Knowing the age of your hot water heater is can be useful when deciding when it’s a good time to replace the unit – and knowing when you’re better off buying a new water heater instead of putting money towards more expensive repairs. If your water heater is more than 10 years old you should plan on a replacement. As water heaters age the risk of developing leaks and other problems increases. A water heater leak can cause expensive damage to your home.
Determining the Age of a Water Heater
You can find the age of your water heater by looking for the serial number on the manufacturer’s sticker near the top of the water heater. The serial number contains the date that the water heater was manufactured. It will not be in a standard date format, but will have a date code on the label that will look something like “G062052658”.
G is for the month and G is the seventh letter in the alphabet, so it represents the seventh month, July. Next, the first two digits of the serial number are 06, which represents the year, 2006. So this water heater was made in July 2006. Each manufacturer uses a similar date code, but they may vary – so check the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
Have questions about your home’s water heater? Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating. We can help answer all your plumbing and water heater questions.
