How to read a Bradford White serial number
A Bradford White serial starts with two letters followed by digits [1][2]:
- First letter: the year. The letters run in a 20-year cycle and skip I, O, Q, R, U and V.
- Second letter: the month. A is January through M for December, skipping I.
- The digits: a production number. They don’t carry the date, but how many there are does:7 digits before December 2007, 8 digits from December 2007 (code DM) on.
W C 9876553 → W = 2000, C = March, 7 digits → March 2000
Year letters
Because the cycle repeats, every letter stands for more than one year. The digit count settles most cases: a 7-digit serial can’t be from 2008 or later, and an 8-digit serial can’t be from before December 2007[1][2].
| Letter | Years |
|---|---|
A | 1984, 2004, 2024 |
B | 1985, 2005, 2025 |
C | 1986, 2006, 2026 |
D | 1987, 2007 |
E | 1988, 2008 |
F | 1989, 2009 |
G | 1990, 2010 |
H | 1991, 2011 |
J | 1992, 2012 |
K | 1993, 2013 |
L | 1994, 2014 |
M | 1995, 2015 |
N | 1996, 2016 |
P | 1997, 2017 |
S | 1998, 2018 |
T | 1999, 2019 |
W | 2000, 2020 |
X | 2001, 2021 |
Y | 2002, 2022 |
Z | 2003, 2023 |
Tanks built before 1984 used the same letters 20 years earlier: A was also 1964 [4][5]. Nobody documents how many digits those older serials had, so the decoder doesn’t offer the 1960s–70s years; if your tank looks that old, it may be.
Month letters
| Letter | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Worked examples
| Serial | Style | How it reads | Made | Example from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DG6322957 | Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007) | D = year letter (1987 or 2007); G = month letter (July) | July 1987 or 2007 | Building Intelligence Center |
WC9876553 | Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007) | W = year letter (2000); C = month letter (March)Example serial shown on the page; year/month applied from its tables (7 digits rules out 2020). | March 2000 | Bradford White |
JM1234567 | Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007) | J = year letter (1992); M = month letter (December)InterNACHI example "JMxxx = December 1992"; digits added to make a full 7-digit serial. | December 1992 | InterNACHI |
DM12345678 | Two letters + 8 digits (December 2007 on) | D = year letter (2007); M = month letter (December)Constructed from the stated cut-over: DM = December 2007, first month with 8 digits. | December 2007 | Bradford White |
MA12345678 | Two letters + 8 digits (December 2007 on) | M = year letter (2015); A = month letter (January) | January 2015 | Constructed to show the rule |
OA8226825 | "OA" serials (factory computer error) | Looked up in the published tables | January 1997 | Building Intelligence Center |
When two years are possible
Serials starting A, B, C or D with 7 digits are the tricky ones: DG6322957 could be July 1987 or July 2007, and the serial alone can’t tell you which [2]. Look at the ANSI standard year printed on the rating label and at the tank itself. A 1987 tank is decades old and usually looks it.
Serials that start with “OA”
O is never a year letter. Bradford White explains that serials beginning OA came from a factory computer error, and all of those tanks were built in January 1997 [1][2].
Where to find the serial number
On the rating label on the side of the tank, usually near the gas valve on gas models or near the access panels on electric ones. Jetglas tanks are a Bradford White line and use the same code.
What this page doesn’t decode
- Aero oil-fired water heaters, which put the year and month first (only one source describes these).
- Tankless units built for Bradford White by Rinnai or Bosch, which use their maker’s own format.
Common questions
What does the first letter of a Bradford White serial number mean?
The year of manufacture, on a 20-year cycle. The second letter is the month.
How old is my Bradford White water heater if the serial has 8 digits?
It was built in December 2007 or later. Read the year from the first letter using the right-hand years in the table above.
Is this the install date?
No, it’s the date the tank was built. It was installed some time after that.
Does Bradford White have its own guide?
Yes. Its professional site explains the letter code, which is one of the sources for this page[1]. This decoder adds the digit-count check and shows both years when the code is ambiguous.
Not affiliated with Bradford White. The brand name is used only to say which serials this decoder reads.
Sources
- Bradford White (For The Pro site): Determining The Age Of A Water HeaterUsed for: Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007); Two letters + 8 digits (December 2007 on); "OA" serials (factory computer error).
- Building Intelligence Center: Bradford White Water Heater AgeUsed for: Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007); Two letters + 8 digits (December 2007 on); "OA" serials (factory computer error).
- InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors): InterNACHI Water Heater Dating ChartUsed for: Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007).
- Energy Trust of Oregon: Serial Number Decoder: Water Heater (PDF)Used for: Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007).
- Honest Home Inspections, LLC (hosted by InspectAPedia): How to determine Water Heater and Furnace Age (PDF, last updated 2009-01-06)Used for: Two letters + 7 digits (before December 2007).