How old is my Bradford White water heater?
Bradford White serial numbers start with two letters: the first encodes the year on a repeating 20-year cycle and the second encodes the month.
Free. The serial is on the metal nameplate or rating label, usually near the bottom of the unit.
Bradford White serial-number formats
| Era | Format | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s–present | a serial beginning with two letters — first letter is the year (20-year cycle), second letter is the month — followed by digits | medium |
Worked examples
DG6322957
→ manufactured July 2007 (about 19 years old). Read as a serial beginning with two letters — first letter is the year (20-year cycle), second letter is the month — followed by digits. Decoded year 2007 (letter "D", 20-year cycle from 1994), month July (letter "G") → manufactured July 2007, about 19 years old.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the age of my Bradford White unit?
Bradford White serial numbers start with two letters: the first encodes the year on a repeating 20-year cycle and the second encodes the month. Enter the serial from the unit's nameplate into the decoder on this page and it returns the manufacture date and age instantly. Always confirm against the manufacture date printed on the nameplate.
Where is the serial number on a Bradford White water heater?
The serial number is printed on the metal data plate or rating label, usually near the bottom or on the side of the unit. It is labeled "Serial," "Serial No.," or "S/N." Do not confuse it with the model number.
Is the Bradford White serial-number date exact?
It identifies the manufacture date, not the install date — a unit is often installed weeks or months after it was built. Bradford White has used more than one serial format (1980s–present), so some decodes are approximate and flagged accordingly. Verify against the manufacture date on the nameplate when one is printed.
Developers & AI agents: the Bradford White decode rules are available as JSON.
Serial-number decoding is approximate. Results are estimates based on published manufacturer formats; always verify against the manufacture date printed on the unit nameplate. ApplianceAge is a CarWhere tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any manufacturer. Brand names are used only to identify the equipment a serial belongs to.