How Old Are My Appliances?
Identifying how old your major appliance systems are is an industry-standard. Most Standards of Practice (SOP’s) legally require an inspector to note the age of the water heater, heat exchanger, and condenser. These items, like everything else, have a finite lifespan. The last thing a new homeowner wants to discover after the home sale is complete is that the water heater needs replaced. While most devices can live well past their intended operating years, it’s better to have an idea of when you should replace such an important component of the home before you’re forced to.
In general, the typical life expectancy of a water heater ranges between 8-12 years. Modern air handlers can range between 15-20, while older models can last as little as 10-12 years. Air condensers have an average life span of 15-20 years.
With so many different brands and models out there, each with their unique way of labeling their manufacturing date, it’s easy to see how it can get quite confusing. This might create the perception that home inspectors must be some sort of geniuses, but I have a major confession to make…the vast majority of home inspectors use a single website to get the appropriate information, The Building Intelligence Center.
I’m not here giving out insider trade secrets. Rather, this is information that every homeowner should be armed with. It’s your home after all, and a good inspector should provide you with as much information as possible so that you can maintain your home.
How do I determine the age of my water heater?
While there is an increasing number of manufacturers who are listing the actual manufacturing date on the appliance, the vast majority of them imbed this information into the serial number. The Building Intelligence Center (BIC) has built an impressive database that covers just about every manufacturer out there when it comes to HVAC systems and water heaters.
Using an example from the BIC’s website, we can see that by reading a Takagi water heater data plate, that one style is to list the year first, and the preceding numbers give us the week the appliance was made. Deciphering this information we can conclude that this water heater was manufactured sometime between October 26th and November 1st, 2015.
That is essentially it! Thanks to the folks over at BIC this information is free and readily available to not only home inspectors but everyone who is looking to determine the age of their appliances.
Whether you’re looking to buy and need a home inspection, or need an annual home inspection, Main Inspections is here to provide a thorough inspection of all of your home’s systems and components. For a free, no-obligation quote, give us a call today at (253) 279-3525.
