Finding your model and serial number

The model number identifies the exact design of your appliance and therefore which parts fit it. The serial number identifies your individual unit and its production date, which matters when a manufacturer has changed a part mid-production. Give us both when you book and we can check parts before the visit. The label is a printed or metal plate; a photo of it is better than a transcription, because letters and digits are easily confused.

Typical label locations by appliance

The locations below are drawn from Whirlpool's and GE's support pages and are typical across brands, but not universal. The brand pages give brand-specific detail, and the owner's manual for your model is the final word.

• Refrigerator. Inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall, near the top; Whirlpool lists the left side for top-freezer models and the right side for side-by-side models. Some brands put it inside the door frame or behind the kick plate.
• Freezer. Upright: inside, on the right-hand side near the top. Chest: on the interior side wall on the left, or on the outside back.
• Front-load washer. Inside the door, on the rim of the opening.
• Top-load washer. Under the lid, on the tub rim or the rear of the top panel.
• Dryer. Inside the door, on the rim of the opening; ventless models may have it behind the water tank.
• Dishwasher. On the edge of the tub frame or the door edge, visible with the door open; Whirlpool lists the left side of the tub frame.
• Range. Behind the oven door on the front frame, inside the storage drawer, or under the control panel on front-control models. GE also lists the left leg, under the cooktop and, on gas models, behind the rear control panel.
• Wall oven. On the front frame behind the door, or on the top of the oven cavity.
• Cooktop. On the underside, which usually means it is only readable from the cabinet below; keep the manual or the purchase paperwork instead.
• Microwave. Inside the door frame, on the cavity face, or under the control panel along the vent on built-in models.
• Range hood. Inside the hood behind the grease filters, or on the underside near the light.

Reading the label

Labels carry several strings: model, serial, sometimes a product or part number and a type code. Send the whole label. GE notes that GE and GE Profile model numbers always begin and end with a letter; other brands have their own conventions, and a technician can tell them apart. If the label is worn, the purchase invoice, the manufacturer's account you registered the product with, or the manual usually has the model.

Why it matters

Two machines that look identical on the outside can use different pumps, boards and gaskets. A model number lets us confirm the part before the visit, check whether it is still made, and bring it when it is common. Without it we diagnose first and order second, which often means two visits.

Questions

Related

• Preparing for a technician visit
• Appliance error-code guides
• Brands we service
• Refrigerator
• Washing machine
• Stove & range