The second two digits of the serial number are the year of manufacture of a Carrier heat pump or air conditioner. This unit was manufactured in 2002.

    For units from the late 1960s thru the late 1980s, there is a different serial number code, with the single number after an initial letter being the year of manufacture. So the serial number of the unit below indicates it was manufactured in 1978. Because the “8” may be for 1968,1978, or 1988, you want to look at the ANSI certification year, or year of construction of the home, for guidance. This home was built in 1979, so we determined it that way. Whatever year your figure out, it’s a really old system.


    To find out the age of another brand of air conditioner or heat pump, go to How do I determine the age of my air conditioner?,  which has a listing of all major manufacturers and links to instructions for decoding their serial numbers.

        Also, see our blog posts How can I tell the size in tons of a Carrier air conditioner or heat pump from the model number? and How can I find out the SEER of my air conditioner? 

     And to figure out what all the other numbers listed on the condenser data plate mean, go to our blog post How do I understand the air conditioner or heat pump condenser label (data plate)? 

    To find the age of other home components, go to How can I find out the age of a roof? and How do I determine the age of an electrical panel? and How do I determine the age of my water heater? For life expectancies, visit What is the average life expectancy of the components of a house? 

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Field Guide for Home Inspectors, a quick reference for finding the age of 154 brands of HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels, plus 210 code standards for site-built and manufactured homes, and the life expectancy rating of 195 home components. Available at amazon.com for $19.95.
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  To learn more about heating and air conditioning systems, see these other blog posts: 

• My air conditioner won't turn on. What's wrong? 

• How can I find out the size of my air conditioner? 

• Where is the air filter for my central air conditioner and furnace? I can’t find it? 

• Does an old air conditioner use more electricity as it ages? 

• How did homes stay cool in Florida before air conditioning? 

• What is wrong with an air conditioner when the air flow out of the vents is low?

• Why has the thermostat screen gone blank? 

• Why does it take so long to cool a house when an air conditioner has been off for a while? 

• Why is my air conditioner not cooling enough? 

• What are the most common problems with wall/window air conditioners?  

• Will closing doors reduce my heating and cooling costs? 

   Visit our HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.