Here in six steps we describe how to make a reasonable guess at water heater age if the device data tag is missing, incomplete, or simply doesn't match the by-manufacturer heater ages given in this article series.

Our photo at page top shows an oil fired water heater with a backpressure problem and other safety concerns like a missing extension tube on that relief valve, and maybe a missing draft regulator and perhaps an oil line that is not protected from damage.

How to Decode Non-Standard, Unknown Water Heater Serial Numbers & Data Tags - Reasonable Guess of Water Heater Age

If your water heater brand or trader name doesn't appear in the list at WATER HEATER DECODING by BRAND you can use this general data tag decoding guide. Approaches to finding the age of any water heater / cylinder / geyser are given here in six steps

[Click to enlarge any image]

1. Find the water heater data tag (as I've discussed above) that will allow us to decode the date of manufacture of the heater.
   
   

   Look for reasonable apparent year encodings in the equipment serial number in format MM YY

   The unit's serial number, MM02-2147713-260 identifies the model and its date of manufacture. The "02" following MM indicates that this unit (in our laboratory) was manufactured in 2002 and the -2 following the MM02- decodes to February.

   In a second water geyser age (cylinder age, water heater age) example, Rheem water heaters provide first the month MM and then the year in the first four digits of the water heater's serial number.

   The label shown here includes 0884 at the beginning of the serial number - August 1984.
   
   General approach to decoding unfamiliar water heater serial numbers to get water heater date of manufacture

   Typically the manufacturer used

   a two digit month and two digit year,
   OR

   1 digit month that used alphabetic characters
   OR

   2 digit week (1-52) and 2 digit year

   WITH sometimes a plant ID code in the serial number, typically a letter, separating the numeric or other age and serial number digits.

   So if we have no other data, we look for a pattern that can decode to a reasonable year using those schemas.

   Using Rheem water heaters as an example many, not all, water heaters made by Rheem were sold under other brand names such as Montgomery Ward.

   Modern Rheem water heaters use a 10 digit code:

   MMYYX12345 where X is the plant code and 12345 a consecutive unique ID and of course MM YY are month and year.

2. Water Heater Manual publication date: Find the water heater installation and service manual for this particular water heater. The Whirlpool® water heater manual shown above was published in 1970.
   
   Often the plumber or heater installer will leave the installation and service manual fastened to or atop the heater itself or it may be stuck in floor joists overhead or folded nearby atop a foundation wall. Look around.
   
   The manual may include a purchase of sale receipt, handwritten notes on installation date, or even lacking these, it will have a publication date that gives the earliest-likely manufacturing age of this specific heater.
   
   Click to enlarge the front page of the Whirlpool® water heater manual shown above and you'll see that this guide was published in January 2007.
   
   Watch out: check your actual water heater brand and model against the brand and model water heater described in the manual you're examining to be sure you're not looking at a guide for a completely different appliance.

3. Building age: Note the age of the building where the heater (geyser, cylinder, calorifier) is installed. Our photo above shows the 1840 Justin Morrill Smith Historic house in Vermont. OK so sometimes we strike out; the plumbing in this home will be newer than the date of its original construction.
   
   Knowing the age of a building sets a floor under the possible calorifier (water heater) age as most-likely the heater was made within 1-3 years before it was installed in the building.
   
   Is this the original water heater installed in the building or is it a replacement? If it's a replacement it's newer than the building.
   
   Look for signs that the piping connections to the water heater, close to the device itself, are a different material from or are newer than other building water supply piping.
   
   More help is at AGE of a BUILDING, HOW to DETERMINE

4. Nearby plumbing components, valves, controls, piping materials: Note the age of nearby components used to install the heater such as its wiring and plumbing materials - sometimes these have a serial number or date, or the piping materials may be newer than the building.
   
   Look for lead water supply pipes (photo above) for an example of very old water supply piping, possibly from the 1920s (again depending on building age); lead pipes in some cities in North America may have been installed as late as about 1985 but that would be uncommonb.
   
   Lead solder (used on copper pipes) was banned in the U.S. in 1986. An experienced plumber or home inspector can spot newer non-lead solder as it's applied using higher temperatures and rarely is as beautiful on copper pipe joints. Plastic water supply piping such as red or blue PEX piping near the water heater (normally not connected to it directly) will be considerably more-recent.
   
   We give an example of PEX piping in the next water heater age guessing step below.
   
   More help is at PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURE AGE

5. Contextual clues of water heater age: Having already noted the age and location (country and city) of the building, now look at surrounding building materials: framing, piping, fasteners, hardware. That will give us some context.
   
   Also note the age of remodeling or building changes. Look closely at the piping materials at the water heater and in the rest of the building.
   
   Here is an example commentary about water heater age we provided to a reader:
   
   

   A Signature 500 electric water heater (or geyser or cylinder depending on where you live) looks like a much newer installation. I see light colored wood 2x studs (recent construction) and shiny copper electrical wiring at the ground connection at the heater top. Also I see the use of modern red PEX tubing used for the temperature/pressure relief valve discharge tube.

   Certainly the heater could be older than its present wiring and plumbing, but if those are any guide, this is not a very old unit.
   
   Depending on where you live we could get a more accurate estimation of the year of installation of the water heater plumbing as presently shown even before finding the heater's data tag (which I am betting is there somewhere). PEX surged in popularity in the U.S. beginning around 2000.

   For example, in the United States, California, one of the last adopters, did not approve the use of PEX (cross-linked polyethylene tubing) for household plumbing until 2007 (on a case by case basis) and not until 2009 for all homes.

   More about PEX plumbing pipes used for building water supply and hot water heating applications can be read
   
   at PEX PIPING INFORMATION.

6. Age of nearby equipment: note the data tags and age of nearby equipment likely to have been installed at the same time, such as a heating boiler or furnace. This is more helpful if you think that none of the mechanical equipment in the building has been replaced.
   
   More help is at AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES

...

Continue reading  at WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS - home - or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES
• AGE of PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURES
• WATER HEATER AGE DECODING GUIDES - six methods for figuring out the age of a water heater - listed just below:
  1. WATER HEATER DECODING by BRAND - de-coding guide for each water heater brand names + manuals, contact information, alphabetical list
  2. CARSON DUNLOP ASSOCIATES TECHNICAL REFERENCE GUIDE - separate document, for sale
  3. SCOTT LEMARR GUIDE to OLDER WATER HEATER DATA TAGS - free PDF
  4. ENERGY LABELS on WATER HEATERS - on the heater
  5. MANUFACTURERS of WATER HEATERS, all countries
  6. DATA TAG DECODING ADVICE for NON-STANDARD DATE CODES - 6 steps to estimate the age of a heater
• WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS - home
• WATER HEATER LEAK REPAIR
• WATER HEATER LIFE
• WATER HEATER RESET BUTTONS & CONTROLS
• WATER HEATER WARRANTIES

Suggested citation for this web page

WATER HEATER AGE GUESSER at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER HEATERS

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