How Old Is My Bradford White Water Heater? Age Chart

A struggling water heater usually raises the same question first: how old is it? With a Bradford White unit, the answer is stamped right on the tank, and you can read it in under a minute.

The manufacture date hides inside the serial number on the rating plate. Once you know the two-letter code Bradford White uses, you can tell the month and narrow the year to one of two in the 20-year cycle, then decide whether a repair or a full replacement makes more sense.

Key Takeaways

Here is the short version of dating your tank:

The manufacture date is encoded in the serial number on the rating plate, not the model number.
On a Bradford White serial, the first letter is the year and the second letter is the month.
Letter codes repeat on a 20-year cycle, so according to Bradford White the letter A means 2004 or 2024; check the unit’s condition or Bradford White’s online lookup to tell which.
Most Bradford White tanks last 8 to 12 years, and replacing the anode rod every few years can stretch that further.

In This Article

Bradford White Water Heater Age
Bradford White Age Chart
Serial Number Location
Bradford White Lifespan
FAQs
Bottom Line

How Old Is My Bradford White Water Heater?

To find the age of your Bradford White water heater, read the serial number on the rating plate. Every serial number opens with two letters, and those two characters hold the entire date.

The first letter stands for the year of manufacture, and the second letter stands for the month ⁽¹⁾. So a serial that begins “CE” was built in the C year during the E month, which is May. Match the two letters against the chart below and you have the build date.

If you would rather skip the decoding, Bradford White runs an official age lookup tool where you type in the serial number and it returns the exact manufacture date along with warranty details.

Bradford White Water Heater Age Chart

Bradford White reuses its letter codes on a 20-year cycle, so each letter points to two possible years two decades apart. The letter A, for example, means 2004 or 2024 ⁽²⁾.

To tell which cycle your unit belongs to, look at its overall condition and any install paperwork, or run the serial through the manufacturer’s online lookup. A tank that looks close to new almost certainly belongs to the most recent cycle.

Use this decoder table to match the first letter to the year and the second letter to the month. Rows below that list a single year cover only the most recent cycle; subtract 20 for the earlier cycle (D 1987 through Z 2003):

Letter	Corresponding Year	Corresponding Month
A	2004 or 2024	January
B	2005 or 2025	February
C	2006 or 2026	March
D	2007	April
E	2008	May
F	2009	June
G	2010	July
H	2011	August
J	2012	September
K	2013	October
L	2014	November
M	2015	December
N	2016	–
P	2017	–
S	2018	–
T	2019	–
W	2020	–
X	2021	–
Y	2022	–
Z	2023	–

Where Can I Find My Serial Number?

Look for the rating plate, a white and blue label on the side of the tank. It lists both the model number and the serial number, and it appears on gas and electric models alike.

Do not mistake it for the yellow EnergyGuide sticker. On the rating plate, the serial number usually sits directly beneath the model number.

If the label is faded or torn, the serial number may also appear on the unit’s original paperwork, so check any receipts or the owner’s manual you filed away.

How Long Will a Bradford White Water Heater Last?

A typical Bradford White water heater lasts about 8 to 12 years. Regular maintenance can stretch that: flushing the tank once a year clears out sediment, and inspecting the anode rod every three to five years keeps the tank itself from corroding, since the rod is built to rust away in the tank’s place.

Once a unit passes the 10-year mark and starts leaking, replacement is usually the smarter call than a repair. A failed tank can dump dozens of gallons onto the floor, so an aging heater is worth replacing on your schedule rather than waiting for it to fail on its own.

FAQs

How Often Should You Flush a Bradford White Water Heater?

Flush a Bradford White water heater at least once a year to clear sediment from the bottom of the tank. Homes with hard water may need it every six months. Sediment left in place makes the burner or heating element work harder and shortens the tank’s life, so the owner’s manual lays out the safe draining steps for your model.

Safety Tip

Don’t attempt to drain the heater yourself if you aren’t comfortable working with hot water and pressure valves. Many warranties cover professional service calls, or you can hire a local plumber.

How Can You Check Your Warranty on a Bradford White Water Heater?

Check your Bradford White warranty at the Bradford White Warranty Center. Enter your serial number in the box labeled “Warranty Check” and it reports whether the tank and its parts are still covered. Coverage length depends on the model and when it was built, which is one more reason to confirm the manufacture date first.

Can You Tell the Age From the Model Number Instead?

No, the model number does not carry the manufacture date; only the serial number does. The model number typically identifies details like the tank’s capacity and configuration instead. For the build date, read the two letters at the start of the serial number, or run it through Bradford White’s online age lookup.

How Do I Know if My Bradford White Is From the Current or Previous 20-Year Cycle?

Judge it by the unit’s condition and any records you have, since each letter maps to two years that are 20 years apart. A tank that looks recent, or came with paperwork from the last few years, belongs to the current cycle. When you are unsure, the manufacturer’s online serial lookup returns the exact year with no guesswork.

Why Does Bradford White Skip Certain Letters in Serial Numbers?

Bradford White leaves the letters I, O, Q, R, U, and V out of its date codes to prevent misreads. Several of them look too much like numbers, “O” like “0” and “I” like “1”, which could throw off the year or month you decode. That leaves 20 letters, exactly enough for the 20-year cycle.

Bottom Line

Finding out how old your Bradford White water heater is takes one glance at the serial number and a quick check against the letter chart. That two-letter code tells you the month and narrows the year to one of two in the 20-year cycle, and the tank’s condition or Bradford White’s lookup settles which one, whether you have a 40-gallon tank or a tankless model.

Once your heater nears the 10-year mark, watch for rust, corrosion, and moisture pooling around the base. Replacing a tired unit before it fails is far cheaper than cleaning up after a flooded utility room.

Feedback: Was This Article Helpful?

Thank You For Your Feedback!

What Did You Like?

What Went Wrong?