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How old is my Kenmore water heater?

Type the serial number from the Kenmore label to see when it was built. Kenmore units are built by State, American or Rheem, so the serials follow that company's format.

Scan insteadWhere is the label?

Example

L07A071460
  • LMonth: L = November
  • 07Year: 07 = 2007

Built November 2007

18 years, 11 months old

Past typical life. Past the usual 6 to 12 year lifespan. Watch for rust-colored hot water, rumbling or popping from the tank, and moisture around the base.

Plan the replacement

  • Plan the replacement before it fails. A failed tank can release its full contents onto the floor.
  • Check the base and the fittings on top for moisture or rust now, and keep checking.
  • Know where the cold water shutoff above the tank is, so you can stop a leak quickly.
  • Some home insurers ask the age of the water heater, and in Florida a 4-point inspection flags tanks over 10 years. Check before you renew or buy a house.
  • Tank warranties usually run 6 to 12 years. Coverage usually counts from the install date or from a few months after the build date, so the build date is a good guide.
How this was read
  1. The first letter, L, is the month. A.O. Smith counts A to M and skips I.
  2. The next two digits, 07, are the year: 2007.

Format: Month letter and year. Sources: CPSC 2019 A.O. Smith recall (year and week), CPSC 2008 A.O. Smith and State recall (month letters), A.O. Smith Service and Warranty Guide (PDF).

Reading a Kenmore serial number

Sears did not build water heaters. The model number shows who did: models starting with 153 were built by State, which A.O. Smith bought in 2001. Others came from American Water Heater or Rheem.

The checker tries all three makers’ formats. If more than one fits, it asks which you have.

About Kenmore

  • A.O. Smith’s 2011 and 2015 annual reports list a long-standing exclusive branding relationship with Sears.
  • A.O. Smith’s 2018 annual report no longer mentions Sears and names only Lowe’s as an exclusive retail partner.

Sources: A. O. Smith Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2011, A. O. Smith Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2015, A. O. Smith Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2018

Year and week

Used about 2008 to today. Example: 1719106145074

The first two digits are the year and the next two are the week of the year. A letter may come first or in the fifth position; it is a plant code. A CPSC recall notice confirms this reading: "the first four digits represent the year and week of production".

Worked example: 1719106145074 was built Week 19 of 2017 (around May), so it is 9 years, 5 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: CPSC 2019 A.O. Smith recall (year and week), CPSC 2008 A.O. Smith and State recall (month letters), A.O. Smith Service and Warranty Guide (PDF)

Plant letter, month letter and year

Used through June 2004. Example: MK890054977H43

The first letter is the factory, the second letter is the month (A is January, I is skipped), and the next two digits are the year. MK89 means October 1989.

Worked example: MK89-0054977-H43 was built October 1989, so it is 37 years old as of October 2026.

The full lookup tables are on the A.O. Smith page, since Kenmore uses the same code.

Sources: CPSC 2019 A.O. Smith recall (year and week), CPSC 2008 A.O. Smith and State recall (month letters), A.O. Smith Service and Warranty Guide (PDF)

Month letter and year

Used july 2004 to about 2008, and older State units. Example: L07A071460

The first letter is the month (A is January, I is skipped) and the next two digits are the year. L07 means November 2007.

Worked example: L07A071460 was built November 2007, so it is 18 years, 11 months old as of October 2026.

The full lookup tables are on the A.O. Smith page, since Kenmore uses the same code.

Sources: CPSC 2019 A.O. Smith recall (year and week), CPSC 2008 A.O. Smith and State recall (month letters), A.O. Smith Service and Warranty Guide (PDF)

1970s series, month letter and year

Used 1970s to early 1980s. Example: 800M7209519

A three-character series code comes first, then the month letter and the year, like 800-M-72-09519 for December 1972.

Worked example: 800-M-72-09519 was built December 1972, so it is 53 years, 10 months old as of October 2026.

The full lookup tables are on the A.O. Smith page, since Kenmore uses the same code.

Sources: CPSC 2019 A.O. Smith recall (year and week), CPSC 2008 A.O. Smith and State recall (month letters), A.O. Smith Service and Warranty Guide (PDF)

Year and week

Used 1989 to today. Example: 1104T403904

American Water Heater, which also built Whirlpool and U.S. Craftmaster units, prints the year (2 digits) then the week (2 digits) at the start of the serial. Some labels print "YEAR WEEK" under it.

Worked example: 1104T403904 was built Week 4 of 2011 (around January), so it is 15 years, 9 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: CPSC 2019 recall listing American, Whirlpool and U.S. Craftmaster, InterNACHI water heater dating chart

Rheem plant letter, week and year

Used 2012 to today. Example: Q121561200

Newer Rheem, Ruud and Richmond serials start with a plant letter (A, C, M, Q or W), then the week (2 digits), then the year (2 digits), then a 5-digit number. Rheem switched plants to this format from April 2012. Some older guides, including Rheem’s own website, still describe only the month-year format.

Worked example: Q121561200 was built Week 12 of 2015 (around March), so it is 11 years, 7 months old as of October 2026.

The full lookup tables are on the A.O. Smith page, since Kenmore uses the same code.

Sources: Rheem service bulletin TSB 1207 (PDF), Rheem: reading your serial number, CPSC 2016 Rheem recall

Rheem month and year

Used through about 2014. Example: RHLN0205A20589

Older serials put the month (2 digits) and year (2 digits) first, after any product letters like RH, RN or GE. A plant letter and a running number follow, like RHLN 0205A20589 for February 2005.

Worked example: RHLN 0205A20589 was built February 2005, so it is 21 years, 8 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: Rheem service bulletin TSB 1207 (PDF), Rheem: reading your serial number, CPSC 2016 Rheem recall

Kenmore recalls

Recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that name Kenmore. Whether a unit is included depends on its model and build date; the checker above flags matches.

YearRecallHazard
2018A.O. Smith Ultra-Low NOx gas water heatersThe burner screen can tear and the burner can overheat a wood floor.
2004White-Rodgers controls on propane and convertible gas water heatersThe control can open slowly, so soot builds up on the burner and can start a fire.