How old is my Bradford White boiler?
Serial number age decoder for Bradford White boilers: 1 format era, the decode rule in plain English, transcribed tables, and the official lookup.
Type the serial from the data plate, not the model number. Nothing is sent anywhere; the tables are in this page.
Format example: DG6322957
- Bradford White boiler serial numbers in the 1984 to present format encode the year as letter 1, 20-year cycle (table below) and the month as letter 2 (table below) (source: bradfordwhite.com).
- Example: serial DG6322957 decodes to 1987 or 2007 (July).
- The 1984 to present format is ambiguous: Year letter repeats every 20 years (A = 1984, 2004 AND 2024; as of 2026, A/B/C are triple-ambiguous). Disambiguate via ANSI compliance date on the plate, rating-plate style, or the official my-water-heater lookup which returns the exact manufacture date. Special case: 'OA' serials exist due to a computer error, all made January 1997.
- Bradford White's official lookup at bradfordwhite.com returns manufacture date (official date decoder + printed letter chart).
Format eras
- 1984 to present VERIFIED
AA#######letter 1, 20-year cycle: A=1984/2004/2024 B=1985/2005/2025 C=86/06/26 D=87/07/27 E=88/08/2
How to read the serial
1984 to present formatVERIFIED
Shape AA####### · example DG6322957 · confidence high
- Year
- letter 1, 20-year cycle: A=1984/2004/2024 B=1985/2005/2025 C=86/06/26 D=87/07/27 E=88/08/28 F=89/09/29 G=90/10/30 H=91/11/31 J=92/12/32 K=93/13/33 L=94/14/34 M=95/15/35 N=96/16/36 P=97/17/37 S=98/18/38 T=99/19/39 W=00/20/40 X=01/21/41 Y=02/22/42 Z=03/23/43 (I,O,Q,R,U,V unused)
- Week or month
- month = letter 2: A=Jan B=Feb C=Mar D=Apr E=May F=Jun G=Jul H=Aug J=Sep K=Oct L=Nov M=Dec (I and N-Z unused)
| Year code | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| A | 1984, 2004, 2024 |
| B | 1985, 2005, 2025 |
| C | 1986, 2006, 2026 |
| D | 1987, 2007, 2027 |
| E | 1988, 2008, 2028 |
| F | 1989, 2009, 2029 |
| G | 1990, 2010, 2030 |
| H | 1991, 2011, 2031 |
| J | 1992, 2012, 2032 |
| K | 1993, 2013, 2033 |
| L | 1994, 2014, 2034 |
| M | 1995, 2015, 2035 |
| N | 1996, 2016, 2036 |
| P | 1997, 2017, 2037 |
| S | 1998, 2018, 2038 |
| T | 1999, 2019, 2039 |
| W | 2000, 2020, 2040 |
| X | 2001, 2021, 2041 |
| Y | 2002, 2022, 2042 |
| Z | 2003, 2023, 2043 |
| Month code | Month |
|---|---|
| A | January |
| B | February |
| C | March |
| D | April |
| E | May |
| F | June |
| G | July |
| H | August |
| J | September |
| K | October |
| L | November |
| M | December |
Example: serial DG6322957 decodes to 1987 or 2007 (July).
Where the data plate is on a boiler
On the jacket: a plate or sticker on the front or side of the boiler casing, sometimes behind a removable front panel next to the gas valve or control.
General guidance, not brand-specific: the owner's manual or the installer can point to the exact spot. See the data plate guide.
For scale only: the InterNACHI Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes lists Boiler at 40 years of expected service (nachi.org). That chart is a guideline, not a prediction for your unit.
Open the official Bradford White lookup takes serial; returns manufacture date (official date decoder + printed letter chart); URL verified live
Open the official Bradford White lookup takes serial; returns warranty details / expiration; URL verified live
This site is a reference built from published tables. The manufacturer's own lookup wins whenever the two disagree.
Sources
- https://www.bradfordwhite.com/my-water-heater/official
- https://www.building-center.org/bradford-white/
- img: Bradford-White-WH-Date-of-Manufacture.png
- https://warrantycenter.bradfordwhite.com/official
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell the age of a Bradford White boiler from the serial number?
In the 1984 to present format the year is letter 1, 20-year cycle (table below) and the month as letter 2 (table below). Example: serial DG6322957 decodes to 1987 or 2007 (July).
Where is the serial number on a Bradford White boiler?
On the data plate. On the jacket: a plate or sticker on the front or side of the boiler casing, sometimes behind a removable front panel next to the gas valve or control.