I found the chart helpful, and verifies information I had worked out from a dozen GE refrigerator owners manuals. But might we look at the difference between serial numbers and model numbers?
Find Your Model & Serial Numbers. Model Numbers Always Begin and End with a Letter. Select your product type. Refrigerators & Freezers. The model and serial number are the key to getting the proper repair parts for your major home appliances. They may consist of letters, numbers, dashes and in the case of Kenmore, dots.
The term serial number is used for the chart. But is the chart really referring to serial numbers? I have a 1948 GE Space Maker refrigerator with the model number on a tag, which reads: NB-8-EB. The refrigerator design is consistent with 1948 ads for the Space maker. The 8 indicates cubic feet of capacity.
The E in the second letter group would seem to indicate the year made. And these letter codes work out with most all the late 40s and early 50s models seen so far. The meaning of the other letters are unknown, at least to me.
The chart indicates that the 'serial numbers' begin with two letters which indicate year and month. But the serial number on my fridge does not begin with two letters. It begins with 8C and then a string of numbers. Does anyone have this figured out? And does anyone know what the other letters in the model tag mean? The chart as can be seen goes back to 1944. I am about to pick up a circa 1934 GE flat top refrigerator.
Has anyone worked out models and years for pre 1944 GE refrigerators?
General Electric Date Codes The breakdown for General Electric Serial Numbers is: 1st Alpha Character = Month Manufactured 2nd Alpha Character = Year Manufactured GE (USA) - Month Code Code Month A January D February F March G April H May L June M July R August S September T October V November Z December GE (USA) - 12 Year Cycling Code Code Year Year Year F 1991 2003 G 1980 1992 2004 H 1981 1993 2005 L 1982 1994 2006 M 1983 1995 2007 R 1984 1996 2008 S 1985 1997 2009 T 1986 1998 2010 V 1987 1999 2011 Z 1988 2000 2012 A 1989 2001 2013 D 1990 2002 2014.