- Written by ApplianceWorth Editorial Team
- Technically reviewed by Victor — appliance technician
- Applies to Dacor appliances
- Date formats covered 6
- Sources Manufacturer service documentation, field-repair experience and owner-confirmed serial numbers · Methodology · Report a correction
How Dacor serial numbers encode the date
Dacor does not print the manufacture date in plain text on most units — it is encoded into the serial number. The decoder recognises 6 formats for this brand:
Format 1: Year and production week
The first two digits are the year and the next two are the production week of that year (1–53), which we convert to an approximate month.
Two-digit years up to 79 are read as 20xx; higher values are read as 19xx.
Format 2: Repeating year code with production week
The 3rd character is the year code, followed by 2 digits at the 4th character giving the production week of that year.
Applies to serial numbers 9–9 characters long.
| Year code | Means |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1990 · 2000 · 2010 |
| 1 | 1991 · 2001 · 2011 |
| 2 | 1992 · 2002 · 2012 |
| 3 | 1993 · 2003 · 2013 |
| 4 | 1994 · 2004 · 2014 |
| 5 | 1995 · 2005 · 2015 |
| 6 | 1996 · 2006 · 2016 |
| 7 | 1997 · 2007 |
| 8 | 1998 · 2008 |
| 9 | 1999 · 2009 |
Format 3: Letter date code
The 8th character of the serial number is the year code. The 9th character is the month.
Applies to serial numbers of at least 9 characters.
| Year code | Means |
|---|---|
| A | 2006 |
| L | 2006 |
| P | 2007 |
| Q | 2008 |
| S | 2009 |
| Z | 2010 |
| B | 2011 |
| C | 2012 |
| D | 2013 |
| F | 2014 |
| G | 2015 |
| H | 2016 |
| J | 2017 |
| K | 2018 |
| M | 2019 |
| N | 2020 |
Month codes for this format
| Code | Month |
|---|---|
| 1 | January |
| 2 | February |
| 3 | March |
| 4 | April |
| 5 | May |
| 6 | June |
| 7 | July |
| 8 | August |
| 9 | September |
| A | October |
| B | November |
| C | December |
Format 4: Repeating letter date code
The 8th character of the serial number is the year code. The 9th character is the month.
Applies to serial numbers of at least 9 characters.
| Year code | Means |
|---|---|
| R | 2001 · 2021 |
| T | 2002 · 2022 |
| W | 2003 · 2023 |
| X | 2004 · 2024 |
| Y | 2005 · 2025 |
Month codes for this format
| Code | Month |
|---|---|
| 1 | January |
| 2 | February |
| 3 | March |
| 4 | April |
| 5 | May |
| 6 | June |
| 7 | July |
| 8 | August |
| 9 | September |
| A | October |
| B | November |
| C | December |
Format 5: Letter date code
The 4th character of the serial number is the year code. The 5th character is the month.
Applies to serial numbers 5–12 characters long.
| Year code | Means |
|---|---|
| A | 2006 |
| L | 2006 |
| P | 2007 |
| Q | 2008 |
| S | 2009 |
| Z | 2010 |
| B | 2011 |
| C | 2012 |
| D | 2013 |
| F | 2014 |
| G | 2015 |
| H | 2016 |
| J | 2017 |
| K | 2018 |
| M | 2019 |
| N | 2020 |
Month codes for this format
| Code | Month |
|---|---|
| 1 | January |
| 2 | February |
| 3 | March |
| 4 | April |
| 5 | May |
| 6 | June |
| 7 | July |
| 8 | August |
| 9 | September |
| A | October |
| B | November |
| C | December |
Format 6: Repeating letter date code
The 4th character of the serial number is the year code. The 5th character is the month.
Applies to serial numbers 5–12 characters long.
| Year code | Means |
|---|---|
| R | 2001 · 2021 |
| T | 2002 · 2022 |
| W | 2003 · 2023 |
| X | 2004 · 2024 |
| Y | 2005 · 2025 |
Month codes for this format
| Code | Month |
|---|---|
| 1 | January |
| 2 | February |
| 3 | March |
| 4 | April |
| 5 | May |
| 6 | June |
| 7 | July |
| 8 | August |
| 9 | September |
| A | October |
| B | November |
| C | December |
Why the year can be ambiguous
Dacor reuses the same year character across repeating cycles, so one character on its own cannot pin down an absolute year. When that happens the tool picks the most recent year that has already occurred, marks the result medium confidence, and lists the other years the same code could mean.
Where to find the Dacor serial number
The serial number is printed on the rating label, usually alongside the model number — never on the front of the appliance where you would look first. Where that label sits depends on what the appliance is:
| Dacor appliance | Where the rating label usually is |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall; near the upper shelf; behind crisper drawers; or on the exterior side/rear panel. |
| Dishwasher | On the left, right or top edge of the door; on the tub frame; sometimes on the kick plate. |
| Range / Oven | On the frame behind the oven door; behind the lower drawer; beneath the cooktop; or on the rear panel. |
| Microwave | Inside the door frame or cavity wall; on the vent grille housing for over-the-range models. |
Photograph the label rather than copying it by hand. The character that carries the year is one of about a dozen on the line, and a 0 read as an O costs you the lookup. Our label location guide has the same guidance for every brand.
Common questions about Dacor appliance age
How old is my Dacor refrigerator?
Read the serial number off the rating label and type it into the tool at the top of this page. It returns the month and year the unit left the factory, which is not the day it was sold: an appliance commonly spends six to twelve months between the production line and a kitchen, and clearance stock far longer.
Does a Dacor serial number contain the manufacture date?
Yes, but encoded rather than printed. Dacor carries the date in 6 formats, where one character stands for the year and another for the month. The tables above name those positions, so you can check the tool's answer by hand.
Where is the serial number on a Dacor refrigerator?
Inside the fresh-food compartment on a side wall; near the upper shelf; behind crisper drawers; or on the exterior side/rear panel. It sits on the same label as the model number. Photograph it — misreading one character is the usual reason a lookup fails.
Why does the tool show more than one possible year?
Dacor reuses year characters on a cycle, so a single character cannot separate, say, 2005 from 2025. The tool shows the most recent year that has already passed and lists the alternatives rather than hiding the doubt. If you know roughly when the appliance was bought, the candidate nearest that date is the right one.
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