Your water heater readily serves you by allowing you to enjoy warm showers, clean dishes, and fresh laundry, amongst many other things, of course. However, just like any other household appliance, water heaters have an average lifespan, usually spanning from eight to twelve years. Because of this, we would like to stress the importance of knowing your water heater’s age. Now, we understand that adding another date for you to remember might not be the most appealing thing. But we firmly believe that when you know your water heater’s age, you can shield yourself from unexpected surprises if your water heater suddenly decides to retire. After all, knowing that a replacement may be needed in the near future is much better than just being completely blindsided by it. So, here are some simple steps provided by your Westerville Plumbing & Drain experts to help you unveil your water heater’s age.
Retrieve Installation Date from Records:
If you have documents saying when your water heater was installed, then determining its age is simple. The installation date is a dependable marker of the water heater’s age. So, if you find the installation date, you will easily find its age. But in the chance you have somehow misplaced your papers with the water heater’s information, no big deal. Proceed to the next steps below.
Locate the Serial Number:
Most water heaters have a product label on them with the unit’s serial number. Most manufacturers embed the manufacture date in the serial number. So, this means that you’ll need the serial number to decode the manufacture date of the unit, which is ultimately the next best thing to determine the water heater’s age. To pinpoint the serial number:
- Inspect the product label on your water heater for it.
- Look in the user manual if you have it available.
- Check on the manufacturer’s website for directions.
Bear in mind, some manufacturers use a simple pattern where the initial four characters denote the year and week of production (e.g., YYWW).
Utilize Online Resources:
Various online resources are available to help determine your water heater’s age based on the serial number. Once you have the serial number, you will be able to look up the manufacture date. You can accomplish this by typing in your water heater’s brand and the serial number you found with the words “manufacture date” in your favorite search engine. Next, click search. After you click search, you should be led to multiple informative websites providing detailed directions on using the serial number to decode your water heater’s manufacture date. By now, you should have your answer – the water heater’s manufacture date! Bravo! Your investigative skills have certainly paid off!
Your Yearly Inspection:
If you still are experiencing difficulties determining your water heater’s age, any of our certified plumbers will be more than ready to assist you during your upcoming checkup. So, don’t hesitate to ask; we’d be more than happy to help you no matter the need!
Remember, we are here for all of your plumbing needs! Call Westerville Plumbing & Drain today at (614) 540-3437, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!