In this Guide our water heater expert Joseph will help you on How to find Bradford White water heater Age by looking into the serial number of the unit. Generally when someone ask what is the age of your water heater, you look for paperwork or for tags, But if the unit is old one you might have lost the paperwork. When you look on the tags or stickers on the body there is no mention of date of manufacture, At this time you might be confused. Don’t worry we will help you to find it through the serial number labeled on it.
Not only through serial number we also added few tips at the end to find the age of the Bradford white water heater if the label sticker is worn out or damaged and cannot find the serial number.
Bradford White Serial number Location
Like all the water heaters Bradford white serial number is located on the body of the unit. On the Rating data plate all the details like model number, serial number, ANSI code and Gas type are mentioned. From those you can find serial number easily.
For Tankless water heaters it is located on the side body with all the details along with the serial number. You can check from the below image for clear idea.
Bradford white water heaters Serial number Patterns
So, On the rating data plate or sticker label on the unit look for the serial number. There are only two patterns in the Tank units and for tankless units there are few multiple patterns as Bradford white gave contract to other manufacturers like Rinnai to make the units for them, So the serial numbers will be in the makers formats. Bradford White tankless water heater serial number with pattern PH. CA-726536
Lets know the patterns and how to decode them to find the age of Bradford white water heaters.
Pattern 1: AB1234567
This pattern is used in majority of the units and its nearly easy to decode if you have the years and months chart. The For character “A” represents the Year and second character “B” represent the month of manufactured. So lets have a look on our easy to print and carry Bradford White Serial number Age Chart.
From the above age chart you can see in the year table for every alphabet there are years mentioned from 1984 to 2030. To decode the year check the serial number first alphabet for example it may be “F”, if you look in the chart F has 1989,2009 and 2029.
From these 3 years to find out which is correct we need to look for ANSI code which is also printed on the sticker or label. If the ANSI code is Z21. 10. 1-2006 the unit is manufactured after 2006 and 1989 failed, here we are left with 2 options 2009 and 2029, the ANSI compliance will be done every 5 to 6 years, so there is no chance of 2029. Finally we are left with 2009 which is the correct year of manufacture.
For Month its easy look for second alphabet in the serial number and match it with the month table in the chart. If it is “L” it represents November month. In months table they did not use “I” alphabet as it would mistake with 1 number.
In the above label the ANSI code is Z21. 10. 1-2014 means it is made in or after 2014, serial number starts with N so it is 2016. the second alphabet is F represents JUNE, so the unit is made in JUNE 2014
Examples:
- Serial no: NF37923882 with ANSI :Z21. 10. 1-2014 represents 2016 and JUNE.
- Serial no: BH83726153 with ANSI :Z21. 10. 1-2002 represents 2005 and AUGUST.
Pattern 2: OA8526828
In the year 1997 the company computer mistakenly printed the Serial number starting with “O” as O is removed from the chart as it would be mistaken with zero “0”. These are printed on few units in the month of January. So, if you encounter a heater unit with serial number starting with OA then we can directly say it is manufactured in January 1997. Some people may think it may be special but it just a computer mistake.
Bradford White Water Heater Age Calculator Online
Online calculator How to use: Just simply enter the first two characters of your bradford white heater serial number in the first input box and enter the ANSI year on the second box and click submit, within two seconds it gives you the month and year of manufacture along with the age in years. Our powerful and easy calculator works with heater units from 1984 to 2043.
No ANSI or Serial Number
If your water heater does not have any ANSI code or the area where it is printed is damaged, or even the serial number also not visible or damaged there are few ways to know the approximate manufacturing date listed below.
- Physical Appearance: Older units may have rust, faded paint, or outdated designs that hint at their age.
- Inspection Tags: Look for tags from building or health authorities (AHJ), which often display inspection dates.
- Service Tags: Maintenance records or service tags on the unit can indicate when it was last serviced or installed.
- Building’s Age: If the heater was installed with the building, the structure’s age can provide a rough estimate.
- Common Sense: Visible wear, sediment, or declining performance often suggest a water heater nearing 10-15 years old.
If you face issues with pilot light refer our dedicated page on : Bradford white water heater pilot won’t light [FIXED]
Other Age finders:
If you see anything strange serial number on your heater and doesn’t understand, please comment below. Our Expect Joseph will answer your questions. Thanks.
The calculator was amazing, instead of refering the charts and getting the year and checking for age. Now its very easy we directly get the age. thank you brother.