How to Find Your Appliance Model and Serial Number
If you've ever called an appliance repair company, there's a good chance one of the first questions you were asked was:
“What is the model number?”
And there's also a good chance your answer was something like, “It's a Whirlpool,” “It's a Samsung French-door refrigerator,” or “I think the model number is on the manual somewhere.”
Unfortunately, that's usually not enough.
The model and serial number tag on the appliance is one of the most useful pieces of information we can have before working on it. It allows us to identify exactly which appliance you own, look up parts, find service information, check for manufacturer bulletins, determine approximate age in many cases, and sometimes even research a problem before the technician arrives.
The tricky part is finding it.
Why the Exact Model Number Matters
Two appliances can look almost identical on the outside and still use completely different parts.
Manufacturers often produce several versions of the same basic appliance over a period of years. A refrigerator may keep the same general appearance while the control board, compressor, fan motor, ice maker, wiring or other components change.
Sometimes even a small suffix or revision number matters.
GE, for example, explains that the rating plate may contain additional letters or numbers beyond the basic marketing model number. Those additional characters can identify manufacturing-specific information needed when looking up service information or replacement parts.
That's why at Expo Appliance Service, we prefer a clear photograph of the entire model and serial number tag whenever possible.
Don't just send us a picture of the front of the appliance, the owner's manual, a barcode on a part, or the number printed on a warning sticker. The actual rating label attached to the appliance is what we need.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Refrigerator
For most refrigerators, start inside the fresh-food compartment.
Look along the left and right interior walls, particularly near the top or around the crisper drawers. You may also need to pull a crisper drawer out and look behind or underneath it.
GE lists several possible locations depending on refrigerator design, including the upper interior walls, near or behind the crisper drawers, the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment and, on some models, inside the freezer.
LG says most older refrigerators have the label on the right interior wall, while many newer LG refrigerators have it on the left interior wall.
Whirlpool and Maytag commonly place refrigerator tags near the upper portion of the fresh food compartment or around the crisper area.
Samsung commonly places the label inside the refrigerator toward the upper left side, although some models also have an exterior label near the lower left side of the cabinet.
Start here: Open both refrigerator doors and look carefully along both interior side walls. If you don't see it, remove the crisper drawers and look behind them.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Dishwasher
Dishwashers are usually among the easiest appliances.
Open the dishwasher door and inspect the frame surrounding the opening as well as the edges of the door itself.
GE lists the left and right front inside edges and the right edge of the dishwasher door as common locations.
Whirlpool and Maytag commonly use the upper frame or the area beneath the control panel.
KitchenAid identifies the left side of the tub frame as a common location.
Frigidaire and Electrolux commonly place it either along the inside edge of the door or on the right side of the dishwasher tub.
Bosch owners should pay particular attention to the top or right edge of the dishwasher door. Bosch refers to its model number as the E-Nr, which is printed on the appliance's rating plate.
Start here: Open the dishwasher all the way and slowly inspect the top, left and right edges of the door and tub opening.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Top-Load Washer
Lift the washer lid first.
On many top-load machines, the tag is attached to the tub rim or cabinet underneath the lid.
GE commonly places it underneath the lid near the right hinge, but it may also be on the rear of the control console, near the bottom of the cabinet or on the back near the water connections.
Maytag and other Whirlpool-family machines often have the label underneath the lid along the tub rim, behind the control panel or on the rear portion of the cabinet.
LG lists several possibilities, including underneath the lid, toward the upper rear of the cabinet or on a side panel.
Frigidaire and Electrolux typically place the model label around the back of the tub opening underneath the lid.
Start here: Lift the lid and inspect the rim around the opening before trying to pull the washer away from the wall.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Front-Load Washer
Open the washer door.
The label is usually somewhere around the door opening or on the front cabinet immediately inside the door.
GE lists the inner door panel and lower front exterior of the machine as possible locations.
LG commonly places a silver label on the front panel behind the door, around the opening to the drum.
Frigidaire, Electrolux, Maytag and KitchenAid also commonly locate the tag around the door opening.
Start here: Open the door and inspect the entire rim surrounding the washer opening.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Dryer
Again, open the door first.
Most dryers have the model and serial tag attached somewhere around the door opening.
GE lists the inside front face of the dryer cabinet on either side of the opening.
LG typically places the label on the front panel behind the dryer door.
Maytag lists several possibilities, including around the door opening, inside the door, on the rear of the cabinet and, on some gas dryers, behind an access panel.
Frigidaire and Electrolux commonly locate it along the top of the door opening.
