The model number tells you which parts fit. It is printed on a label or a metal data plate on every appliance and every piece of HVAC equipment. The serial number is usually on the same label, but it only identifies one unit, so search the model number.
Appliances
Look for a white or silver sticker. Typical format: WRS325FDAM04 (sample)
- Refrigerator
- Inside the fresh food section, on the side wall or ceiling
- Washer
- Under the lid, or around the door opening on front loaders
- Dryer
- Inside the door frame or on the back panel
- Dishwasher
- Along the top or side edge of the inner door
- Range and oven
- Behind the storage drawer or on the oven door frame
HVAC equipment
Look for a metal data plate. Typical format: 4A7A3036H1000A (sample)
- AC condenser
- Data plate on the outside cabinet, near the service valves
- Furnace
- Inside the lower blower compartment door
- Air handler
- On the cabinet side or inside the access panel
- Heat pump
- Data plate on the outside cabinet, same as a condenser
- Thermostat
- On the back plate, after removing it from the wall base
Tips for reading the label
- Look for the words Model, Model No., MOD or M/N. The serial number says Serial, S/N or SER.
- Type every letter and digit. A model number that ends in a revision code, like 04 or B, can take different parts than the same model without it.
- Watch for look-alikes: the number 0 and the letter O, the number 1 and the letter I, the number 5 and the letter S.
- Take a photo of the label with your phone so you have it while you shop.
When you cannot find the label
Labels fade, peel off or sit behind a panel. Check the owner's manual and the original receipt. On an old part, the part number printed on it works too: search that number and the part page lists the models it fits.
Safety
Unplug an appliance, or turn off the breaker and the outdoor disconnect for HVAC equipment, before you open a panel to read a label. Gas furnaces and ranges: do not remove burner covers to find a label. If you are not sure, call a licensed technician.