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How old is my Ruud water heater?

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

Scan insteadWhere is the label?

Example

M141209135
  • MPlant: M = Mexicali, Mexico
  • 14Week: 14 (around April)
  • 12Year: 12 = 2012

Built Week 14 of 2012 (around April)

14 years, 6 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. M is the plant letter (Mexicali, Mexico).
  2. The next two digits, 14, are the week of the year.
  3. The two digits after that, 12, are the year: 2012.
  4. Rheem moved plants to this format between 2012 and 2014. If your label also prints "MFG. DATE", trust that date.

Format: Rheem plant letter, week and year. Sources: Rheem service bulletin TSB 1207 (PDF), Rheem: reading your serial number, CPSC 2016 Rheem recall.

Reading a Ruud serial number

Ruud is a Rheem brand built in the same plants, so its serials use the Rheem formats: month and year on older units, plant letter, week and year on units built since 2012.

About Ruud

  • Norwegian immigrant Edwin Ruud started making automatic water heaters in Pittsburgh in 1889.
  • Rheem bought the water heater business of Ruud Manufacturing Company in 1959.
  • In 1999 Rheem said the Ruud brand was sold to professional contractors only, not through retail stores.

Sources: Recently Discovered Vintage Water Heaters Reveal Time-Honored Quality and Durability (Rheem, 2007), Rheem to Manufacture G.E. Water Heaters (Supply House Times, 1999)

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: M141209135 was built Week 14 of 2012 (around April), so it is 14 years, 6 months old as of October 2026.

The full lookup tables are on the Rheem page, since Ruud 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

Ruud recalls

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

YearRecallHazard
2007Rheem, Ruud, Richmond and Paloma power vent tankless water heatersDust can build up if the filter door is off, which can cause carbon monoxide.
2005Robertshaw R110 gas valves on water heatersScrews on the gas valve can break and leak gas, which can cause a fire or explosion.