How to Know the Age of Trane from Serial Number

If you have a Trane product and want to determine its age, you should look for the serial number. Serial numbers are typically used in various kinds of Trane products. Both letters and numbers are used in the coding. There is no standard in the industry for how manufacturers should use letters and numbers to identify their products. Companies like Trane are free to decide which coding to use for their heating and cooling systems.

How to tell the age of your Trane unit from its serial number

The serial number on Trane products is a strong combination of letters and numbers that informs you of the manufacture date. You need to learn how to read the Trane serial number nomenclature.

Trane utilizes alpha codes in the serial numbers to inform on the age of manufacture. The method has been used since 1987 and the letter B was the first to use. Trane actually skipped some letters in the following years. The first letter of the Trane serial number nomenclature will inform the year of manufacture, whereas the following two numbers represent the week.

In 2002, Trane changed the nomenclature again and the manufacturing year was the first in the serial numbers. Therefore, the first number of the serial number is 2 for 2002, 3 for 2003, etc. If your Trane product has a 9-digit combination of numbers and letters and begins with a number, that first number is the manufacturing year.

You would think that things have stayed like that, but in 2010, Trane has once again modified the nomenclature date. Therefore, the manufacture date is revealed by the two first digits of the Trane serial number.

As you can see, Trane has used various methods for the serial numbers of their products. As a result, you should always verify the manufacture date by examining the year of ANSI rating. There’s also the most straightforward way when you simply call a certified HVAC contractor to give you the answer on your Trane’s product.

How to read the Trane Serial Number

Let’s take a closer look at how to decode every digit of a Trane serial number.

Trane serial number nomenclature consists of:

• Manufacturing date: year, month, week, and day
• Manufacturing location
• A sequential number

Here are some serial number examples:

• Let’s say that the serial number is #1E-123456 (it was used in the 1970s), where one is 1971, and E is May.
• Serial Number #P16-12ABCD (Trane used it in 1983)- P is the year (1999), whereas 16 is the week.
• Serial Number #03161-ABCDE (Trane used the system between 2002 and 2009). 03 represents the year (2003), 16 represents the week, and 1 is the day.
• Serial Number #1604-12345A (Trane has been using this system since 2010). 16 represents the year (2016), whereas 04 is the week.

At the moment, this is the serial number style that Trane uses for its products and American Standard HVAC units.

The following table will help you decode the serial number of your product.

Why would you need the age of your unit? Where should you see the serial number?

Knowing the age of your HVAC unit is crucial information to have when the unit starts to show wearing signs and no longer operates as expected. Once you know the manufacturer date, you can decide if you should repair or replace it. The spending on replacement is different from the one for repairs.

If your HVAC or Trane product is new, it’s not difficult to spot the serial and model number. Check out your owner’s manual or any other book that came with your product. If you don’t have any, take a good look at your unit—it should be printed right on it.

You have to search for the data tag or a sticker plate on the unit. The data tag consists of detailed information about your product. Trane prints the serial number, model number, the ANSI rating, etc. You need the model numbers and serial number to register your new product or when you search for a current warranty. The serial number tells you directly the age of your unit. If you cannot find it, simply contact your certified Trane technician for further help.