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How old is my U.S. Craftmaster water heater?

Type the serial number from the U.S. Craftmaster label to see when it was built. U.S. Craftmaster units are built by American Water Heater, so the serials follow that company's format.

Example

0020118002

00Year: 00 = 2000
20Week: 20 (around May)

Built Week 20 of 2000 (around May)

26 years, 5 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

The first two digits, 00, are the year: 2000.
The next two digits, 20, are the week of the year, so about May.

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

Reading a U.S. Craftmaster serial number

U.S. Craftmaster is an American Water Heater brand. The serial starts with the year and the week.

About U.S. Craftmaster

U.S. Craftmaster tanks are built in Johnson City, Tennessee, where American Water Heater is based.
The brand came to A.O. Smith in 2006, when it bought American Water Heater’s Canadian parent, GSW.

Sources: A.O. Smith buys American Water Heater parent (Contractor, 2006), A. O. Smith Corporation News Release dated April 3, 2006 (SEC exhibit 99.1)

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: 0020118002 was built Week 20 of 2000 (around May), so it is 26 years, 5 months old as of October 2026.

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

U.S. Craftmaster recalls

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

Year	Recall	Hazard
2018	A.O. Smith Ultra-Low NOx gas water heaters	The burner screen can tear and the burner can overheat a wood floor.
2005	Robertshaw R110 gas valves on water heaters	Screws on the gas valve can break and leak gas, which can cause a fire or explosion.
2001	American Water Heater gas burners	The burner can make too much carbon monoxide.

Standing at the unit? Use your phone

Point your phone’s camera at this code. The scanner opens and reads the label for you.

Same serial number format as U.S. Craftmaster: American, Kenmore, Whirlpool.

Formats on this page were last checked against their sources in October 2026. U.S. Craftmaster is a trademark of its owner. This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Craftmaster. For warranty questions, contact U.S. Craftmaster directly.

Where the serial is on a U.S. Craftmaster

The rating label is on the front of the tank above the gas valve or the upper thermostat cover.

The label is a sticker on the side of the tank, usually above the gas valve or the upper thermostat cover. On units squeezed into a closet it often faces the wall, so a phone photo is easier than reading it by eye.