Find the manual for any appliance in your house

Every appliance has a label with its model and serial number. Find the label, and the right manual follows. Here's where to look.

Where the model and serial label usually is

• 

  Refrigerator

  Open the fridge door and look high up on the inside side walls; some also have a second label low on the outside.

• 

  Dishwasher

  Open the door and look along its edges (the sides and the top), then along the edge of the tub opening.

• 

  Range or oven

  Open the oven door and look on the frame around the opening; if it isn't there, pull out the bottom drawer and look at its frame.

• 

  Washer

  Front-loader: open the door and look on the rim around the opening. Top-loader: lift the lid and look on the rim, or check the back.

• 

  Dryer

  Open the door and look on the rim around the opening, usually at the top.

• 

  Range hood

  Take out the filters and look up inside the hood; the label is on an inside wall or the underside.

• 

  Water heater

  Look on the outside of the tank for the big label, on the front or a side.

• 

  Furnace

  Look on the side panels first; if it isn't there, the label is just inside the front panel.

• 

  Air conditioner (outside unit)

  Walk around the outside unit; the label is on the cabinet near the service panel, where the pipes go in.

• 

  Garbage disposal

  Look under the sink at the bottom of the disposal; the tag is low on its side or underneath.

• 

  Garage door opener

  Look on the motor unit on the ceiling: under the light cover, or on the side opposite the antenna wire.

• 

  Sump pump

  The nameplate is on top of the pump, down in the pit.

Taken from the makers' own "where is my model number" pages. Some brands put it somewhere else: the House Lantern app shows the spot for the brand you pick.

Snap the label. Get the manual.

• 1. Take one photo of the labelHouse Lantern reads the brand, the model, the serial number and when it was made, and shows you its age. You check it before anything is saved.
• 2. It finds that model's manualNot a manual for the brand: the one for your model. A model number with a look-alike letter (an I for a 1, an O for a 0) is still matched.
• 3. The upkeep comes from the manualFilters, cleaning and service intervals for your exact model, on one list that tells you the 3 things to do this week.
• 4. Help fixing it, from your own manualSay what's wrong and Fix it walks you through one step at a time, marking each step "From your manual" with the page when it's known, or plainly as general advice. Gas, a burning smell or the electrical panel stop at "Call a pro".
• 5. Recall alertsEach model is checked against government product recalls every day. A match shows up with the hazard and the remedy.

Can't find the label?

Look for a sticker or metal plate on the back, the sides or underneath, and just inside any door that opens. Unplug or switch off anything before you take a panel off. If it's truly gone, you can still add the appliance with its type and brand, and fill in the model later.