STATE® Water age
How to determine the date of production/manufacture or age of STATE® brand Water Heater Systems.
From humble beginnings as a maker of coal and wood-burning stoves in a Nashville, TN garage, to the largest producer of water heaters in the world, State® is a widely recognized manufacturer of a variety of brand water heaters.
State® was acquired by A.O. Smith® in 2001
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: A.O. Smith
Subsidiaries:
Example serial number styles/formats found:
→Style 1a: 1210A002243
→Style 1b: S1318 F000046
→Style 1c: 1836111786352 or 1735107397129
→Style 2: H765662231 or M07A009387
→Style 3: AF04A093001
Legend: Year is RED; Month is GREEN; Week is BLUE
→Style 1a: 1210A002243
→Style 1b: S1318 F000046
→Style 1c: 1836111786352 or 1735107397129
CAUTION: State Industries was acquired by A.O. Smith in 2001, and has since transitioned into using modern/current A.O. Smith style serial numbers
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 2: H765662231 or M07A009387
Serial number begins with a single letter. This style has been discontinued.
Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st & 2nd digits of the serial number (after the letter)
Month of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st letter of the serial number

Production Month Codes:
- A= January
- B= February
- C= March
- D= April
- E= May
- F= June
Production Month Codes:
- G= July
- H= August
- J= September
- K= October
- L= November
- M= December

→Style 3: AF04A093001
Serial number begins with two letters. This style has been discontinued effective July 2004.
Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1st & 2nd digits of the serial number
Month of manufacture can be determined by using the 2nd letter of the serial number
CAUTION: The first letter of the serial number is the factory code designation. The factory code was dropped after July 2004 in favor of serial numbers similar to style 2 above.

Production Month Codes:
- A= January
- B= February
- C= March
- D= April
- E= May
- F= June
Production Month Codes:
- G= July
- H= August
- J= September
- K= October
- L= November
- M= December
State® History:
- 1946 - Founded by Herbert Lindahl as a small entrepreneurial company making coal and wood burning stoves out of a garage in Nashville, TN
- 1948 - Began making electric water heaters
- 1954 - Began making gas-fired water heaters
- 1957 - Began making porcelainized glass-lined tanks (basic design feature still in use today)
- 1979 - First to use foam insulation to line the space between the tank and outer jacket of the water heater
- 1996 - Becomes world's largest producer of water heaters with an average production of 10,000 units per day
- 2001 - Acquired by A.O. Smith®