Thread: Reliance Water Heater Age Confirmation

I have a Reliance water heater with a serial number of H92575057 which I assume was manufactured in August of 1992....but my usual sources don't list Reliance brands so I wanted some confirmation.....anybody?

Thanks.

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Sounds correct. Double check it against the ANSI date on the unit also

18 years of use, thats pretty good. Can't have many days left. Time for a replacement.

I always find calling the manufacture and asking them what the manufacture date is works really well. Some of them will go as far as faxing you the "key" for your future reference.

As a plumber there are only three brands I worry about the date of manufacture (AO Smith, State, and Bradford White) Which I do know the date codes for. But I still call the manufacture to verify the warranty on the units. I may know the manufacture date, but I would not know if the heater in place was a replacement heater for a previous warranty unit.

The reason is if the heater is only a year old but replaced a 5 year old heater under warranty, the new heater no longer has a valid warranty. The manufactures warranty the new heater for the remainder of the original heaters warranty.

Any other brands I do not do warranty work for and recomend to the property owner a Bradford White water heater.

RELIANCE is same as state select. first letter month,next two numbers year

good luck

cvf

Originally Posted by Ron Hasil

The reason is if the heater is only a year old but replaced a 5 year old heater under warranty, the new heater no longer has a valid warranty. The manufactures warranty the new heater for the remainder of the original heaters warranty.

Thanks Ron, didn't know that. Been married 29 years, replaced 2 now, last one was 3 years ago.

Originally Posted by CHARLIE VAN FLEET

RELIANCE is same as state select. first letter month,next two numbers year

good luck

cvf

No, sorry, that's not actually quite true OR correct.

In the 1990s for Reliance Water Heaters, the letter before the first number is coded for the FISCAL MONTH and the first two numbers represent the FISCAL YEAR of manufacture. The FY ran from October 1st - September 30th.

A.O. Smith acquired State Industries Inc. and subsidiary APCOM Inc. back in 2001. (IIRC it might have been May 2001).

Prior to A.O. Smith's acquisition, the operations Fiscal Year began on October 1st and ended September 30th of the year (first two ##s). At that time they used an alpha code "A" through "M" skipping "I" as follows: "A" being the First month of the Fiscal Year (October) and the year code would be that of the fiscal (not calendar) year, that is to say the year code representing the year date for the next September 30th.

Sometime on or after the A.O. Smith acquisition they switched to a Calendar year and month date coding system.

Therefore, The Original Poster's serial number "H92...." means that the water heater was manufactured in May during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1992 and not in August.

Note:

1990's:

A = October ## is that of the fiscal year end - actual date of manufacture year is MINUS ONE from what is displayed. (for example if A92 is displayed, was manufactured in October 91).

B = November ## is that of the fiscal year end - actual date of manufacture year is minus one.

C = December ## is that of the fiscal year - actual date of manufacture year is minus one.

D = January ## fiscal year and actual date of manufacture year are the same.

E = February ## fiscal year and actual date of manufacture year are same.

F = March ##

G = April

H = May

J = June

K = July

L = August

M = September, fiscal year end - example M92 is September 1992.

Next fiscal year, October = A ## (plus one as for next fiscal year.A93 is october 1992.

Sometime near to the acquisition and well prior to early 2004, they changed to A = January through M = December (still skipping "I") and using actual calendar month and year of manufacture.

Additionally, at least following the acquisition by A.O.Smith, some Reliance SNs have MORE than ONE letter. (additional A or M for example). In that event, it is the LAST letter prior to the FIRST number that indicates the month of manufacture, followed by the two digit year of manufacture.

Sources: References regarding the Iowa case Myers v Reliance Water Heater, State Industries, A.O. Smith, et al. Appeal of Summary Judgement (reversed and remanded) see link:
SCOTT MYERS, Individually, and SCOTT MYERS, as Parent as Next Friend

note references to:

Deposition of Donald J. McKeeby Jr. He has been employed by State Industries as a claims manager since 1991. McKeeby Deposition exibit:
State Industries computer printouts. One such printout shows a water heater with a serial number of "B95355638" was manufactured on "11/10/94."

Affidavit of Steve Maxey, the national technical sales manager for State Industries, has worked for the company in various positions since 1967. Maxey's affidavit in support of Motion for Summary Judgement.

Regarding to confirmation of additional prefix letter possible see Reliance Water Heater Recall of propane water heaters manfactured from dates in 2004 to dates in 2005 with sooting problems. Note also change in date coding system then corresponded with actual calendar month and year of manufacture (CPSC and Reliance web site - Recall Notice).