On stacked laundry centers, the label is frequently around the dryer door opening rather than the washer. GE, for example, lists the dryer compartment face and dryer door edge as common locations.
Start here: Open the dryer door and inspect the entire frame surrounding the drum opening.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Range
Ranges can be a little more difficult because manufacturers have used many different tag locations over the years.
First, open the oven door and inspect the frame around the oven opening.
Next, open or remove the lower storage or warming drawer and look at the frame behind it.
GE lists numerous possible locations, including the frame behind the oven door, under the control panel, behind the lower drawer or kick panel and underneath older lift-up cooktops.
Some gas ranges even have a small metal identification flag behind the rear control panel that rotates upward so the label can be read.
LG similarly lists the door or drawer frame, beneath the control area and around the lower drawer opening as common locations.
Frigidaire and Electrolux often place the label along the oven door frame or around the storage drawer opening.
Start here: Open the oven door. If you don't see it around the frame, open the bottom drawer and inspect the frame behind it.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Wall Oven
Open the oven door and inspect the exposed frame.
GE typically places the tag on the front face that's visible with the oven door open.
Whirlpool and Maytag commonly identify the lower left portion of the oven frame as a possible location.
LG notes that wall oven labels can also be located underneath the control panel.
Frigidaire and Electrolux commonly use the interior side trim visible when the door is open.
You generally should not need to remove a built-in wall oven from the cabinet just to find its model number.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Microwave
Open the microwave door first.
On many over-the-range microwaves, the tag is somewhere around the opening behind the door.
Whirlpool and Maytag list several possible locations, including the upper left of the microwave cavity, around the control-panel side of the opening or along the lower frame.
GE says microwave tags may be inside the cavity on the left wall, underneath an over-the-range microwave or on the back of the unit.
KitchenAid commonly places over-the-range microwave identification on the front frame visible after opening the door.
Start here: Open the door and inspect every exposed surface around the opening before looking underneath or behind the microwave.
Where to Find the Model Number on a Cooktop
Cooktops are frequently the most frustrating appliance because the rating plate may be underneath the unit.
GE lists locations underneath the cooktop, beneath certain removable electric surface elements and, on some designs, underneath a control knob.
LG says the tag may be visible underneath the cooktop by opening the cabinet below it.
Whirlpool-family appliances likewise commonly locate the identification tag on the underside of the cooktop.
Frigidaire and Electrolux also identify the underside of the cooktop base as the typical location.
Before attempting to remove or lift a built-in cooktop, look through the cabinet underneath it with a flashlight and use your phone's camera to inspect areas you can't easily see.
Your Phone Camera Is Your Best Tool
Sometimes the label is technically visible, but only if you're willing to put your head inside a refrigerator, underneath a cooktop or behind a washer.
You usually don't have to.
Turn on your phone's camera and flash, reach it into the area and take several pictures. LG specifically recommends using a phone to photograph labels in difficult-to-reach locations, and Bosch even allows mobile users to photograph a rating plate to help identify the model number.
Take a picture of the entire label, even if you're not sure which number we need.
Model Number vs. Serial Number: What's the Difference?
The model number identifies the design or configuration of the appliance.
The serial number identifies your individual appliance.
The model number is usually what we need to look up parts diagrams, wiring information and service documentation. The serial number can provide additional information such as manufacturing date or production changes.
For some manufacturers, serial numbers can even help determine the age of the appliance. GE, for example, encodes the month and year of manufacture into the first two letters of its serial numbers, although its year codes repeat over time and must be interpreted in context.
When scheduling service, it's best to provide both.
Don't Confuse the Rating Plate With Other Stickers
Appliances can have a surprising number of numbers printed on them.
You may see:
Part numbers
Barcode numbers
FCC numbers
Electrical ratings
Certification labels
Manufacturing codes
QR codes
Warning-label numbers
Those aren't necessarily the model number.
GE specifically warns that numbers printed on caution or warning labels may look like model numbers but aren't.
If you're unsure, send a picture of the complete tag rather than guessing.
Can't Find Your Appliance Model and Serial Number? Send Us a Picture
If you're scheduling appliance repair with Expo Appliance Service in Columbia, Lexington or the surrounding Midlands of South Carolina, having the model and serial number ahead of time can help us research your appliance before we arrive and determine whether there are parts, service bulletins or known issues we should be aware of.
But don't delay scheduling service because you can't find the tag.
Take a few pictures of the appliance, including the front, inside the door or lid, and any labels you can find. We can often help determine where you should look next.
And once you find the tag, take a clear picture and save it.
The next time your refrigerator stops cooling, your washer won't drain or your oven won't heat, you'll be glad you did.
