Kenmore® Water age

How to determine the date of production/manufacture or age of Kenmore® brand Water Heater Systems.

Water heaters in general have an average estimated useful service life of 10-12 years, though water quality, routine upkeep/maintenance, and location of the water heater will all play critical roles in the longevity of these systems.

See also: Estimated Useful Service Life Expectancies

Parent Company: Originally introduced by Sears, Kenmore is a brand of household appliances, including water heaters, now owned by Transformco (as of 2024).  Water heaters were manufactured and rebranded by a variety of companies including AO Smith, Rheem, State, and Whirlpool.

Related Brands: AO Smith | Whirlpool | Rheem | State

The date of production/manufacture or age of Kenmore® brand Water Heater equipment can be determined from the serial number located on the rating data plate.

Kenmore brand water heaters were manufactured and rebranded by a variety of companies including AO Smith, Rheem, State, and Whirlpool.

Example serial number styles/formats found:

→Style 1:   A03307353 -or- J06A059461  (A.O. Smith styles)

→Style 2:   800423049 (Rheem style)

→Style 3:   1210A002243 -or- S1318 F000046 (State & Whirlpool styles)

Legend:  Year is RED;  Month is GREEN; Week is BLUE

→Style 1:   A03307353 -or- J06A059461 (A.O. Smith style)

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 2nd & 3rd digits of the serial number

Month of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st letter of the serial number

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→Style 2:   800423049 (Rheem style)

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st & 2nd digits of the serial number

Week of manufacture can be determined by using the 3rd & 4th digits of the serial number

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→Style 3:   1210A002243 -or- S1318 F000046 (State & Whirlpool styles)

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st & 2nd digits of the serial number

Week of manufacture can be determined by using the 3rd & 4th digits of the serial number

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Kenmore® History¹
  • 1913 - Kenmore brand first appeared on a four-drawer drop feed sewing machine sold from 1913 to 1919
  • 1927 - The first Kenmore washing machine was introduced.
  • 1932 - The first Kenmore vacuum cleaners were introduced.
  • 1976 - Sears expanded the Kenmore name to its line of refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, which were previously branded as Coldspot.
  • 2016 - Kenmore brand was expanded into consumer electronics with the launch of Kenmore-branded high definition (Kenmore HDTV) and ultra HD (Kenmore Elite UHDTV) televisions.
  • 2018 - On October 14, 2018, Sears' parent company Sears Holdings filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
  • 2019 - Transformco (an affiliate of ESL Investments) acquired Kenmore after Sears Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
  • 2021 - Some Kenmore products continue being individually resold via online retailers such as Amazon; however, it is believed that Kenmore brand water heaters have been discontinued2.
  • 2024 - Kenmore brand remains listed as owned by Transformco.

1 - from various industry resources

2- Unconfirmed information based on dead links and lack of dedicated listings at the Kenmore brand website.

Every effort is undertaken to offer you correct and concise information to assist you in determining the age or manufacture date of water heating equipment. Users relying on this information do so at their own risk.
Page last updated: 11/01/2024