. By [ApplianceMaintenance.center technical team](https://appliancemaintenance.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 26, 2026 ## At a glance. Most homes can name the brand of every appliance and the model of none. Ten minutes with a flashlight and a phone camera fixes that for good, and the page it produces is worth more at the next visit than any description of the problem. Read the whole guide ### What the tag holds Model, serial, often build date and electrical rating Sub-Zero's tag also lists the refrigerant charge and total amps. ### What makers ask for Model, serial, purchase date, seller Viking's manual lists all four as the information to have ready for service. ### Age from a GE serial First two letters: month and year The year letter repeats about every 12 years; the manual's print date settles it. ### Recall check CPSC's recall database, by brand and product Faster with the exact model number in hand. In this guide 1. Why the model and serial matter more than the brand 2. Finding the rating tag in each appliance group 3. Reading age and ratings off the tag 4. Building the record, one page per appliance 5. Step by step 6. Questions ## Why the model and serial matter more than the brand Two appliances with the same badge and the same look can take different filters, gaskets, igniters and drain pumps. The model number decides which parts fit; the serial number narrows it further to a production run and, with many makers, gives the build date. Whirlpool's own help pages put scheduling maintenance and ordering replacement parts first among the reasons to know both. For a maintenance visit, having the numbers ahead of time means the technician arrives with the right water filter, the right hose length and the right gasket profile instead of a van full of guesses. It also means the manual can be pulled up in advance, so the visit follows the maker's intervals rather than a generic list. Source: [Whirlpool Product Help — Where is my model and serial number located?](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/FAQ/Where_is_my_Model_and_Serial_Number_Located%3F) — Model and serial numbers are needed to schedule maintenance and order parts; labels are on the sides, back or inside ## Finding the rating tag in each appliance group Tags live where they survive the life of the appliance, which usually means just inside a door or on a frame edge. Whirlpool's general advice is to check the sides, the back and the inside of the appliance for a label or sticker. The list below gives the spots we check first, with the maker's own wording where we have it; your model's manual has the exact location. Take a photo of each tag straight on with the flash off, then a second with the flash on. One of the two is usually readable even when the print has faded, and the photo date becomes a first entry in the record. - Cold storage: an upper side wall or ceiling of the fresh-food compartment; Viking's built-in columns put it on the upper wall behind the lighting, and one GE top-mount guide on the left side of the fresh-food compartment - Dryers: GE places the label on the front of the dryer behind the door, on the inside face of the compartment - Dishwashers: usually on the edge of the inner door or the side of the tub opening, seen with the door open - Cooking appliances: behind an oven door on the frame, under a cooktop, or behind a storage or warming drawer - Hoods: on the inner wall behind the grease filters, visible once a filter is out ### Newer tags with a QR code GE notes that some newer model and serial tags carry a QR code that opens that exact product's information when scanned. It is worth scanning once and saving the link in the record, since it leads straight to the right manual. Source: [Whirlpool Product Help — Where is my model and serial number located?](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/FAQ/Where_is_my_Model_and_Serial_Number_Located%3F) — Model and serial numbers are needed to schedule maintenance and order parts; labels are on the sides, back or inside; [Viking — FBI7360W built-in refrigeration use and care manual](https://vikingrange.com/file/1174/Viking_FBI7360W_Refrigeration_Manual_1.pdf) — Model and serial numbers are on the upper wall behind the lighting; have model, serial, purchase date and dealer ready for service; [GE Appliances — top-mount refrigerator use and care guide (49-6797)](https://www.geappliances.com/content/older-pdfs/49-6797.PDF) — Label at the left side of the fresh-food compartment; the numbers also appear on the ownership registration card; [GE Appliances — Dryer owner's manual and installation instructions (49-3000386)](https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--xjgUHYwo--/adddbe062f46e3a5cfe1dabf3a195badcac0609e.pdf) — Model and serial numbers are on the label on the front of the dryer behind the door; [GE Appliances — Model and serial number locator, dryers](https://www.geappliances.com/ge/find-model-serial-number/dryers.htm) — Tag on the inside front face of the dryer compartment, door open; some newer tags have QR codes that open product information Close on a small blank metal plate with no characters inside a dishwasher door edge. ## Reading age and ratings off the tag GE explains that its serial numbers start with two letters for the month and year of manufacture. The year letter comes around again roughly every twelve years, so GE suggests checking the date printed near the publication number on the owner's manual to decide which cycle applies. Other makers encode dates differently, and some print the date outright. Sub-Zero lists what its serial tag shows: model number, serial number, manufacture date, the refrigerant charge on Sub-Zero units, and total amps. The electrical rating matters when an appliance shares a circuit or moves, and the refrigerant line tells a technician what is sealed inside before anyone thinks about disposal. ### The registration card is a second copy Older GE manuals point out that the model and serial numbers also appear on the ownership registration card packed with the appliance. If a tag has worn away, that card, the original receipt or the delivery paperwork may be the only other place the numbers survive. Source: [GE Appliances — How to determine the age of an appliance](https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=16195) — The first two serial letters give month and year; the year letter repeats about every 12 years; the manual's print date helps; [Sub-Zero — Serial tag locations](https://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/sub-zero/common/sub-zero-serial-tag-locations) — The serial tag shows model number, serial number, manufacture date, refrigerant charge on Sub-Zero units, and total amps ## Building the record, one page per appliance Viking tells owners to have four things ready for service: