A O Smith Water Heater Age

Electric A O Smith WH Serial# 0824A023401
Is it 2008 or 2002? Thanks.

**AO Smith - **Can be confusing; digits may be comprised of letters & numbers. May be one, two, or no letters.
If two letters first, next two numbers are year.
If one letter first, followed by two numbers and another letter, next two numbers are year.
If one letter first, next two numbers are year, providing no letter follows.
If two numbers first, this is year.

Gary

Gary,
Reading the serial # posted, would you agree with Jan. 2002?
Thank you.

No, the first two #'s are 08 so 2008. Which would make it new, Is it?

Mark is correct.

I repoprted the age as 2008. It would certainly help if the manufacturer’s would establish a standard date system! Thanks for the help.

Some people would still not be able to “break the code”.

I just ran into a short 50 gallon A O Smith electric water heater with serial number: 790-A-73 368 36.
Any guesses or knowledge of age?

From my experience it’s 1973. The three water heaters that I have seen with that format the age of the house lined up with that number.

Can anybody help I’m trying to figure out the age of this a o Smith water heater s# 870-f-80-53817. Email me if anybody can help. Thanking you in advance
Ray.rei417@gmail.com

Go here…
http://www.buildingcenter.org/content/water-heater-age-info

You should know this…Yep!

Yes buildingcenter.org.

Heck, seeing as this thread is 9 years old, the OP’s WH of topic would have worn out by now even if new at the time of his post!!!

Time to revive this thread again! LOL. Today I saw an AO Smith water heater from 1979. The one in my own home is from 1993. One from 2008 or 2002 could easily be running still! :slight_smile:

There is no reason an electric water heater should not last 20+ years. Mine is currently 28 years old and going strong. In general, gas won’t last as long as electric but unless there is an issue with your water, 20+ years for an electric is nothing. JMHO of course. :wink:

I hear you on the electrics. Mine is 24 years old and gas. The one from 1979 was gas also! That may be the oldest gas water heater I’ve seen other than a Montgomery Wards built in the 60’s that I took out of a home about five years ago. I tend to see a lot of older A.O. Smiths and Bradford & Whites. Not so many Richmonds though!