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Rheem water heater age

How old is my Rheem water heater?

Rheem, Ruud and Richmond water heaters carry the build date in the serial number. Enter yours to decode it with Rheem’s published rules.

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Decode your serial number

Your serial number stays in your browser. It isn’t sent to us or stored unless you choose to save it to your home.

Photograph the label instead

Photo reading needs a free account and your permission to use an external AI service. It reads the text only; the date is always worked out from the manufacturer rule.

How the date code works

Rheem has used two layouts. Both have ten characters before any suffix.

  1. Starts with a letter (2012 onward): plant letter, then week, then year. Rheem’s example M141209135 means Mexicali, week 14 of 2012.
  2. Starts with digits (older): month, then year, then a plant letter. 0912D01234 means September 2012.

For week codes we show the week and the approximate month. Rheem’s guide only shows the older layout up to 2012, so we don’t date older-layout year codes past 2012. Rheem water heaters only for now. Rheem heating and cooling equipment isn’t decoded.

Source: Rheem — How to locate and read your Rheem water heating serial numbers, and Technical Service Bulletin 1207. Aruvello is not affiliated with Rheem.

Where to find the serial number

The rating label is on the side of the tank, or on the front of tankless and heat pump models. The serial number is printed next to the model number.

Age, installation and warranty

This is the date the heater was made. It may have been installed months later. Rheem bases warranty on the manufacture date and the model. Only Rheem can confirm coverage, and Aruvello doesn’t determine it.

Other brands: see which brands we support.

Questions homeowners ask

Does this work for Ruud and Richmond?
Yes. Rheem’s bulletin covers Rheem, Ruud and Richmond water heaters with the same layouts.
What does a letter at the end mean?
Rheem says a suffix letter after the serial marks a conversion. It isn’t part of the date.
Is my water heater too old?
The date alone can’t tell you that. Ask a licensed plumber to inspect it.

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