model, serial, purchase date and the dealer it came from. We start every page with those and add what a maintenance history needs. A shared note on a phone works, and so does a sheet in a folder with the manuals; what matters is that everyone in the house knows where it is. The FTC advises anyone buying a service contract to check whether coverage can be denied for not following routine maintenance instructions. A dated log of cleanings and part changes is the practical answer to that question, whether or not you ever buy such a contract. - Brand, model, serial and a photo of the tag - Build date and purchase date, seller or builder - Part numbers for the water filter, hood filters, fill hoses and any bulb - Dated lines: filter changed, coil cleaned, exhaust cleaned, hoses replaced, gasket fitted - Anything a technician noted to watch at the next visit ### Recall searches take seconds with the numbers CPSC keeps a searchable database of consumer product recalls by brand and product. Recall notices usually name model numbers and sometimes serial ranges, so an exact number from the tag is the difference between a quick check and an evening of squinting at photos. Source: [Viking — FBI7360W built-in refrigeration use and care manual](https://vikingrange.com/file/1174/Viking_FBI7360W_Refrigeration_Manual_1.pdf) — Model and serial numbers are on the upper wall behind the lighting; have model, serial, purchase date and dealer ready for service; [FTC — Extended warranties and service contracts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/extended-warranties-and-service-contracts) — Check whether coverage can be denied if routine maintenance instructions are not followed ## Where to stop Finding a tag never calls for pulling a built-in unit out of its opening, removing a panel on a gas appliance or unplugging something wired in. If the tag sits behind a fixed panel or on the back of an installed cooktop, leave it for the technician to read during the visit, and use the manual or receipt meanwhile. Written by [ApplianceMaintenance.center technical team](https://appliancemaintenance.center/authors/technical-team/). Technicians who clean and check household appliances, writing from home visits, service records and each maker's care chapter. Sources: [Whirlpool Product Help — Where is my model and serial number located?](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/FAQ/Where_is_my_Model_and_Serial_Number_Located%3F) · [Viking — FBI7360W built-in refrigeration use and care manual](https://vikingrange.com/file/1174/Viking_FBI7360W_Refrigeration_Manual_1.pdf) · [GE Appliances — top-mount refrigerator use and care guide (49-6797)](https://www.geappliances.com/content/older-pdfs/49-6797.PDF) · [GE Appliances — Dryer owner's manual and installation instructions (49-3000386)](https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--xjgUHYwo--/adddbe062f46e3a5cfe1dabf3a195badcac0609e.pdf) · [GE Appliances — Model and serial number locator, dryers](https://www.geappliances.com/ge/find-model-serial-number/dryers.htm) · [GE Appliances — How to determine the age of an appliance](https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=16195) · [Sub-Zero — Serial tag locations](https://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/sub-zero/common/sub-zero-serial-tag-locations) · [FTC — Extended warranties and service contracts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/extended-warranties-and-service-contracts) · [CPSC — Recalls](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) ## Step by step. Four steps, in the order worth doing them. 01 ### Photograph every tag Open doors and drawers, find each rating tag and take two photos, with and without flash. 02 ### Decode the age Use the maker's serial chart or the manual's print date to note the build year. 03 ### Add the wear parts Write down part numbers for filters, hoses and gaskets from the manual. 04 ### Log every visit Add a dated line for each cleaning and part change, and keep the page where everyone can find it. For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### What goes into an appliance service record? Model and serial numbers, the build and purchase dates, the seller, wear-part numbers and a dated line for every cleaning or part change. A photo of each tag makes it complete. ### The tag has worn off. Is there another place to find the numbers? Try the registration card, the original receipt or delivery paperwork, or the maker's online account if the appliance was registered. A technician can often read a partial tag or find a second label inside. ### Does the service record help if the house is sold? Yes. Buyers and inspectors ask how old the appliances are and when they were last serviced, and a dated page answers both without guesswork. ### How often should the record be updated? Every time something is cleaned or replaced, by you or at a visit. A line with the date and what was done is enough. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://appliancemaintenance.center/problems/) Problem ### Appliance Maintenance Code or Reminder Light: Filter, Descale, Vent Check 8 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Appliance Energy Use Creeping Up With Nothing Else Changed 6 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. The services on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. ### Whole-home maintenance visit One unhurried pass through every appliance in the house, with a written log of what each one needs next. ### Annual maintenance plan Scheduled upkeep visits for every appliance in the home, spread across the year, with one running service log. ## More in checks between visits. The quick checks a homeowner can make between visits with the power off: lint screens, drain and dish-care filters, gaskets, water cartridges, reminder lights and the rating plate a service record starts from. [The whole section](https://appliancemaintenance.center/guides/troubleshooting/) Ten-minute tasks with the appliance unplugged ### Ten-minute checks between maintenance visits, one appliance group at a time A short round a homeowner can make every month or two with no tools: what to look at in cold storage, cooking, dish care and laundry, and what to write down. Ten-minute tasks with the appliance unplugged ### Reminder lights and clean codes: when the display is asking for upkeep A filter icon, a tub-clean prompt, a blinking CL or a d80 on the display is a request, not a breakdown. Doing the job matters more than clearing the light. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Model and serial numbers: starting a service record for every appliance at home](https://appliancemaintenance.center/guides/model-and-serial-for-a-service-record/)** **[Book a visit with ApplianceMaintenance.center](https://appliancemaintenance.center/schedule/)**