A Bradford White water heater’s age is in the first two letters of its serial number: the first letter is the year it was made and the second is the month. The year letters repeat every 20 years, so each one can stand for more than one year. The number of digits after the two letters settles most cases. Bradford White says the production number was seven digits long before December 2007 and eight digits after. So JC followed by eight digits means March 2012. That’s the maker’s own example, on its “Determining The Age Of A Water Heater” page (posted 24 May 2020, updated 19 July 2024). This page is part of our choosing and sizing guides.
General information, not professional advice. Gas, 240-volt power, scalding water and a pressurised tank can hurt you. Follow the label and manual on your own heater; where they say to stop and call a qualified technician, stop. Codes and licensing rules are set locally.
This page covers where the serial number is, both letter tables, how the digit count picks the decade, the cases the serial can’t settle, and what the date means for the warranty. For other brands, or to skip the tables, use our water heater age lookup, which shows every possible date when a serial is ambiguous.
Before you go and look
- If you smell gas, don’t stay to read the label. PHMSA, the federal pipeline safety agency, says not to “Turn on or off any light switches”, use a phone, strike a match or start an engine near the smell. It says to make sure gas appliances are turned all the way off, leave, and call 911 from a neighbor’s house or somewhere well away from the leak. Bradford White’s gas installation and operation manual (238-51012-00V, REV 08/26) says to call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone, and the fire department if you can’t reach it. Our gas smell and carbon monoxide page has the full steps.
- Nothing has to come apart. The rating plate is on the outside of the heater’s jacket. Bradford White’s photo of where to find it shows it on the front of both gas and electric tanks. No door, cover or panel needs to be opened, and nothing needs to be turned.
- Leave the relief valve and its pipe alone. If water or steam is coming from the relief valve’s discharge pipe, keep everyone out of its way and deal with that first. The date can wait.
Find the serial number
The serial number is printed on the rating plate, the sticker that also gives the model number, the tank’s capacity and, on gas models, the gas type and input. Bradford White’s sample plate on its My Water Heater page puts the model number on one line and the serial number on the line below it, each with its own label (“Model No” and “Serial No”).
Don’t confuse the two. Bradford White’s warranty lists model prefixes such as RG and RE, and its examples look like RG240T6N. A serial number, in the maker’s example, is two letters followed by a run of digits: JC16433183.
Write the whole serial down or take a photo of the plate. You’ll need all of it: the two letters for the date and the digits to count. Bradford White’s gas installation and operation manual (238-51012-00V, REV 08/26) also suggests owners write the model, serial number and installation date in the maintenance section at the back of the manual, so check there if the plate has worn or faded.
Decode it in four steps
- Split the serial. First character, second character, then everything after them.
- Read the month from the second letter (table below). A is January and M is December, with no I.
- List the possible years for the first letter (table below). Each letter has a year in 1984 to 2003, one in 2004 to 2023 and one in 2024 to 2043.
- Count the digits after the two letters. Seven digits points to a heater made before December 2007; eight digits points to December 2007 or later. Cross out any year the count rules out, and any year that hasn’t happened yet.
If one date is left, that’s the month and year it was made. If two are left, see when the serial can’t settle it below.
The month letters
From Bradford White’s For The Pro page and its consumer page. The month column skips I and stops at M; no letter from N to Z is used for a month.
| Second letter | Month | Second letter | Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | January | G | July |
| B | February | H | August |
| C | March | J | September |
| D | April | K | October |
| E | May | L | November |
| F | June | M | December |
The year letters, all three decades
The year column skips I, O, Q, R, U and V, which leaves 20 letters, so the cycle repeats every 20 years. Bradford White’s own tables each show only two years per letter, and they don’t all show the same two:
- The consumer page (My Water Heater, last modified 28 October 2026 by its page data) pairs 2004 to 2023 with 2024 to 2043: A = 2004 or 2024, through Z = 2023 or 2043.
