Addison Product Company (APCO)® HVAC age

How to determine the date of production/manufacture or age of Addison Product Company (APCO)® brand HVAC Systems.

The industry average service design life for most forced air furnaces is 15-20 years, and the industry average service design life for most air conditioning condensing units is 10-15 years. The average service design life of boilers can vary from as little as 10 years to as many as 50 years depending on the type and quality of materials used in their manufacture. Routine upkeep/maintenance, regional weather/climate, and location/placement of the mechanical systems will all play critical roles in the longevity of these systems.

See also: Estimated Useful Service Life Expectancies

History (important information to assist in determining age of manufacture):

Addison products and their respective brands have a varied and somewhat confusing history of transitions and acquisitions.

Addison Products Company (APCO) originated in 1949 in Addison, Michigan, manufacturing refrigerant systems for vending machines. In 1952, Addison Products Company turned its attention to residential air conditioning. An innovative “split system” design was created by Addison and used an air-cooled condensing unit outside the home in tandem with the cooling coil in the plenum of a warm-air furnace. Soon nearly every warm-air furnace company in the country was buying the revolutionary new system from Addison. Throughout the 1950s, Addison continued to expand, adding a second plant in Michigan and becoming one of the foremost suppliers of residential comfort products in the United States.

In 1960, Addison purchased WeatherKing, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. WeatherKing was a pioneer in the development of water-source and air-source heat pumps for the warm climate of the South. This acquisition further expanded Addison's residential market.

In 1963, Addison invented a packaged air conditioning system for 100% fresh air that evolved into the first commercially available Dedicated Outdoor Air System.

Circa 1988-1990, Addison Products sold the residential "WeatherKing" brand line (but not the Orlando manufacturing facility), and sold off its Michigan manufacturing facilities to Rheem Mfg. Addison moved into a newly constructed Orlando facility in 1990. This transaction and move marked the beginning of Addison's departure from the residential HVAC market to focus solely on commercial HVAC products. By early 2000's, Addison (or what had become of its former self) had fully transitioned into commercial & industrial HVAC applications only.

In December 1995, Addison Products was acquired by Heat Controller. The new company was called "Addison Products Co., a division of Heat Controller Inc."

Based on this information, any product with a data tag bearing solely the name "Addison Products Company" or "APCO"  will have been manufactured prior to December of 1995.

Between 1995 and 2004, Addison data plates will indicate the unit to be "Addison - a division of Heat Controller" or manufactured by/for Heat Controller, and may utilize Heat Controller serial number styles. Any residential products bearing the Addison name will have been manufactured prior to the early 2000's.

This version of the company was later acquired in 2004 by Fedders and the name changed to Fedders Addison Co., becoming a new business unit under Fedders Commercial HVAC. 

Upon Fedders' bankruptcy just 4 years later (circa 2008), the assets under the Fedders umbrella were sold and acquired by various entities. Airwell Group, a subsidiary of Elco Holdings Ltd. purchased the residential HVAC business which included Fedders, Air Temp, and Emerson Quiet Kool brands. Roberts-Gordon LLC (maker of commercial infrared heating systems) purchased the Fedders Addison Co. commercial subsidiary, dropped the Fedders name, and reverted it back to simply "Addison".

In 2014, Roberts-Gordon was acquired by The Sterling Group, and formed Specified Air Solutions parent company out of the multiple brands that were then under Roberts-Gordon.

In October of 2018, The Sterling Group announced it had sold the multiple branded Specified Air Solutions portfolio (which included Addison among others) to Madison Industries of Chicago.

Between 2008 and 2018, Addison data plates on these commercial units should reference "Specified Air Solutions" and/or "Roberts-Gordon" as the parent company.

Addison is currently manufactured as specialty commercial and industrial HVAC equipment under the Addison brand name which (along with Roberts-Gordon) is now a subsidiary of Madison Industries.

Parent Company: Madison Industries

Subsidiaries or other related brands: WeatherKing | Roberts-Gordon | Heat Controller | Rheem | Fedders

The date of production/manufacture or age of Addison (APCO) brand HVAC equipment can be determined from the serial number located on the rating data plate.

Example serial number styles/formats found:

Legend:  Year is RED;  Month is GREEN; Week is BLUE

Style 1:   009920304091

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 3rd & 4th positions of the serial number
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Style 2:   07 10-043-115-0006

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st & 2nd positions of the serial number

Note: This is a Roberts-Gordon style number

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Style 3:   28607168189

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 2nd & 3rd positions of the serial number

Note: This is a pre-1990 style number

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Addison (APCO)® History¹
  • 1949 - Addison Products Company (APCO) founded in Addison, Michigan, manufacturing refrigerant systems for vending machines.
  • 1952 - Addison Products Company enters residential air conditioning and creates innovative “split system” design which used an air-cooled condensing unit outside the home in tandem with the cooling coil in the plenum of a warm-air furnace. Soon nearly every warm-air furnace company in the country was buying the revolutionary new system from Addison. Throughout the 1950s, Addison continued to expand, adding a second plant in Michigan and becoming one of the foremost suppliers of residential comfort products in the United States.
  • 1960 - Addison purchased WeatherKing, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. WeatherKing was a pioneer in the development of water-source and air-source heat pumps for the warm climate of the South.
  • 1963 - Addison invented a packaged air conditioning system for 100% fresh air that evolved into the first commercially available Dedicated Outdoor Air System.
  • 1988-1990 - Addison Products sold the residential "WeatherKing" brand line (but not the Orlando manufacturing facility)., and sold off its Michigan manufacturing facilities to Rheem Mfg.
  • December 1995 - Addison Products was acquired by Heat Controller. The new company was called "Addison Products Co., a division of Heat Controller Inc."  - any product with a data tag bearing solely the name "Addison Products Company" or "APCO"  will have been manufactured prior to December of 1995. Between 1995 and 2004, Addison data plates will indicate the unit to be a division of Heat Controller or manufactured by/for Heat Controller, and typically utilize Heat Controller serial number styles. 
  • 2004 - Company was acquired by Fedders and the name changed to Fedders Addison Co., becoming a new business unit under Fedders Commercial HVAC. 
  • 2008 - Upon Fedders' bankruptcy circa 2008, the assets under the Fedders umbrella were sold and acquired by various entities. Airwell Group, a subsidiary of Elco Holdings Ltd. purchased the residential HVAC business which included Fedders, Air Temp, and Emerson Quiet Kool brands. Roberts-Gordon LLC (maker of commercial infrared heating systems) purchased the Fedders Addison Co. subsidiary, dropped the Fedders name, and reverted it back to simply "Addison".
  • 2014 - Roberts-Gordon was acquired by The Sterling Group, and formed Specified Air Solutions out of the multiple brands under Roberts-Gordon.
  • 2018 - In October of 2018, the Sterling Group announced it had sold the multiple branded Specified Air Solutions portfolio (which included Addison among others) to Madison Industries of Chicago. Between 2008 and 2018, Addison data plates on these commercial units should reference "Specified Air Solutions" and/or "Roberts-Gordon" as the parent company.

Addison is currently manufactured as specialty commercial and industrial HVAC equipment under the Addison brand name which (along with Roberts-Gordon) is now a subsidiary of Madison Industries.

1 information obtained from various industry sources

Every effort is undertaken to offer you correct and concise information to assist you in determining the age or manufacture date of HVAC/R equipment. Users relying on this information do so at their own risk.
Page last updated: 12/01/2023