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How old is my Carrier packaged unit?

Serial number age decoder for Carrier packaged rooftop and ground units: 2 format eras, the decode rule in plain English, transcribed tables, and the official lookup.

Serial number decoder for Carrier packaged unit

Serial no.

Type the serial from the data plate, not the model number. Nothing is sent anywhere; the tables are in this page.

Format example: 4006A17330

Carrier packaged unit serial numbers in the 1980 to present format encode the year as digits 3-4 (2-digit year; century by context, 1980+) and the week as digits 1-2 (01-53) (source: building-center.org).
Example: serial 4006A17330 decodes to week 40 of 2006.
Carrier packaged unit serial numbers in the 1960 to 1979 format encode the year as first LETTER via table (L=1960 .. H=1979, cycles L-Z then A-H, skipping O, Q, Z) and the week as leading 1-2 digits (1-52) (source: building-center.org).
Example: serial 46U152456 decodes to week 46 of 1967.
Carrier's official lookup at carrier.com returns current coverage status.

Format eras

1980 to present VERIFIED
####A#####digits 3-4 (2-digit year; century by context, 1980+)
1960 to 1979 VERIFIED
##A######first LETTER via table (L=1960 .. H=1979, cycles L-Z then A-H, skipping O, Q, Z)

How to read the serial

1980 to present formatVERIFIED

Shape ####A##### · example 4006A17330 · confidence high

Year: digits 3-4 (2-digit year; century by context, 1980+)
Week or month: week = digits 1-2 (01-53)
Plant: letter at position 5 (plant/line code; table not published)

Example: serial 4006A17330 decodes to week 40 of 2006.

Trap: Same 4-digit-letter-5-digit shape as Lennox style 1 (Lennox = plant,plant,YY,month-letter). Two-digit year needs century disambiguation (e.g. 06 = 2006 vs 1986); use ANSI/date on plate.

1960 to 1979 formatVERIFIED

Shape ##A###### · example 46U152456 · confidence high

Year: first LETTER via table (L=1960 .. H=1979, cycles L-Z then A-H, skipping O, Q, Z)
Week or month: week = leading 1-2 digits (1-52)

Year code	Year(s)
L	1960
M	1961
N	1962
P	1963
R	1964
S	1965
T	1966
U	1967
V	1968
W	1969
X	1970
Y	1971
A	1972
B	1973
C	1974
D	1975
E	1976
F	1977
G	1978
H	1979

Example: serial 46U152456 decodes to week 46 of 1967.

Trap: Supersedes formats.json Carrier 1960-79 rule whose table was not transcribed: this is the full table from the Bryant page text. 46U152456 = week 46 of 1967; 2W13270 = week 2 of 1969. Overlaps the 1970-79 A167890 style (letter-first) - distinguish by leading digit(s).

Where the data plate is on a packaged unit

On the cabinet exterior near the electrical access panel, or inside the panel door.

General guidance, not brand-specific: the owner's manual or the installer can point to the exact spot. See the data plate guide.

Official lookup: the authority

Open the official Carrier lookup takes serial number; returns current coverage status; URL verified live

This site is a reference built from published tables. The manufacturer's own lookup wins whenever the two disagree.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell the age of a Carrier packaged unit from the serial number?

In the 1980 to present format the year is digits 3-4 (2-digit year; century by context, 1980+) and the week as digits 1-2 (01-53). Example: serial 4006A17330 decodes to week 40 of 2006.

Where is the serial number on a Carrier packaged unit?

On the data plate. On the cabinet exterior near the electrical access panel, or inside the panel door.