Navien water heater age by serial number
The serial number is on a label on the right side of the unit, between two barcodes. In a Navien serial the date comes after the four-digit model code and one letter: two digits for the year, one character for the month and two digits for the day.
Decode a Navien serial number
How to read a Navien serial number
Navien has used 2 serial formats. Find the one that matches the shape of your serial.
Date block after the model code
Skip the four-digit model code and the letter after it. The next two digits are the year. The character after them is the month: 1 to 9 for January to September, then X, Y and Z for October, November and December. The two digits after the month are the day.
Shape: fifteen or sixteen characters: four digits, a letter, then the date and a count.
7414C14X1771143 reads as October 17, 2014.
Month code
- 1 January
- 2 February
- 3 March
- 4 April
- 5 May
- 6 June
- 7 July
- 8 August
- 9 September
- X October
- Y November
- Z December
Four-digit year in the middle group
The middle group starts with the four-digit year. The four digits after the year appear to be the month and the day, but only one reference states that.
Shape: three groups of digits separated by dashes, with an eight-digit group in the middle.
9262-20081208-1027 reads as 2008.
Where to find the serial number
The serial is on a label on the outside right of the unit, between two barcodes. It is also on the carton.
If the serial number does not decode
- Some early labels split the middle group, as in 9010-2008-114-1014. Only the year can be read from those.
- When there is no proof of installation, Navien counts warranty from six months after the manufacture date.
- The manufacturer can confirm the date from the serial: Navien registration, warranty or serial lookup.
What the age tells you
| Equipment | Typical service life |
|---|---|
| Tank water heater | 10 to 15 years |
| Tankless water heater | about 20 years |
About Navien
Navien is the North American brand of Kyung Dong Navien of South Korea, which began selling condensing gas water heaters in the United States in 2008. Tankless water heaters, combi-boilers and boilers share the same serial layout.
Questions and answers
Which characters in a Navien serial number show the date?
Skip the four-digit model code and the letter after it. The next two digits are the year. The character after them is the month: 1 to 9 for January to September, then X, Y and Z for October, November and December. The two digits after the month are the day. This applies to units built since the early 2010s.
Why does my Navien serial number look different?
Navien has used 2 serial formats: date block after the model code (built since the early 2010s); four-digit year in the middle group (built from 2008, on early US models). The decoder tries each one.
Sources
- CPSC recall: Navien tankless water heaters and boilers built July to October 2018, how the date appears in the serial number (US Consumer Product Safety Commission): https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2019/Navien-Recalls-Tankless-Water-Heaters-and-Boilers-Due-to-Risk-of-Carbon-Monoxide-Poisoning
- Building Intelligence Center: Navien water heater age (independent reference): https://www.building-center.org/navien-water-heater-age/
- TanklessHelp: how to determine the age of a Navien water heater (independent reference): https://www.tanklesshelp.com/how-to-determine-the-age-of-your-navien-water-heater/
- McGarry and Madsen Inspection: age of a Navien tankless water heater from the serial number (independent reference): https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/Entries/2018/6/how-can-i-tell-the-age-of-a-navien-tankless-water-heater-from-the-serial-number.html
Formats last checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Found a serial that does not fit? Send a correction. How formats are verified: method and sources.