This article gives a quick way to figure out how old a Bradford White water heater is. Unfortunately, Bradford White doesn’t make it clear on the data plate or label when the unit was manufactured, but usually, it’s encoded in the serial number. Most of the time, you can figure out Bradford White’s water heater age by deciphering the serial number.
Find the serial number on the data tag or label to find out the age of the Bradford White water heater. The company uses a combination of letters and numbers for the year of manufacture of the water heaters. They also use a letter cycle that repeats every 20 years.
How to read the Bradford White water heater serial number?
The Bradford White water heater serial number will always begin with 2 letters. The first two letters in the serial number show the year and month, and the rest of the serial number is a sequential production number.
For example:
Serial number #JC16433183
J = manufactured in the year 2012 or 1992
C = march
16433183 = sequential number
In order to identify the correct manufacturer year for the Bradford White water heater, you will need to rely on your own judgment regarding the unit’s condition. The letter J in the serial number above could mean 2012 or 1992.
Another useful piece of information is the year the house was constructed. If the house was built in the year 2000, then it doesn’t make sense that the letter J means 1992.
| A | 1984 or 2004 | L | 1994 or 2014 |
| B | 1985 or 2005 | M | 1995 or 2015 |
| C | 1986 or 2006 | N | 1996 or 2016 |
| D | 1987 or 2007 | P | 1997 or 2017 |
| E | 1988 or 2008 | S | 1998 or 2018 |
| F | 1989 or 2009 | T | 1999 or 2019 |
| G | 1990 or 2010 | W | 2000 or 2020 |
| H | 1991 or 2011 | X | 2001 or 2021 |
| J | 1992 or 2012 | Y | 2002 or 2022 |
| K | 1993 or 2013 | Z | 2003 or 2023 |
| A | January | G | July |
| B | February | H | August |
| C | March | J | September |
| D | April | K | October |
| E | May | L | November |
| F | June | M | December |
Where is the serial number located on the Bradford White water heater?
The serial numbers are located on the water heater rating plate. For a conventional water heater, the data plate is on the tank of the water heater. For the tankless water heater, the data plate is on the condensing unit.
What is the life expectancy of a Bradford White water heater?
Bradford White water heaters have an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years with proper installation and maintenance. This is why many professionals would recommend this brand.
Bradford White tankless water heaters can last up to 20 years. If you need to replace your water heater, tankless water heaters are a good choice for many reasons.
Final Thought
It’s important to know the age of your Bradford White water heater in order to determine whether it needs repair or replacement. If your water heater needs frequent repair, or if your water heater has already been in use for more than half of its life expectancy, it is best to just replace the unit before problems happen.
