Where the serial number is
Bradford White says the model number and serial number are on the rating plate on the water heater. The serial number is the one that starts with two letters, for example DH9477405.
Basis: official (Bradford White FAQ and My Water Heater page, which shows example rating plates for gas, electric and tankless units).
How to read the date
Bradford White: “The first two characters of the serial number represent the year and month of manufacture. The remainder of the serial is a sequential production number, seven digits in length before December 2007 (DM), and eight digits in length after.”
| Position | Means |
|---|---|
| 1st letter | Year of manufacture |
| 2nd letter | Month of manufacture |
| The digits after | Production number: 7 digits before December 2007, 8 digits after |
Year letters
Bradford White doesn’t use the letters I, O, Q, R, U or V for years. Each letter repeats every 20 years.
| Letter | Years | Letter | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1984, 2004, 2024 | K | 1993, 2013 |
| B | 1985, 2005, 2025 | L | 1994, 2014 |
| C | 1986, 2006, 2026 | M | 1995, 2015 |
| D | 1987, 2007 | N | 1996, 2016 |
| E | 1988, 2008 | P | 1997, 2017 |
| F | 1989, 2009 | S | 1998, 2018 |
| G | 1990, 2010 | T | 1999, 2019 |
| H | 1991, 2011 | W | 2000, 2020 |
| J | 1992, 2012 | X | 2001, 2021 |
| Y | 2002, 2022 | ||
| Z | 2003, 2023 |
Basis: official (Bradford White’s date code chart lists 2004–2043; its For The Pro page lists 1984–2023). Letters D to Z will next stand for 2027 onward. Home-inspector references extend the cycle back to 1964–1983; Bradford White’s own charts start at 1984.
Month letters
| Letter | Month | Letter | Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | January | G | July |
| B | February | H | August |
| C | March | J | September |
| D | April | K | October |
| E | May | L | November |
| F | June | M | December |
Basis: official (Bradford White chart: “For the month column we do not use the letters: I & N – Z”).
If the letter could mean two years
A 20-year cycle means one letter can fit two plausible years. Three clues settle it:
- Count the digits after the two letters. Bradford White switched from 7 to 8 digits in December 2007. So an 8-digit number means December 2007 or later, and a 7-digit number means earlier. (This step is our reading of Bradford White’s rule; it fits every documented example we found.) For example, a C with 8 digits is 2026, not 2006.
- Look for other dates on the plate. Building Intelligence Center suggests the ANSI Z21.10.1 standard year printed on gas-heater plates: its example is a D unit showing ANSI 1985, which is more likely 1987 than 2007.
- Ask Bradford White. The Warranty Check returns the manufacture date for a serial number.
The checker above applies the digit rule automatically and lists any year it can’t rule out.
Worked examples
| Serial | Letters | Date | Where the example comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG6322957 | D = 2007, G = July | July 2007 | A Bradford White date-code reference hosted by Building Intelligence Center |
| DH9477405 | D = 2007, H = August | August 2007 | Inspectapedia |
| JM… | J = 1992, M = December | December 1992 | InterNACHI dating chart |
| WC9876553 | W = 2000 or 2020, C = March | March 2000 (7 digits) | Bradford White’s own illustration, which gives both years |
| OA8226825 | Special code | January 1997 | Building Intelligence Center (rule: Bradford White For The Pro) |
The OA serials are an exception. Bradford White: “Due to a computer error there were some OA serial water heaters manufactured. They were built in January of 1997.” O isn’t a normal year letter.
When the code doesn’t apply
Serials that don’t start with two letters are usually units Bradford White sold but didn’t build, such as some tankless models (made by Rinnai or Bosch, per Building Intelligence Center). For those, use the date printed on the rating plate or Bradford White’s warranty check.
Recalls to know about
We found three CPSC recalls that name Bradford White (checked 30 September 2026):
| Recall | Brands and products | Hazard | How to tell if yours is affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPSC 02-553 (Aug 15, 2002) | Bradford White 75-gallon power vented gas water heaters, sold to plumbing supply wholesalers from April 2002 to May 2002. 1,220 units | Incorrectly made flue gas baffles “may affect fuel combustion resulting in excessive carbon monoxide emissions, which can cause serious injuries and death.” | Models MIITW75T6EN12, MIITW75T6CX12, TW375S76E3N and TW375S763X with serial number “YD” (all) through YE 1395234 (CPSC’s wording). Both numbers are on the rating plate and the shipping carton label |
| CPSC 02-533 (Apr 10, 2002) | Outdoor gas water heaters recalled by Gas-Fired Products Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.: about 1,300 Seahorse and 25 “Bradford & White” units, sold August 1992 to November 2000 | “Over time the heat exchanger could become blocked creating a potential ventilation and cracking problem, posing a fire hazard if nearby combustibles ignite.” | “Bradford & White” models HE-15N and HE-15X |
| CPSC 05-274 (Sep 16, 2005) | Robertshaw R110 gas control valves on natural gas and LP water heaters of several brands, including Bradford White. About 178,000 units, all brands | “Screws on some water heater valves could break. If this happens, gas could leak from the valve, which poses a risk of gas explosion and fire.” | Valves made July 25 to August 14, 2005, with production date codes 5-31 through 5-33, “although not all valves with these date codes are affected.” Electric heaters aren’t included, nor heaters sold or serviced before July 25, 2005 |
Basis: official (CPSC notices in the sources). The 02-553 range fits the date code above: YD is April 2002 and YE May 2002, the months CPSC says the heaters were sold (our reading). CPSC’s 02-533 notice doesn’t say how the “Bradford & White” heaters relate to Bradford White Corporation.
Old recalls may have closed, and the phone numbers and web addresses in them may no longer work. Confirm the exact models on the CPSC notice, and run your model through our recall check. CPSC’s 05-274 notice adds: “If you smell gas near the appliance or in the building, immediately leave the area and call your gas company or a certified gas technician to investigate the cause.”
What the age of a Bradford White water heater means
Bradford White says its water heaters “can last 10 years or more” with professional installation and proper maintenance, and that if a heater “is more than 10 years old, it makes sense to consider replacing it now, before you notice any problems.” Other published figures put a typical tank at about 8 to 15 years; see how long water heaters last.
Past the 10-year mark? Price the job before it fails: installed water heater costs by type and state.
Limitations
- The serial gives the month the heater was built, not when it was installed.
- The 7-or-8-digit step is our inference from Bradford White’s wording. Bradford White doesn’t say whether December 2007 (DM) units have 7 or 8 digits, so the checker accepts both.
- InterNACHI’s chart lists only one year for letters K to Z; it hasn’t been updated for the 2013–2023 repeat. Use the table above.
Checked against the sources below on 30 September 2026; the serial diagram was checked on 11 October 2026.
