Manufacture date reference
How old is my Bradford White?
Independent guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Bradford White or its parent company. Bradford White is a trademark of its owner, used only to identify the product.
Last verified: . Rules can change, so confirm with the manufacturer.
Read a date, keep the uncertainty
Check a date code
Read only the first two year/month letters. This tool runs in your browser. It does not send or save your code. Do not enter the rest of the serial number.
Other eras and serial styles may use different codes. Confirm the format before relying on an estimate.
Unclear until you confirm the format and check a date code.
The manufacture date shown by the serial number is not the same as your warranty start date. Most warranties run from the installation or purchase date and can depend on registration and proof of purchase. Only Bradford White can confirm whether your unit is covered.
Water heaters using the manufacturer-described year-letter/month-letter convention, from 1984 onward. The letters alone do not identify a unique manufacture year.
Reading the manufacture date code
Read the first letter as a year code in a repeating 20-year sequence beginning with A in 1984. The sequence uses A B C D E F G H J K L M N P S T W X Y Z. The second letter identifies the month: A through H represent January through August, followed by J for September, K for October, L for November and M for December. This guide lists past candidate years without selecting a cycle from the remaining serial characters.
Manufacturer's published rule, as stated on Bradford White's page on 2026-11-05.
Source details and checked dates
Worked examples
- Example only (made-up serial number)
AGXXXXXXXXIllustrative July code; possible years include 1984, 2004 and 2024. The exact cycle remains unclear.
- Example only (made-up serial number)
KBXXXXXXXXIllustrative February code; possible years include 1993 and 2013. The exact cycle remains unclear.
- Example only (made-up serial number)
ZEXXXXXXXXIllustrative May code; possible years include 2003 and 2023. The exact cycle remains unclear.
The X characters are placeholders, not a complete unit serial number.
What remains unclear
- The manufacturer's December 2007 wording about 7 versus 8 trailing digits is unclear. This guide never selects a manufacture year from serial length.
- A two-letter code repeats every 20 years; confirm the cycle using a printed date or manufacturer records.
- Exceptions to the standard letter convention require direct confirmation.
- The rating-label location was not established by the reviewed source.
Corrections and freshness
Send corrections or takedown requests to contact@warrantyclaimguide.com. We correct or remove content within 5 business days of a credible request. Rules can change, so confirm with the manufacturer.