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.
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

→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

→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

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.
