Why the model number decides so much
Two freezers that look identical from the front can use different fans, heaters, gaskets and controls, and makers change parts partway through a model's life without changing its appearance. The model number, and sometimes the serial number as well, tells a technician which parts list and which service information apply. Without it, a repair can mean one visit to look and another to fit.
It also opens the owner's manual, which answers most questions about settings, alarms and normal sounds, and it lets you check whether a freezer has been recalled. CPSC keeps a public list of recalls, and recall notices name the affected models.
- Ordering a gasket, basket, shelf or lid part that actually fits.
- Downloading the right owner's manual and wiring information.
- Checking the recall list before a repair.
- Booking a visit so the likely parts come on the first trip.
Source: CPSC — Recalls — CPSC publishes a public list of product recalls
Where the freezer model number is on each kind of freezer
Start in the place that fits your type of freezer, then widen the search. Bring a flashlight: most plates are small, silver or white, and tucked where the light is poor.
Upright freezers
Open the door and look up and along the sides. GE places the numbers on the top inner liner of its uprights, toward the front. Frigidaire puts the model number of its uprights along the interior side trim, where it shows as soon as the door opens. If neither spot shows anything, lift out the top basket and check the side walls behind it.
Chest freezers
A chest is the type most likely to carry its plate outside. GE places it at the top center of the back of its chest freezers, which usually means sliding the freezer a little away from the wall. Frigidaire's chest freezers show the model number on the left outside wall, above the access panel near the floor. If the back and sides are bare, look under the rim of the lid as well.
Built-in freezer columns and undercounter drawers
Built-in models hide the plate inside the cabinet because the outside is covered by cabinetry or a panel. Sub-Zero puts the rating plate of its Designer freezer column behind a drawer, near the drawer guide on the side away from the hinge. On its Designer undercounter units the plate is on the ceiling inside the cabinet, near the left side, and on other undercounter models in the upper left area inside.
Other makers of freezer drawers and panel-ready columns follow the same idea. Pull the top drawer all the way out and shine the flashlight along the side walls and the ceiling of the opening, then check behind the toe grille if the manual allows it to be unclipped without tools. Leave any grille held by screws alone.
Reading the plate once you have found it
The plate usually carries two long strings of letters and digits, marked model and serial, along with the voltage, the current draw and the refrigerant type. The model number describes the design; the serial number identifies your particular freezer and often encodes when it was built. Copy both exactly, including any letters after a slash or dash, because those suffixes often mark a color or a production change.
The electrical figures matter too. According to GE, the outlet a freezer uses should carry a voltage rating matching the figure on that plate. The refrigerant line tells a technician which sealed-system procedures apply; many current freezers use isobutane, which is flammable and handled with specific precautions.
Source: GE Appliances — Upright no-frost freezers owner's manual, FUF14, FUF17 and FUF21 (49-60763) — Model and serial numbers on the top inner case liner toward the front; plug into an outlet whose voltage rating matches the rating plate; isobutane refrigerant
When the plate is frosted, worn or missing
Plates inside a freezer often end up under frost or ice. Do not chip at it with a knife or scraper, because the liner and the tubing behind it are close by. Wipe it with a cloth dipped in warm water and let it dry for a moment before photographing it, or wait until the next defrost if it is buried in a chest.
If the plate has faded, peeled or been painted over, look for the same numbers elsewhere: the owner's manual, a registration card, the delivery paperwork, a sticker on the original carton or the store's order history. A technician can often identify the model from its parts, but a visit that starts with that step takes longer.
- Photograph the plate straight on, with the flash off if it is shiny.
- Take a second photo of the whole freezer so the type is obvious.
- Save both where you keep the manual, and send them when booking.
- Never pry a plate off or peel a sticker to read it better.
