Find the manufacture year of any Rheem AC, heat pump, or furnace from the serial number.
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How to decode the serial number
Rheem and its sister brand Ruud use the same serial number format. The year and week of manufacture are encoded in the first four characters.
1996 to Present
The first character is always F. Digits 2–3 are the year, digits 4–5 are the week.
F012312345
Position
Meaning
Example
1
Plant code — Always F for Fort Smith, AR plant
F
2–3
Year — 2001
01
4–5
Week — Week 23
23
6+
Sequence — Production sequence (ignore)
12345
Where to find the serial number
On Rheem outdoor units, look for the data plate on the side panel — typically on the service access side.
On Rheem furnaces, the data plate is inside the front access panel on the left or right wall of the cabinet.
The serial number almost always begins with the letter F (for Fort Smith, Arkansas — Rheem's manufacturing location).
Rheem and Ruud are sister brands made at the same facility with the same serial format.
Decoded examples
F2317A12345
→ Week 17, 2023
F = plant, 23 = 2023, 17 = week 17
F1434B67890
→ Week 34, 2014
F = plant, 14 = 2014, 34 = week 34
F9852C11111
→ Week 52, 1998
F = plant, 98 = 1998, 52 = week 52
Life expectancy
Expected lifespan: 15–20 years for Rheem central AC and heat pumps. Rheem is a mid-range brand with solid reliability.
Common questions
For most Rheem units made after 1996, the serial starts with F, then two digits for year, then two digits for week. Example: F2317 = manufactured in week 17 of 2023.
Yes. Rheem and Ruud are sister brands manufactured by Rheem Manufacturing at the same facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The equipment is identical — only the brand name and color differ.
Older Rheem units (pre-1996) used different serial formats. Some use a letter-number combination without the F prefix. If your serial starts with letters other than F, the first letter may be a year code from an older format.
Rheem heat pumps typically last 15–20 years. Regular maintenance — particularly annual coil cleaning and refrigerant checks — is the biggest factor in reaching the upper end of that range.