HOUSING INDUSTRY RESEARCH CENTER

Sears – How to determine the age or manufacture date

Every effort is undertaken to offer you correct and concise information to assist you in determining the age or manufacture date of HVAC equipment.  Anytime anyone is dealing with numbers and letters in determining data, mistakes and misinterpretation are bound to happen.  For this reason if you find during your research that we may have erred please contact us.  In addition perhaps you have come across a brand, model or serial number format that we have not addressed.  Email us information or pictures of data/nomenclature plates of the unit and we will attempt to assist you in your determinations.  Email

This page was last updated:  27 July 2009

There are several styles of serial numbers found for Sears.  Serial number assignment seems to based on the manufactures numbering system, and Sears uses several manufacturers for their HVAC equipment.

Style 1

Sears

Serial Number format:  L9739 43023

(This serial number is from an actual Sears Kenmore furnace transcribed from a home inspection).

Date of Manufacture:  Using the second, third, fourth and fifth digits of the serial number L9739 43023 you will find the year and week of manufacture.  The second and third digits are the year of manufacture and the fourth and fifth digits are the week.  This unit was manufactured in the 39^th week of 1997.

Year of manufacture:  L9739 43023 

Week of manufacture:  L9739  43023

Sears – (1980 thru 1989), manufactured by Central Furnace

Serial Number format:  H61139301

(This serial number is an actual furnace unit transcribed from a home inspection).

Date of Manufacture:  Using the first and second digits of the serial number H61139301 you will find the year of manufacture.  The first digit (Always the letter “H” for the 1980’s) is the decade of manufacture and the second digit is the individual year of the decade.  This unit was manufactured in 1986.

Decade of manufacture:  H61139301  (Note:  “H” was used for the 1980’s.

Year of manufacture:  H61139301

Sears –

Serial Number format:  22880018

(These serial numbers are fictitious).

Date of Manufacture:  Using the first, second, third and fourth digits of the serial number 22880018 you will find the week and year of manufacture.  The first and second digits are the week of manufacture and the third and fourth digits are the year.  This unit was manufactured in the 22^nd week of 1988.

Week of manufacture:  22880018

Year of manufacture:  22880018