- The For The Pro page (updated 19 July 2024) has two year tables. The first pairs A with 2004 or 2024, but every other letter with the older pair (B = 1985 or 2005, through Z = 2003 or 2023). The second table pairs every letter with the older pair, starting A = 1984 or 2004.
The tables don’t contradict each other on the cycle; each just shows a different two-decade window. Put together, every letter now fits three possible decades, and for A, B and C all three already hold heaters: A was used in 1984, 2004 and 2024. Our table lists all three, with the digit count Bradford White’s rule gives each period.
| First letter | 1984 to 2003 (7 digits) | 2004 to 2023 (7 digits before Dec 2007, 8 after) | 2024 to 2043 (8 digits) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1984 | 2004 | 2024 |
| B | 1985 | 2005 | 2025 |
| C | 1986 | 2006 | 2026 |
| D | 1987 | 2007 | 2027 (not yet) |
| E | 1988 | 2008 | 2028 (not yet) |
| F | 1989 | 2009 | 2029 (not yet) |
| G | 1990 | 2010 | 2030 (not yet) |
| H | 1991 | 2011 | 2031 (not yet) |
| J | 1992 | 2012 | 2032 (not yet) |
| K | 1993 | 2013 | 2033 (not yet) |
| L | 1994 | 2014 | 2034 (not yet) |
| M | 1995 | 2015 | 2035 (not yet) |
| N | 1996 | 2016 | 2036 (not yet) |
| P | 1997 | 2017 | 2037 (not yet) |
| S | 1998 | 2018 | 2038 (not yet) |
| T | 1999 | 2019 | 2039 (not yet) |
| W | 2000 | 2020 | 2040 (not yet) |
| X | 2001 | 2021 | 2041 (not yet) |
| Y | 2002 | 2022 | 2042 (not yet) |
| Z | 2003 | 2023 | 2043 (not yet) |
One exception: Bradford White says a computer error put OA serials on some heaters, and that those were built in January 1997. O isn’t otherwise a year letter.
Bradford White’s own service paperwork matches this reading. Its ICON gas control quick service guide (238-55593-00A) is headed for serial date code “TA (Jan 2019) and Later”, and T plus A is January 2019 in the tables.
Count the digits to pick the decade
The digit rule appears only on the For The Pro page; the consumer page doesn’t mention it. In Bradford White’s words, paraphrased: the rest of the serial is a sequential production number, seven digits long before December 2007 (DM) and eight digits long after. Applied to the year table, it gives this. The working is ours, from the maker’s two rules.
| First letter | 7 digits after the letters | 8 digits after the letters |
|---|---|---|
| A, B or C | Two possible years: 1984 or 2004 (A), 1985 or 2005 (B), 1986 or 2006 (C) | 2024 (A), 2025 (B), 2026 (C) |
| D | 1987 or 2007 | December 2007 (DM), the month of the switch. Any other D month with eight digits doesn’t fit the rule: read the plate again or ask Bradford White |
| E to Z | 1988 to 2003 | 2008 to 2023 |
| O (OA only) | January 1997, per Bradford White | |
The maker’s sentence doesn’t say which length December 2007 itself used, so a DM serial reads as December 2007 with eight digits, and December 1987 or December 2007 with seven.
Worked examples
Ages are counted from the month made to November 2026. The heater went in some time after it was made, so its age in service is usually a little less. Apart from Bradford White’s own example, the serials below are made up, with the digits left out.
| Serial starts | Digits after | Possible years for the letter | Made | Age in Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JC (Bradford White’s example, JC16433183) | 8 | 1992, 2012, 2032 | March 2012 | 14 years 8 months |
| LK (example) | 7 | 1994, 2014, 2034 | October 1994 | 32 years 1 month |
| BF (example) | 8 | 1985, 2005, 2025 | June 2025 | 1 year 5 months |
| BF (example) | 7 | 1985, 2005, 2025 | June 1985 or June 2005 | 41 years 5 months or 21 years 5 months |
The last row is the one the serial can’t settle on its own. Either answer puts the heater past the 10 to 15 years DOE gives for storage water heaters (below), but you may still want the true date for the warranty or a sale.
