Bradford White date code: year letter, then month letter
Bradford White says “the first two characters of the serial number represent the year and month of manufacture.” Each year letter stands for two possible years, 20 years apart.
Manufacture date, not install date or warranty status. A date code tells you when the maker built the unit. It does not tell you when it was installed, whether any warranty applies, or what condition the unit is in.
Year letter (first character)
| Letter | Year, as Bradford White lists it |
|---|---|
| A | 2004 or 2024 |
| B | 2005 or 2025 |
| C | 2006 or 2026 |
| D | 2007 or 2027 |
| E | 2008 or 2028 |
| F | 2009 or 2029 |
| G | 2010 or 2030 |
| H | 2011 or 2031 |
| J | 2012 or 2032 |
| K | 2013 or 2033 |
| L | 2014 or 2034 |
| M | 2015 or 2035 |
| N | 2016 or 2036 |
| P | 2017 or 2037 |
| S | 2018 or 2038 |
| T | 2019 or 2039 |
| W | 2020 or 2040 |
| X | 2021 or 2041 |
| Y | 2022 or 2042 |
| Z | 2023 or 2043 |
Month letter (second character)
| Letter | 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 |
Read your code
Picking between the two years
A serial starting “JK” means October of 2012 or 2032 on Bradford White's table. For a unit already in your home, the later year may still be in the future, which settles it. For letters that give two past years, look at other dates on the unit or its paperwork. Our reader always shows both years and lets you decide.
Bradford White's table starts at 2004. Its page does not give the letters for years before 2004, so we do not either.
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Sources
- Bradford White, My water heater (production year and month tables): https://www.bradfordwhite.com/my-water-heater/, accessed 2026-10-27