A Guide To A.O. Smith Water Heater Age
While water heaters have a long lifespan, they cannot last forever, and their age also affects their function. Standard heaters like those from A.O. Smith have a set lifespan within which they perform at their best, and it is best to replace them before they get to the recommended age. Knowing how long your water heater can last and how to tell when it is too old is essential. Here is a comprehensive guide to telling your AO Smith water heater age. So, how long do water heaters last? How do you know when it is time to replace your water heater? How do you tell how old your AO Smith water heater is?
When Is It Time to Replace Your Water Heater?
Many companies include the date of manufacture on the serial number to make it easier for customers to keep track of the age. However, you can also decide to replace the water heater by observing changes in the device's function. Here are the most telling signs that you need a new water heater:
- Decrease in Hot Water
If you have noticed that the amount of hot water around the house is decreasing, it could be a sign that you need a new heater.
- Higher Heating Bills
Another clear indication of an aging water heater is the size of the electricity bill allocated to the heating. When a heater is new, it usually works efficiently, reducing the energy it uses. However, as it ages, it requires more power to heat the same amount of water than it did when it was new.
How Do You Tell the Age of Your AO Smith Water Heater?
The label on your heater should have the installation date, and the serial number will have the heater's age. The age may be much higher than 12, so it is essential to know the installation date. Regarding AO Smith, they have a simple system to tell the age of their heaters. The serial number on these heaters contains the year and week when they were built, but the location is different for heaters built before and after 2008.
However, the first four numbers have dating information in all AO Smith heaters. With heaters that fall before 2008, the first two numbers represent the year and the next two the month of manufacture. And those created after 2008, the first two numbers tell the year and the next the week of manufacture.
Older AO Smith Heaters
- Some older versions used a different system to mark out the dates of manufacture. The numbers have several variations, but the use of the first few digits is still maintained.
- Some serial numbers of heaters manufactured had the following formula: YYWW123456. For instance, 9904123456 translates to the fourth week of 1999.
- Some had the following formula: MMYY1234567. For example, 05991234567 translates to May of 1999.
- Another set had this formula: MYY1234567, where the month was represented using the letters, A-N for January to December, excluding the letter I. For example, C021234567 translates to March of 2002.
- A different set had this formula: FB00A123456, where the F represented the factory code, and the B represented the month as above. For example, GC94-04123456-789 translates to Factory G, March of 1994.
- In much older heaters dating back to 1970, the serial number only contained the year of manufacture in the serial formula: N69-B-YY-12345. The YY represents the year of manufacture.