When the serial can’t settle it
Only one group is left open: an A, B, C or D first letter with seven digits after the letters, which fits both the 1980s and 2004 to 2007. These can help:
- Paperwork. An installation receipt, a permit record from your building department, a home inspection report, or the dates written in the back of the manual.
- The standards on the plate. Bradford White’s sample gas plate lists the standard the heater was certified to with an edition year (ANSI Z21.10.1-2013 on the sample). Our reasoning, not a maker statement: a heater can’t have been certified to an edition published after it was made, so an edition year after the 1980s points away from the 1980s reading. This only gives a “not before” clue, not the date made.
- Ask the maker. Bradford White’s My Water Heater page has a box for warranty information by serial number, and its warranty names the Warranty Support Group: (800) 531-2111, [email protected]. Have the full model and serial numbers ready.
If the first letter is I, O (other than OA), Q, R, U or V, or the second letter is I or past M, the serial doesn’t fit Bradford White’s format. Read the plate again in good light (an 8 and a B, or a 0 and a D, are easy to mix up on a worn sticker), and if it still doesn’t fit, ask Bradford White. Its pages give one rule for “a water heater” and don’t list exceptions by product line, so we can’t say whether every product it has sold follows it.
What the date tells you
Whether the warranty still runs
Bradford White’s current limited residential water heater warranty (238-39699-00ZAN, dated 03/25) runs from the date of installation. Without proof of installation, it runs from three months after the date of manufacture, which is where the serial comes in. Under that text:
- The tank warranty can be 1, 6, 8 or 10 years, and the model number tells you which. The warranty’s examples: RG240T1N has a 1-year tank warranty, RG240T6N 6 years, RG240T10N 10 years.
- Parts are covered for 6 years from installation. Two exceptions shorten the cover: parts get 1 year where the heater is installed outside the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and a heater used for anything other than a single-family home gets a shorter tank and parts warranty (1 year each for 1- to 8-year tanks; 3 years on the tank and 1 on parts for 10-year tanks).
- Bradford White says it won’t replace a heater without the complete model and serial numbers, or without first receiving the original rating plate. Don’t peel or paint over the plate.
- Keep receipts. The warranty asks owners to keep bills of sale or receipts as proof of installation.
Example: a heater whose serial reads BF plus eight digits was made in June 2025. With no installation receipt, the warranty would start in September 2025, and a 6-year tank warranty would run to September 2031. An older heater came with the warranty in force when it was sold, which may differ: check the paper that came with it.
Which gas control a technician will expect
On Bradford White’s atmospheric and direct-vent gas heaters with the ICON control, the maker publishes a separate status-light code chart for each generation of the control, split by serial date code. Its quick service guides cover ICON 2.0 for “TA” (January 2019) and later (238-55593-00A) and ICON 1.0 for “TA” and earlier (238-55592-00A). For serials at or near that date, Bradford White tells technicians to call its technical support to confirm the generation. If you’re reading a blinking status light, our pilot light page explains the lighting label, and the label on your own heater wins.
How it compares with published lifespans
Sources give different answers, and none we read is field data on Bradford White heaters:
| Source and date | What it says |
|---|---|
| DOE Energy Saver, tankless page (archived copy, 30 Jun 2026; the live energy.gov address returned “not found” on 9 Nov 2026) | “storage water heaters last 10–15 years”; most tankless heaters have “a life expectancy of more than 20 years”. DOE gives no study behind either figure. |
| Bradford White, My Water Heater page (modified 28 Oct 2026) | No number. It says its heaters are designed for many years of service, especially when maintained and serviced, that all water heaters eventually need replacing, and that harsh water and natural gas quality can shorten their life. |
Age alone doesn’t mean a heater has failed. What it changes is how you read a symptom: water seeping from the tank body of an older heater points somewhere different from a drip at a fitting. Our leak guide sorts leaks by where the water is, and how long a water heater lasts goes through what wears out first.
