How old is my Broan air conditioner?
Enter the serial number or take a photo of the label. The date comes from Broan's documented serial rules; AI only helps read the label.
How to read a Broan air conditioner serial number
Plant/product + year + month + sequence (about 1989 onward)
Example: B6D130407356 (Nordyne) was made in April 2013. Nordyne serials are 12 characters: the 4th and 5th are the year and the 6th and 7th the month, so "13" is 2013 and "04" is April.
Not decoded yet: Rheem-built plates marked "Manufactured for Nordyne", older Frigidaire/Philco/Westinghouse serials ending in a year and month letter, 1970s Westinghouse serials, Mammoth and Reznor commercial units, and anything before these brands used the Nordyne format.
Where to find the serial number
The rating plate is on the outdoor unit, usually on the side or back of the cabinet near the electrical disconnect or the refrigerant line connections.
Don't open the unit's panels to look for it. If the plate is faded, the indoor coil or the installer's paperwork may also list the model and serial.
How long does a air conditioner last?
A typical air conditioner lasts about 10–15 years. That's a general estimate: maintenance, usage, climate and installation all matter, and age alone doesn't tell you a unit's condition. Some manufacturer pages cite 15–20 years for well-maintained systems.
Range from NAHB / Bank of America, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (2007, archived copy) and Carrier: AC replacement.
Broan air conditioner recalls
No Broan air conditioner recalls were found in U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data when this page was checked (2026-09-30). A decoded result checks your model number live.
Questions
- How can I tell how old my Broan air conditioner is?
- Find the serial number on the rating plate and enter it above. Broan air conditioners use the Nordyne / Nortek family serial format, which includes the manufacture date. For example, B6D130407356 was made in April 2013: Nordyne serials are 12 characters: the 4th and 5th are the year and the 6th and 7th the month, so "13" is 2013 and "04" is April.
- Where is the serial number on a Broan air conditioner?
- The rating plate is on the outdoor unit, usually on the side or back of the cabinet near the electrical disconnect or the refrigerant line connections. Don't open the unit's panels to look for it. If the plate is faded, the indoor coil or the installer's paperwork may also list the model and serial.
- How long does a air conditioner usually last?
- A typical service life is about 10–15 years. That's a general estimate: maintenance, usage, climate and installation all matter, and age alone doesn't tell you a unit's condition.
- Do Nordyne, Intertherm, Miller, NuTone, Medallion, GrandAire, Garrison, Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Philco, Tappan, Westinghouse and Maytag air conditioners use the same serial format?
- Yes. Broan, Nordyne, Intertherm, Miller, NuTone, Medallion, GrandAire, Garrison, Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Philco, Tappan, Westinghouse and Maytag use the same serial-number conventions (Nordyne / Nortek family), so the same decoding rules apply.
- How reliable is the result?
- The Nordyne / Nortek family rules come from documented sources, but they're in Beta while we check more real-world examples, so results are capped at medium confidence. If a serial doesn't match a documented format, we say so instead of guessing.
Related
Same serial format: Nordyne air conditioner, Intertherm air conditioner, Miller air conditioner, NuTone air conditioner, Medallion air conditioner, GrandAire air conditioner, Garrison air conditioner, Frigidaire air conditioner, Gibson air conditioner, Kelvinator air conditioner, Philco air conditioner, Tappan air conditioner, Westinghouse air conditioner, Maytag air conditioner
Sources
- Nordyne warranty inquiry lookup (archived): Mfg. Date per serial, e.g. B6D130407356 = 4/10/2013
- Nortek Global HVAC literature library: “the 4th and 5th digits of your serial number indicate the year and the 6th and 7th digits indicate the month”
- Building-Intelligence Center: Nordyne HVAC age
Rules last reviewed 2026-09-30. These rules are in Beta while we verify more real-world examples, so results are capped at medium confidence.
Manufacture dates are decoded from manufacturer serial-number conventions and available documentation. Serial formats can change. Verify critical equipment information with the manufacturer when necessary.