Richmond Water Heater Age Lookup
Richmond is a Rheem-owned brand sold in tank and tankless versions. Type your serial number in to find the manufacturing date and current age. Free and instant - no signup.
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Finding Your Richmond Serial Number
Check these four spots on your Richmond water heater
Common Locations
What to Look For
- White or metallic manufacturer sticker
- Labeled "Serial No." or "S/N"
- Typically 8–12 characters long
- Usually near the model number
Can't find it? Try removing access panels or checking behind the temperature dial.
Richmond Serial Number Examples
Don't worry if yours looks different - Richmond has multiple formats and our system can decode most variations.
About Richmond Water Heaters
Richmond is a Rheem brand, named for Richmond, California, where the Rheem brothers built early operations. Today the name sits on tanks and tankless units produced on Rheem lines and sold through plumbing distribution.
Because the equipment is shared, Richmond residential tanks are conventional gas and electric units with the same glass lining, anode rod, and controls as their Rheem counterparts. Service parts cross reference directly to the Rheem model of matching capacity, fuel, and vent type, which is the fastest route to a gas valve, element, or thermostat when the Richmond number returns nothing.
Serials use Rheem conventions, including the Rheem tankless layout where the date appears as a month and year separated by a dot, so a tankless 05.05-000021 is May 2005. Do not read a Richmond serial against a State or A.O. Smith chart. The layouts look similar enough to produce a confident wrong answer, which is the most common way Richmond units get misdated.
Where to find the serial
Richmond water heaters are Rheem family units sold primarily at Menards and hardware stores. The rating plate is on the upper third of the tank, and the serial format is identical to Rheem and Ruud since all three brands come off the same lines. Look for SER NO. printed in black on the silver foil sticker.
What the serial actually looks like
Why the age is worth knowing
Richmond residential tanks come with 6, 8, or 10-year tank warranties depending on the line. The 6-year Essential series is the most common on store shelves, and these units typically reach end-of-life around year 10-12. Anode rod inspection at year 5 can extend life meaningfully if you have neutral or hard water.
Quick answers for this brand
Is Richmond just a rebadged Rheem?
Effectively yes - Richmond is Rheem Manufacturing's hardware-store brand, sold mainly through Menards. The tanks, components, and warranty terms are nearly identical to Rheem branded units. The only meaningful differences are sometimes the model number prefix and which contractor network handles installation referrals.
Where do I get warranty service on a Richmond?
Richmond warranty claims go through Rheem's contractor network. The retailer's service desk can initiate the claim but the actual work is done by Rheem-authorized service providers. Keep the original receipt - Rheem prefers proof of installation date for warranty resets.
Is the Richmond Essential the same as the Rheem Performance?
They share most internal components and the same factory, but small specs differ - first-hour rating, recovery rate, and exact warranty terms can vary by a few percent. For practical purposes they're equivalent and decode age identically. Pick whichever is in stock and on sale.
Need a plumber?
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Share this tool with friends!
Know someone with an aging water heater? Send them a free check.