Serial Number Decoder API — Manufacture Date from Any Appliance Serial
Pass a brand and serial number. Get manufacture year, month, and confidence score. Supports 60 brands across 22 decode algorithm families.
The ApplianceAPI serial number decoder accepts a brand and serial number and returns structured manufacture date data. Supports 60 brands including all major US market share brands. Returns year, month (where available), confidence score, and algorithm family in clean JSON.
All Major Brands
GE (21% US share), Whirlpool family (KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air), Samsung, LG, Frigidaire/Electrolux, Bosch/BSH, Kenmore (OEM routing), and 30+ more.
Year + Month
Returns manufacture year and month where encoded in the serial. Confidence score (high/medium/low) indicates decode certainty.
Algorithm Transparency
Response includes the algorithm_family field so your application knows which decode method was applied. Helps with auditing and edge-case handling.
Batch-Ready
Standard REST endpoint, stateless, no session required. Run in parallel across large serial number datasets.
Age Calculations
Use manufacture year to compute appliance age in your application. Useful for coverage decisions, replacement forecasting, and inspection reports.
Graceful Misses
When a serial cannot be decoded, the API returns a structured not-found response instead of an error. Your application handles misses cleanly without exception handling.
Supported Brands
The serial number decoder covers 60 brands across 22 algorithm families:
- GE, GE Profile, GE Cafe, Monogram, Hotpoint
- Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air
- Samsung
- LG
- Frigidaire, Electrolux, Gibson
- Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau
- Kenmore (OEM routing by prefix)
- Speed Queen
- Fisher & Paykel, DCS
- Viking
- Sub-Zero, Wolf
- Miele
- Hisense, Haier
- ASKO, and more
Unsupported: HVAC units, water heaters, and commercial equipment — these use different serial formats outside the residential appliance scope.
Response Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
year | integer | Manufacture year (4-digit) |
month | integer|null | Manufacture month (1-12), null if not encoded |
confidence | string | high / medium / low |
algorithm_family | string | Internal decode family name |
decoded | boolean | Whether the serial was successfully decoded |
Use Cases
- Home inspection software — decode serial numbers entered during inspection to display appliance age in reports
- Home warranty claims — verify appliance age at intake for age-based coverage decisions
- Property management platforms — build appliance age inventory across rental units from serial numbers
- Repair dispatch software — surface appliance age on service tickets to support repair vs. replace conversations
- Parts distributors — help customers understand whether repairing an old unit makes sense before ordering parts
Example Request & Response
{
"brand": "GE",
"serial": "AF123456",
"year": 2010,
"month": 1,
"confidence": "high",
"algorithm_family": "GE_LETTER",
"decoded": true
}Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decode an appliance serial number via API?
Call GET /api/v1/age-estimate?brand={brand}&serial={serial}. The API returns manufacture year, month, confidence score, and algorithm family in JSON.
Which brands are supported by the serial decoder API?
The API supports 60 brands including GE, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Electrolux, Bosch, Kenmore, Speed Queen, Fisher & Paykel, Viking, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, and more.
What if a serial number cannot be decoded?
The API returns decoded: false with a structured response rather than an error. This lets your application handle misses gracefully without exception handling.
How accurate is the serial number decode?
Accuracy depends on the brand and serial format. The confidence field indicates decode certainty: high means the algorithm is well-established and validated; medium means the format is recognized but less certain; low means best-effort decode.
Can I decode serial numbers in bulk?
Yes. The endpoint is stateless REST — call it in parallel across large serial number datasets. Rate limits apply per plan.