

Remember, buyers and sellers can sometimes lie, but the serial number is a legal requirement and will tell you exactly how old your unit is. Locating the serial number and decoding it is the only way to accurate ly determine the age of your water heater. It will also tell you the facility where it was built. Heard of Rheem, Westinghouse, AO Smith, etc.

So Im trying to figure out if they are of good quality. Called a highly praised plumber in our area and they carry Bradford White Water Heaters. This will translate into the manufacturing date. Went to pull down Christmas decorations yesterday and saw that our water heater in the attic is failing. Near the bottom of this sticker, you’ll be able to see an 8–10-digit code. The label on the unit will tell you about the energy efficiency and any hazard warnings for the device. This is typically a label stuck to the side of the water heater and easy to find, but the serial number may also be in any documentation you received with the water heater. Your serial number is usually located in the manufacturer’s information on the water heater itself. Every brand presents this slightly differently, but the information is the same. This is the unique number attributed to the water heater, and it will usually tell you the week, month, and year of manufacture. To find the manufacturing date, you have to locate the serial number. A good quality water heater will last roughly 15 years if it's properly maintained, so by knowing the manufacturing date, you can determine how long is left. It pays to understand when you’re nearing the time of replacement for your water heater, so you aren’t caught out if it suddenly breaks down.
