Help with age of tankless water heater

[George Hallaron]

Can anyone help to determine the age of a Bosch Powerstar Electric Tankless Water Heater?

Series #: AE 125
Model #: 45-557701
Serial #: 86D801868

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[Roy Lewis]

http://www.buildingcenter.org/bosch-water-heater

[John Kogel]

Thanks, Roy. Notice the dummy that typed the instructions says the digits represent the month and year when he means to say they represent the year first and then the month, sheesh.

[Jerry Peck]

Thanks, Roy. Notice the dummy that typed the instructions says the digits represent the month and year when he means to say they represent the year first and then the month, sheesh.

It may actually be month and year: Serial #: 86D801868 would be 8 (Aug) of 01 (2001)

Maybe they don't make anything during Oct, Nov, and Dec ... :)

If it were to be the year and month, then it would be 80 (1980) and 1 (Jan) - and I doubt that for a tankless.

I agree that the web site does not seem to be correct - like someone screwed up some way.

[John Kogel]

Originally Posted by John Kogel http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/showthread.php?p=259378#post259378) Thanks, Roy. Notice the dummy that typed the instructions says the digits represent the month and year when he means to say they represent the year first and then the month, sheesh.


It may actually be month and year: Serial #: 86D801868 would be 8 (Aug) of 01 (2001)

Maybe they don't make anything during Oct, Nov, and Dec ... :)

If it were to be the year and month, then it would be 80 (1980) and 1 (Jan) - and I doubt that for a tankless.

I agree that the web site does not seem to be correct - like someone screwed up some way.1) Every example given has the year first, sometimes only one digit for the year, lots of brilliant forethought there.

2) Tankless units have two styles given, including a 9 digit #, no dashes.

3) Changing the OP's "D" to a number 0, the first # gives the year, 2008 or 1998, now we are guessing based on the age of the house and the condition of the unit.

[George Hallaron]

Hi all,

I do appreciate the input on this matter however, I would like to be clear on my information about the unit. So here are a few Photos.

31990319913199231993

[Dom D'Agostino]

A quick phone call to Bosch will clear it up for you....

[Jerry Peck]

A quick phone call to Bosch will clear it up for you....

Yep ... and the 3rd photo even shows the toll free number to call ... :) ... his first post was on Saturday, so it is likely he was looking for information over the weekend, but it is now Monday ... :whoo:... so he can call them.

George - please update us when you call and find out what the number sequence is, thanks.

[George Hallaron]

"UPDATE"

So I called Bosch today, the gentleman that answered the phone was very eager to help me. When I asked him for the date of manufacture, He responded by asking for the serial number as usual when I make this type of call. When I read the number to him, there was a long pause. He then said; Oh, this is an electric unit. If it were a gas unit I could tell you the date based on the first few numbers. Would you mind holding? So after a brief hold he came back on the line and said; February of 2009. I responded Great! Thanks for the help.

"This is where the conversation started to head south".

I then asked him for the proper way to interpret the nomenclature for their electric tankless water heaters. After another long pause he responded; I don’t really know. All I do is enter the number into a Computer program and it gives me the information.

So I guess that I should be happy that I got the date of manufacture for this particular unit. I suppose that I will eventually be on a first name basis with their customer support staff.:frusty:

[John Kogel]

Thanks, George. And to answer your original question, No, none of us can help you. :confused:

[Jerry Peck]

Can anyone help to determine the age of a Bosch Powerstar Electric Tankless Water Heater?

Series #: AE 125
Model #: 45-557701
Serial #: 86D801868



"UPDATE"
.
When I read the number to him, there was a long pause. He then said; Oh, this is an electric unit.
.
So after a brief hold he came back on the line and said; February of 2009. I responded Great!
.
I then asked him for the proper way to interpret the nomenclature for their electric tankless water heaters. After another long pause he responded; I don’t really know. All I do is enter the number into a Computer program and it gives me the information.

I suspect that there may be many people calling them about their Bosch electric tankless water heater serial number ages ...

How they got February of 2009 from 86D801868 is beyond me.

Nothing in there indicates February (the second month) ... unless that is what the D represents, but D if the fourth letter .... ???

The D could represent 2009 in a chart someplace, but then there is nothing which indicates 02 for February ... ??? If the 8 which follows the D represents the week (the 8th week would be February) then it would need two digits to represent March, April, May, June, ... etc.

Weird way for such a large company to operate. Oh well ...

George, thanks for the update.

[Dom D'Agostino]

I've always thought the Aquastar electric on-demand units , as with most of these "heaters", were imported and re-branded disposable crap; perhaps that's why they don't know when their made.