How to find the age of a water heater, furnace or AC from its serial number
Buyers ask how old the water heater, furnace and AC are. You can often answer from the label on each unit. Here is how to read it, and what to do if it desn't tell you.
Step 1: find the label
Every unit has a data plate, a sticker or metal tag with the manufacturer's name, the model number and the serial number. Look on the front or side of the unit, behind an access panel, or on the outdoor AC cabinet. Take a clear photo of it with your phone. Photograph it with a light on it so the print is readable.
Step 2: look for a printed date
Some labels print the manufacture date outright, often as month and year. If yours does, you have your answer. Note that this is when it was made, not when it was installed. A unit can sit in a warehouse for months. For a sale, "made in 2016" is a fair way to describe its age, as long as you say it that way.
Step 3: decode the serial number
Many manufacturers put the date in the serial number, but there is no common code. Each brand has its own, and brands change them over time. Look it up on the manufacturer's website, or call them with the model and serial number.
Two examples, both from the makers' own pages:
- Rheem water heaters. Rheem uses the first two digits of the serial number for the month and the next two for the year. Its example is 12 09 D 01234. See Rheem's page on reading its serial numbers.
- Bradford White water heaters. Bradford White says the first two characters of the serial number are the year and the month, as letters. It publishes a chart to read them. See Bradford White's explanation and its My Water Heater page.
For any other brand, search the maker's name plus "serial number" and "date code" on the maker's own site. If you can't find a rule, call the maker's customer service with the model and serial number and ask for the manufacture date.
If you can't decode it
- Check paperwork. An install invoice, a service receipt, or a warranty registration may carry a date.
- Ask the installer or service company. They may have the job on file.
- Check for a permit. Some places require a permit for a new water heater, furnace or AC. See looking up past permits for your house.
- Look at your closing papers. The inspection report from when you bought may list the unit's age.
- Ask an inspector or HVAC pro. They can estimate age. Label it as an estimate.
- Say what you know. "It was here when we bought in 2014, and we've had it serviced yearly" is honest and useful.
Don't guess a year. If your guess is wrong, it can come back at the inspection.
How to show buyers
For each unit, give: what it is, the model and serial number, the year (made or installed, and say which), and the last service. Attach a photo of the label and any receipts. See how to answer buyer questions and what records buyers want.