Originally Posted by Robert Foster

I have a Reliance water heater with a serial number of H92575057 which I assume was manufactured in August of 1992....but my usual sources don't list Reliance brands so I wanted some confirmation.....anybody?

Thanks.

No, that would be May of 1992. May being the 8th month of the 1992 Fiscal Year, pre-A.O. Smith acquisition.

Yes 1992 is the correct mfg. date.

State, Kenmore, Reliance, Maytag, and Apollo all use:
First letter= Month
2nd and 3rd digits= year

robert

again letter is the month--first two numbers the year--i worry about the year

cvf

Then you'll get the actual year of manufacture WRONG if the WH was manufactured in October - December (month codes A - C) if you cite it as being equal to the first two digits! You'll be OFF A YEAR as to the ACTUAL manufacture date/year!.

First of all A.O. Smith Corporation is now the parent company for the A.O. Smith, Reliance, State, American Water Heater, Apollo, GSW, and (GSW-)John Wood Company Brands. A.O. Smith Corporation has gobbled up a number of water heater brands over the years.

See: A.O. Smith


Quoting from the Lexis link provided in the previous post, regarding the Iowa Appellate Court Decision:


"In support of its motion for summary judgment, State Industries offered the affidavit and deposition of Donald J. McKeeby Jr. He has been employed by State Industries as a claims manager since 1991. McKeeby stated that in the 1990s, the letters assigned to the month of manufacture correlated to the fiscal year for State Industries. [*6] He explained State Industries' serial number system "started with A through M, skipping I, and A started with October" because the company's fiscal year "ended at the end of September." Thus, for example, the prefix "A90" would indicate the water heater was manufactured in October 1989, while "D90" meant the water heater was manufactured in January 1990. n1 McKeeby therefore concluded the "H90" prefix of the serial number for Myers's water heater established that it was manufactured in May 1990."


"Steve Maxey, the national technical sales manager for State Industries, has worked for the company in various positions since 1967. Maxey's affidavit submitted in support of the company's motion for summary judgment stated from 1989 to 1995, he was the national product service manager for State Industries. As such, he was "intimately familiar with the manufacturing process of all State Industries, Inc. water heaters in 1990." He confirmed that in 1990, State Industries "assigned serial numbers to its [*7] water heaters with the first letter denoting the month of manufacture as follows: A = October . . . H = May . . . M = September." Thus, Maxey likewise concluded, "[T]he serial number on the data plate of the subject State Industries, Inc. water heater, which begins 'H90,' means that the product was manufactured in . . . May, 1990."


That's what the company officials say, under oath regarding 1990's Reliance Water Heater date coding for manufacture dating.


You can lead a horse to water... but you can't make him drink.

You can lead a H.I. to the correct month and year decoding for a particular branded W.H. of a particular manufacturing era, but you can't make him use it to devine the actual date of manufacture correctly.

hg

chill out tomorrow

1992 is the year--does the month really matter. it is 18 years old

have some water


drop it

cvf

Wow,

I wasnt half way through the thread and was confused. Does anyone have a list of codes for not just water heaters but AC units and furnaces as well. All manufactures are different. Most nrewer units I run into seem to have a manufacturer date on them. Thank Goodness

Originally Posted by Tom Mcdonald

Wow,

I wasnt half way through the thread and was confused. Does anyone have a list of codes for not just water heaters but AC units and furnaces as well. All manufactures are different. Most nrewer units I run into seem to have a manufacturer date on them. Thank Goodness

This is what I have for furnaces, it was posted over at TIJ;

Originally Posted by David McGuire

This is what I have for furnaces, it was posted over at TIJ;

Thanks Dave,

Have a GREAT Holiday
Tom

Anyone know how to decode the age on the newer Reliance WHs with all digit serial numbers?

44th week of 2011?

How old do you think it is?

Certainly possible, it looks pretty new.

Originally Posted by CHARLIE VAN FLEET

hg

chill out tomorrow

1992 is the year--does the month really matter. it is 18 years old

have some water


drop it

cvf

I realize that this post is really old, but EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING CHARLIE!!
We are in the inspection industry...not in the warranty business!
At 18 years old it is WAY beyond the warranty and into "beyond the life span of ANY water heater I've ever heard of and you better start shopping for a new one!!"

You are correct, after the letter first two digits are year. After 2008 no letter was used, first two digits are year as well. I have attached some water heater decoder charts that I use.

HVAC -PRODUCTION DATE/AGE | Building Intelligence Center

I think you will all find this site very useful.
one stop shopping

Originally Posted by wayne soper

HVAC -PRODUCTION DATE/AGE | Building Intelligence Center

I think you will all find this site very useful.
one stop shopping

Thanks Doda!!