Carrier Model Number

Purchasing an older home with an existing furnace can be a worry; a furnace often needs replacing after 15 to 20 years, so knowing its age is helpful in determining if a new furnace should be in the budget. Newer units may have a manufacturer's date listed somewhere on the furnace; older furnaces require a bit more digging by looking at the Carrier model number, which tells the manufacturer various pieces of information, including the age. Finding the Carrier model number, however, may also require a bit of sleuth work.

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Pull off the removable door on the outside of your furnace; this is usually along the bottom of the front of the unit. Look at the interior of the metal door for a label or tag listing the furnace's Carrier model number. This may also show an actual manufacturer's date, depending on the company that made the furnace.

Turn off the power to the furnace -- by either turning off the power switch or the master fuse to the unit -- and look at the fan and fan blades. Older furnaces sometimes had the Carrier model number stamped onto the fan itself, giving the necessary information even when a manufacturing label is absent.

Look at the first four digits of the Carrier model number once you find it. The first two digits can be the week of the year that the unit was manufactured, with the third and fourth number indicating the year. A Carrier model number starting with 0193, for example, may have been made the first week of 1993.

Look for a sticker or tag that gives a date when the furnace was last serviced. This is usually common on gas furnaces and may list the date that the furnace was installed. This can often give a close approximation of the unit's age.

Call the manufacturer to get the age of the furnace. Even without a Carrier model number, a manufacturer's rep may be able to look at a picture of the unit to give an idea of the period in which it was manufactured. If the company is out of business, having a home inspector or heating contractor look over the unit may be worth any fee charged to do so.