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How old is my Fraser-Johnston furnace or AC?

Type the serial number from the Fraser-Johnston label to see when it was built. Fraser-Johnston units are built by Johnson Controls (York), so the serials follow that company's format.

Example

N0D6653823
  • NPlant: N = Norman, Oklahoma
  • 0Year, first digit: 0
  • DMonth: D = April
  • 6Year, second digit: 6

Built April 2006

20 years, 6 months old

In replacement window. Inside the usual 15 to 25 year lifespan, so replacement could come any time. Worth budgeting for it.

What to do now

  • Get a replacement quote now, before a breakdown in the hottest or coldest week forces a rushed choice.
  • A common rule of thumb: if the repair cost times the age in years is over 5,000, replacing usually makes more sense.
  • Ask about rebates. Many utilities and states pay toward a high-efficiency replacement.
  • Some home insurers and home buyers’ inspectors ask the age of the HVAC system. Florida 4-point inspections record it.
  • Most HVAC parts warranties run 5 to 10 years and require registration within 60 to 90 days of install. Check with the installer.
How this was read
  1. The first letter, N, is the plant (Norman, Oklahoma).
  2. The second and fourth characters, 0 and 6, make the year: 2006.
  3. The third character, D, is the month: April. York skips I and J in month letters.

Format: York plant, year digits and month letter. Sources: CPSC 2001 York, Luxaire and Coleman furnace recall (serials WFKM and WGKM), McGarry and Madsen: York serial numbers, Building Intelligence Center: York, Inspector Handbook: York.

Reading a Fraser-Johnston serial number

Fraser-Johnston is a York brand and uses York’s serial formats.

About Fraser-Johnston

  • Fraser-Johnston began under Westinghouse and came to York when York bought Westinghouse’s air conditioning division in 1981.
  • Today Fraser-Johnston is mainly a commercial brand, with rooftop units from 15 to 27.5 tons.

Sources: The Fraser-Johnston Difference, York International Corp. (Reference for Business company history)

York plant, year digits and month letter

Used 2004 to today. Example: W1G7123456

The serial starts with a plant letter, a digit, a month letter and another digit. The two digits together are the year. W1G7 means July 2017: 1 and 7 make 17, and G is July. Month letters skip I and J.

Worked example: N0D6653823 was built April 2006, so it is 20 years, 6 months old as of October 2026.

Month letter (third character)
LetterMonth
AJanuary
BFebruary
CMarch
DApril
EMay
FJune
GJuly
HAugust
KSeptember
LOctober
MNovember
NDecember

Sources: CPSC 2001 York, Luxaire and Coleman furnace recall (serials WFKM and WGKM), McGarry and Madsen: York serial numbers, Building Intelligence Center: York, Inspector Handbook: York

York four letters and six digits

Used 1971 to 2004. Example: WGKM007655

The serial starts with four letters. The first is the plant, the second is the month and the third is the year. The year letters repeat every 21 years, so A to N can mean two dates. WGKM means July 2001.

Worked example: WGKM007655 fits July 1980 or July 2001. The page above explains how to tell which.

Month letter (second letter)
LetterMonth
AJanuary
BFebruary
CMarch
DApril
EMay
FJune
GJuly
HAugust
KSeptember
LOctober
MNovember
NDecember
Year letter (third letter)
LetterYear
A1971 or 1992
B1972 or 1993
C1973 or 1994
D1974 or 1995
E1975 or 1996
F1976 or 1997
G1977 or 1998
H1978 or 1999
J1979 or 2000
K1980 or 2001
L1981 or 2002
M1982 or 2003
N1983 or 2004
P1984
R1985
S1986
T1987
V1988
W1989
X1990
Y1991

Sources: CPSC 2001 York, Luxaire and Coleman furnace recall (serials WFKM and WGKM), McGarry and Madsen: York serial numbers, Building Intelligence Center: York, Inspector Handbook: York

Fraser-Johnston recalls

Recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that name Fraser-Johnston. Whether a unit is included depends on its model and build date; the checker above flags matches.

YearRecallHazard
1999York Diamond 80 downflow furnacesInsulation can fall onto the heat exchanger and start a fire.