Just curious if anyone ever found a good web based serial number lookup source for boilers.
Building center is great for Furnaces but no boiler section.
Nope
I usually end up using the ANSI AGA standards date to ballpark it.
Or you can call the mfg.
Yeah that’s what I figured.
Ball Park estimate it is …
Ditto above!
I call the mfg. and sometimes they can only tell me it’s somewhere between 1996 and 2000!
The Building Intelligence Center site does not have a specific boiler section because they are grouped together (logically) with ALL other brand names under the HVAC section. There are very few mfgs making ONLY boilers. Many brands make both furnaces and boilers… as well as cooling equipment, and the serial styling is very similar. Simply look for the manufacturer name in the HVAC list. If it’s not listed or the link is not active, there likely is no accurate information available, and the mfg. should likely be contacted directly (if still in business) for aging info.
All else fails, use the ANSI code date as Mike suggested, or invest a paltry amount in inspection related industry reference guides such as Preston’s or the Carson Dunlop Tech. Ref. Guide.
All professional inspectors should own updated versions of these reference guides regardless. They are a helpful resource for obscure brands as well as inspection related insight not readily available anywhere else.
I said online but thanks anyway.
They are online Bob.
"they are grouped together (logically) with ALL other brand names under the HVAC section" of the BIC website
Is there a specific brand name you are looking for information on?
I sure hope not anymore :)and are there any inspections that do not know about that site ?
Some of the more popular names in boilers from 30-40 years and back are not listed there.
30-40+ years back… those units are typically obviously “aged” and a specific year of mfg is really a moot point.
And many of those companies are no longer in existence.
It’s been my experience through research that many of those older companies had proprietary serial numbering systems that had absolutely nothing to do with manufacture date. They went off of model numbers or serial numbers that were manufactured in a year range (kind of like Weil McLain)… or sometimes the only way to date them is through the original sales record as they were mfg to order.
There are also boiler companies that may seem popular to you, but were popular only in certain regions of the country (but units do pop up in other areas as they wouldn’t refuse a sale if they can make one). They may or may not continue to manufacture boilers (or even exist as a company). Many of their age coding in serial numbers or model numbers (or both), or even a separate numbering or stamp system can only be deciphered/determined through the manufacturer or other rep. One such company that still makes boilers is http://www.hbsmith.com/ which is largely regional/popular to the Northeast. However, there really is no known age deciphering source for their boilers other than contacting them directly… and you can see how detailed there company website is only being a company with a 50+ workforce. 
Yep ,well would be nice to date them but some are just plain old.
Weil McLain is a big one.
Weil McLain is one of the easy ones.
Some manufacturers are so difficult to determine age without the manufacturer proprietary information/records, the only way is to know the history of the company name changes and logo designs that appear on the units themselves… and then you may be able to determine a general “era”, but not a specific year.
If you have compiled a comprehensive list of manufacturers and pertinent serial coding data, I’m sure the BIC would love to post your hard work and research for the world to use free of charge. 
Every time any of us more experience answers a newbie question or does a ride along it is called sharing knowledge and I am happy to help others.
One can lead a horse to water…