There is often a serial number code or date code on a data sticker inside the panel door or panel box interior of the load center. Sometimes it’s just stamped on the box itself. Each manufacturer has their own code and some of them, like Square D, have changed their encoding system over the years. Here’s links to our articles about about the serial numbers we have been able to decode, or at least have some info on the range of years they were manufactured:

Bryant Challenger  Cutler-Hammer  Eaton
GE  Gould  I-T-E Pushmatic  Murray 
Siemens  Square D  Thomas & Betts  
Walker EQ  Wadsworth  Westinghouse

    If the data sticker is missing, there is no serial number, or the serial number is not decipherable, there are still several ways to get the approximate age of a panel:

1) For brands that are no longer manufactured, the timespan when they were in production will get you closer to the age. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, for example, was manufactured from the 1950s to 1985.

2) The year of construction of the house is often also the the age of the panel. Or any permits for additions or remodeling are a likely time for panel replacement. 

3) Any building permits for a service upgrade or panel replacement will also provide a panel age. 

    Also see our blog post How do I find out the manufacturer of an electrical panel?  

 Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRIC PANELS:

• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?  

• What is the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed in an electric panel?

• When should a corroded or damaged electric panel cabinet or disconnect box be replaced? 

• What is a tandem circuit breaker? 

• When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?

• Can an electric panel be located in a closet? 

• Can an electric panel be located in a bathroom? 

• Can you add circuit breakers by different manufacturers to an electric panel if they fit?

• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong?  

• What is a split bus electric panel?

• How do I identify a combination AFCI (CAFCI) circuit breaker? 

• What does a circuit breaker with a yellow or white test button indicate? 

• What is the maximum gap allowed between the front of a recessed electric panel box and the wall surface surrounding it? 

• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?

• Why is a fuse box/panel an insurance problem for homebuyers? 

• Why is bundled wiring in an electric panel a defect?

• What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers? 

• Why are old electrical components not always "grandfathered" as acceptable by home inspectors?

• What happens when you press the "TEST" button on a circuit breaker in an electric panel?

• What is a Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI)? 

• What is the difference between a Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (CAFCI) and an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) circuit breaker?  

• What is the difference between "grounded" and "grounding" electrical conductors? 

• What does it mean when a wire is "overstripped" at a circuit breaker?

• Why is an old fuse panel dangerous?  

• Who is the manufacturer of those "bad" electric panels?

• Why is the circuit breaker stuck in the middle? 

• What is a double tap at a circuit breaker?

• What is the right electric wire size for a circuit breaker in an electric panel?

• What is the life expectancy of a circuit breaker? 

• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong? 

• Why do some breakers in my electric panel have a "TEST" button on them?

• What is the right size electric panel for a house? 

• What do I need to know about buying a whole house surge protector? 

• What is the maximum allowed height of a circuit breaker (OCPD) above the floor?

• What is the maximum height you can mount an electric panel above the floor? 

• What is the code required clearance in front of an electric panel?

• What is the main bonding jumper and where do it find it in an electric panel? 

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