When the anode was last looked at
The anode rod is a metal rod inside the tank that corrodes in place of the steel. Its suggested check interval depends on the source. Bradford White’s gas manual (238-51012-00V, REV 08/26) says to inspect it every 2 years, and more often with softened or phosphate-treated water. DOE’s archived storage water heater page (captured 1 May 2026) says every three to four years. The same Bradford White manual says removing an anode, except to inspect or replace it, voids the warranty. CDC says to have a water heater and any other gas, oil or coal burning appliance serviced by a qualified technician every year (page updated 26 Oct 2026). If you don’t know when yours was last checked, the serial date tells you how long it might have been. Our anode rod guide covers who does the check.
You may see this elsewhere
- “The first letter is the month.” Some pages give the order the other way round. Bradford White’s pages say the first character is the year and the second is the month.
- “Each letter means one of two years, such as M = 1995 or 2015.” That was the whole picture until 2024. Since January 2024 the letters have started their third round, so A, B and C each now have three years in use. The digit count is what separates them.
- “A Bradford White heater lasts X years.” Bradford White’s own page gives no number. DOE’s archived page gives 10 to 15 years for storage water heaters in general, not for any one brand.
Your next step
- Photograph the rating plate, so you have the model and full serial number without going back.
- Read the month from the second letter, list the years for the first, and count the digits. Or type the serial into the age lookup linked at the top of this page, which shows every date that fits.
- If two dates are left, check your paperwork, then ask Bradford White with the full model and serial numbers.
- Check the warranty: the tank years are in the model number, and the start date is the installation date or, without proof, three months after the date made.
- Whatever the age, a gas smell, a carbon monoxide alarm, a relief valve that keeps running, or water coming from the tank body can’t wait. For a gas smell, follow the steps at the top of this page. If you suspect carbon monoxide, CPSC says to get outside to fresh air immediately, then call 911. For water, call a licensed plumber.
Sources checked on 9 November 2026: Bradford White’s For The Pro page “Determining The Age Of A Water Heater” (posted 24 May 2020, updated 19 Jul 2024) and My Water Heater page (modified 28 Oct 2026); Bradford White limited residential water heater warranty 238-39699-00ZAN (03/25); quick service guides 238-55593-00A and 238-55592-00A; installation and operation manual 238-51012-00V (REV 08/26); DOE Energy Saver pages (archived 1 May and 30 Jun 2026); PHMSA’s natural gas emergency guidance; CDC’s carbon monoxide basics (updated 26 Oct 2026); CPSC’s Carbon Monoxide Information Center.
Sources
- Bradford White For The Pro: Determining The Age Of A Water Heater (posted 24 May 2020, updated 19 Jul 2024)
- Bradford White: My Water Heater (modified 28 Oct 2026)
- Bradford White: Limited Residential Water Heater Warranty, 238-39699-00ZAN (03/25)
- Bradford White: Quick Service Guide, ICON 2.0, serial date code TA (Jan 2019) and later, 238-55593-00A, with ICON 1.0, 238-55592-00A
- Bradford White: Installation and Operation Manual, Gas-Fired Water Heater with FVIR, 238-51012-00V REV 08/26
- DOE Energy Saver: Tankless or Demand-Type Water Heaters (archived 30 Jun 2026)
- DOE Energy Saver: Storage Water Heaters (archived 1 May 2026)
- PHMSA: Recognizing and Responding to Natural Gas Emergencies in Your Home or Workplace
- CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics (updated 26 Oct 2026)
- CPSC: Carbon Monoxide Information Center
