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How old is my Ruud furnace or AC?

Type the serial number from the Ruud label to see when it was built. Ruud units are built by Rheem, so the serials follow that company's format.

Scan insteadWhere is the label?

Example

OR177M280700097
  • OR177Product code, not part of the date
  • MPlant: M
  • 28Week: 28 (around July)
  • 07Year: 07 = 2007

Built Week 28 of 2007 (around July)

19 years, 3 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. Skip the first 5 characters, OR177. They are a product code.
  2. The letter M is the plant that built it.
  3. The next two digits, 28, are the week of the year.
  4. The two digits after that, 07, are the year: 2007.

Format: Rheem HVAC plant letter, week and year. Sources: CPSC 2009 Rheem and Ruud oil furnace recall (date code after the M), McGarry and Madsen: Rheem serial numbers, Building Intelligence Center: Rheem, InspectAPedia: Rheem HVAC.

Reading a Ruud serial number

Ruud is a Rheem brand. Its furnace and air conditioner serials use the Rheem format: a letter, then the week and the year.

About Ruud

  • Edwin Ruud, a Norwegian engineer, started the company in 1889 and built the first automatic storage water heater.
  • After Edwin Ruud died in 1932, the company added heating and air conditioning. Rheem bought Ruud Manufacturing in 1960.
  • Ruud and Rheem share a corporate office in Atlanta.

Sources: About Ruud, Rheem 100 Years

Rheem HVAC plant letter, week and year

Used about 1974 to today. Example: 7351M280616735

Find the letter that is followed by four digits and then a running number. Those four digits are the week (2 digits) and the year (2 digits). M2806 means the 28th week of 2006. Longer serials put a product code in front.

Worked example: OR177M280700097 was built Week 28 of 2007 (around July), so it is 19 years, 3 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: CPSC 2009 Rheem and Ruud oil furnace recall (date code after the M), McGarry and Madsen: Rheem serial numbers, Building Intelligence Center: Rheem, InspectAPedia: Rheem HVAC

Ruud recalls

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

YearRecallHazard
2009Rheem and Ruud oil furnacesIf miswired, the oil burner can keep running after the blower stops and start a fire.