Whirlpool Water Heater Age Lookup
Whirlpool tank heaters, built by American Water Heater and sold through Lowe's, encode the date in the serial number. Enter yours to find the manufacture date and how old it is. Free and instant - no account needed.
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Finding Your Whirlpool Serial Number
Check these four spots on your Whirlpool 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.
Whirlpool Serial Number Examples
Don't worry if yours looks different - Whirlpool has multiple formats and our system can decode most variations.
About Whirlpool Water Heaters
Whirlpool water heaters were not built by Whirlpool. The name was licensed for a line sold exclusively at Lowe's and built by American Water Heater Company, the A.O. Smith subsidiary in Johnson City, Tennessee. Lowe's has since replaced them with A.O. Smith Signature units, so the line is out of production. What is in your basement is an American tank wearing a different badge.
That is good news for parts. Whirlpool gas and electric tanks from 30 to 80 gallons share components with the equivalent American and U.S. Craftmaster models of the same period, so a wholesaler can cross reference by capacity, fuel, and ignition type. Gas models that report faults through a blinking status light use the same code sequences as their American twins. One spec is genuinely unavailable rather than missing: unit weight was never published for this line, so no amount of digging will turn it up.
The serial is the American Water Heater format. The first two digits are the year and the next two are the production week, followed by the sequence and sometimes a plant letter. There is no month in it, so a serial starting 0932 is week 32 of 2009, not September. Tank coverage was typically six years, which has expired on every unit still installed.
Where to find the serial
Whirlpool water heaters carry the rating plate on the upper side of the tank, often near the temperature/pressure relief valve. Serials are printed in a 10-12 character alphanumeric string and labeled SERIAL. These units were sold heavily at Lowe's between 2002 and 2017, so the label sometimes has a Lowe's date stamp too.
What the serial actually looks like
Why the age is worth knowing
Whirlpool stopped selling water heaters at Lowe's in 2017, but units installed during that decade are now hitting the end of their typical 8 to 12 year service life. Many had the early FVIR thermal switch trip problem that requires a $30 service kit. If yours has the original blue thermal switch on the bottom, that's a known issue.
Quick answers for this brand
Are Whirlpool water heaters still made?
Whirlpool exited the residential water heater business in 2017 after Lowe's switched its house brand to A.O. Smith. New units sold under the Whirlpool name today are limited to specialty markets, but parts and warranty service for the old Lowe's-era tanks are still handled through American Water Heater Company.
What's the Whirlpool FVIR thermal switch problem?
Early FVIR Whirlpool tanks (2003 through about 2009) had a thermal switch on the burner assembly that would trip due to lint accumulation, shutting off the pilot. A free service kit was offered for years through Whirlpool's website. If your pilot keeps going out and the unit is from that era, replace the switch first.
Who actually manufactured my Whirlpool water heater?
American Water Heater Company in Johnson City, Tennessee built the vast majority of Whirlpool-branded units. After the GSW and then A.O. Smith acquisitions, the same plant continues to make tanks for multiple house brands. The serial format gives it away because it matches the standard YYWW used across the AWH family.
Need a plumber?
Get free quotes from licensed local pros, no commitment required.
Share this tool with friends!
Know someone with an aging water heater? Send them a free check.