How to Tell How Old a Whirlpool Dryer Is

Whirlpool began manufacturing washing machines in 1911 and now manufactures many types of home appliances, including appliances used for cooking, refrigeration and drying laundry. Along with every other Whirlpool appliance, each Whirlpool dryer is given a unique serial number. The serial number, which is affixed to the dryer, provides information to Whirlpool regarding the age of the dryer, the model and details surrounding the production of the dryer. Whirlpool uses this information to keep track of warranties and repairs, as well as locate replacement parts. If you are unsure of the age of your dryer, determine it by decoding the serial number.

Step 1

Locate the dryer serial number. The serial number is located on a metal plate or sticker physically attached to the dryer. The serial number may be located inside of the door jamb, or on the sides or rear of the dryer.

Step 2

Identify the second character of the dryer's serial number. This letter or number indicates the year in which the dryer was manufactured.

Step 3

Navigate to the Electrical Forensics "Whirlpool Date Codes" website in your Web browser (see Resources).

Step 4

Match the second character of the dryer's serial number to the chart at the top of the page. Dryers manufactured prior to 1990 have a number and dryers manufactured after 1989 have a letter. The year represented by each letter or number is located to the right.

Step 5

Subtract the year of manufacture from the current year to determine the approximate age of the dryer. For example, as of 2011, a dryer with the serial number of MT2513399, which was manufactured in 2006, is five years old.