§ 05 Equipment age
How old is my Ruud water heater?
Ruud is a Rheem brand and uses the same layout on current tank water heaters: a letter, two digits for the week, two for the year, then the unit number.
Serial diagram · Ruud water heaters
Type the serial
Ruud is a Rheem brand and uses the same layout on current tank water heaters: a letter, two digits for the week, two for the year, then the unit number.
Manufacturer-documented format
The Ruud date code
“If you’ve got a Ruud reliable water heater, all you need to know is your heater’s serial number.”
| Serial | Made | How | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| M461914345 | November 2019 | Ruud’s age calculator returned 11/14/2019: week 46 of 2019. | Returned by the manufacturer’s tool |
| Q291612345 | July 2016 | Returned 07/15/2016: week 29 of 2016. | Returned by the manufacturer’s tool |
Older Ruud serials use other layouts. Confirm with Ruud’s own calculator (linked).
Lifespan
How long a water heater lasts
About 15 years on average. An average across tank water heaters, from DOE’s survival analysis of national survey data. Hard water, sediment and a failed anode shorten it; it is not a guarantee.
“DOE estimates the average product lifetime to be around 15 years for storage water heaters.”