Bradford White Water Heater Age: Decode Your Serial Number

Type the serial number from the rating plate to get the build month, build year and age, with the rule shown below.

Last updated: 9 November 2026 · Sources

Year letters repeat every 20 years; some serials cannot be dated reliably.

How this is calculated

In short: two letters give two candidate years twenty years apart, and the digit count picks one. If neither or both fit, we show no year.

Manufacturer-published rules

Bradford White prints the build date in the first two characters of the serial number. The first character is a year letter and the second is a month letter. Each year letter stands for two years twenty years apart, so the letter alone does not settle the year.

The Bradford White FAQ says serial numbers were seven digits long before December 2007 (code DM) and eight digits long after.

Our year-selection rule

We use that to choose between the two years. This tiebreak is our own derivation from the FAQ; Bradford White's chart page does not state it.

Calculation steps

1. Remove spaces and hyphens, and upper-case the serial. It must be a year letter, a month letter, then exactly 7 or 8 digits.
2. Take both candidate years for the year letter (for example A is 2004 or 2024) and the month from the month letter.
3. Drop any candidate that is after the as-of month. The same month is allowed and gives age 0.
4. Before December 2007 a candidate needs a 7-digit serial. After December 2007 it needs 8 digits. December 2007 itself accepts either length.
5. If exactly one candidate is left, it is shown, labelled Dated per BW chart. If none is left, we say we cannot date it reliably. If two are left (only possible once the as-of date is in 2028 or later) we list both and show no single year.
6. Age is whole completed years from the build month to the as-of month.

Worked example

In AA12345678 the first A is the year letter (2004 or 2024) and the second A is the month letter (January). With 8 digits, 2004 is ruled out, so the result is January 2024.

Older-cycle limitations

What this tool does not cover: Bradford White's chart does not list the earlier 1984-2003 cycle of the same letters, so we leave that cycle undated. Bradford White's own pages disagree on it: its consumer chart starts at A = 2004 or 2024, and a second list on its professional site gives A = 1984 or 2004. A seven-digit serial that reads as 2004-2006 here could therefore belong to the earlier cycle, which is why the note above appears for every seven-digit result.

When we cannot choose a year

A serial such as WC9876553 has seven digits. The year letter W means 2020 or 2040, and our digit rule needs eight digits after December 2007, so we show Can't date this reliably rather than guess. If you hold a serial like this, Bradford White's warranty department can say how it should be read.

Where to find the serial number

The serial number is printed on the rating plate on the side of the tank, next to the model number. Copy it exactly, letters included. The guide to finding the rating plate on a water heater covers where it sits on different tanks. The model number is not used for the date.

Year and month letters

Back to the calculator

Where the figures come from

1. My Water Heater, Bradford White. The year letters and month letters. Accessed 9 November 2026.
2. Frequently asked questions, Bradford White. Serial numbers are seven digits before December 2007 (DM) and eight digits after. Accessed 9 November 2026.

We are independent of Bradford White. For a warranty question, use Bradford White's own page.

Age and expected life

A build date is not an installation date, and an age is not a verdict. To see where a unit sits against typical lifespans, use the remaining life calculator. Its ranges all come from one source, InterNACHI.