Where to look: Rating plate attached to the water heater. Read it from the outside. If the label isn’t visible without removing a panel, don’t open the unit; use the installation paperwork or ask the installer.
Decode a Bradford White serial number
How to read a Bradford White serial number
Year letter + month letter… First letter = year, second letter = month (A–M, no I). Year letters repeat every 20 years: A = 1984, 2004 or 2024; B = 1985, 2005 or 2025 … Z = 2003 or 2023. Letters I, O, Q, R, U and V are not used for years.
| Example serial | How it reads | Built |
|---|---|---|
HK16433183 | H = 2011 (or 1991), K = October | October 2011 or October 1991 |
ZF12345678 | Z = 2023 (or 2003), F = June | June 2023 or June 2003 |
CA26000001 | C = 2026, 2006 or 1986, A = January | January 2026 or January 2006 or January 1986 |
- Bradford White’s age chart (opens in a new tab) skips the letters I, O, Q, R, U and V for years. A is 2004 or 2024, B 2005 or 2025, C 2006 or 2026, and so on through Z for 2023. The Energy Trust of Oregon decoder (opens in a new tab) carries the same 20-year cycle back further (A = 1984 as well), which matters only for very old heaters.
- The month letter runs A (January) to M (December) without I.
- Codes starting A, B or C are now the hardest to read: they fit both a brand-new heater and one about 20 years old. A label that lists a UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) rating points to the newer year. The DOE introduced that rating on June 12, 2017, as explained in Rinnai technical bulletin 150 (opens in a new tab), so a heater built in 2004–2006 won’t show one.
- The quickest way to settle it is Bradford White’s own warranty center (opens in a new tab), which looks the heater up by serial number.
Format source: Bradford White: my water heater information (opens in a new tab); also Energy Trust of Oregon: water heater serial number decoder (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
What to do with the date
- Check the warranty. Enter the serial number in the Bradford White warranty center (opens in a new tab). Coverage depends on the model and the build or installation date.
- Weigh repair against replacement. Age is one factor; leaks from the tank, rusty hot water and repeated failures matter more. See how long water heaters last and the repair-or-replace notes on the main decoder page.
- Troubleshoot by brand. Our Bradford White guides cover codes, lights, leaks and no-hot-water problems.
Common questions
My Bradford White serial doesn’t start with two letters. What now?
Bradford White’s chart only describes the two-letter code. Check the rating plate for a printed manufacture date, or enter the full serial in Bradford White’s warranty center.
Is a Bradford White from the “A” year 2004 or 2024?
Look at the label and the heater. A UEF rating, a current-style label and a clean jacket point to 2024. An EF rating or no efficiency rating, and visible age on the jacket and fittings, point to 2004. The warranty center gives a definite answer.
Other brands: A. O. Smith · Rheem · State · Whirlpool · American Water Heater · Rinnai · all brands