The short answer
On a Bradford White gas water heater in Northern Virginia, the light on the gas control is the code. One slow blink every few seconds is normal. No light usually means the pilot is out. Two flashes means a weak pilot signal, four means the water got too hot and the safety tripped, and five means the temperature sensor failed. Power vent models have their own codes, and the first two letters of the serial number tell you how old the tank is.
The ICON gas control
Many Bradford White gas tanks use the ICON control: a gas valve with a temperature dial and a small status light near the knob. It runs on a thermopile in the pilot flame, so it doesn’t need an outlet. Watch the light for a full minute and count the flashes between pauses. Count a second round to be sure.
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| The light | What it means | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| One slow blink every few seconds | Normal: the pilot is lit and the control is happy | Nothing |
| No light | The pilot is out, or the dial is off | Relight it by the label. Our relight steps walk through it |
| 2 flashes | Weak pilot signal: a dirty pilot or a tired thermopile | Look for lint at the base of the tank, then call |
| 4 flashes | The water overheated and the high limit opened | Turn it off and call. The gas control gets replaced |
| 5 flashes | The temperature sensor failed | Call |
The older ICON 1.0 control has a few more: 3 flashes means the control didn’t see the water warm up, 6 means the leak sensor found water, 7 means the control failed, and 8 means it sees a flame with the dial off. On 6, shut the cold water valve on top of the tank. On 7 and 8, leave it off and call.
$99 Water Heater Flush
We drain and flush the tank, check the anode rod and test the relief valve, then go through the house's plumbing with photos, included. See the flush
Want your own number before anyone comes out? The water heater estimator prices your house in a few questions.
When the pilot won’t stay lit
Bradford White’s sealed burner design, which they call the Defender Safety System, closes off the combustion chamber and pulls air in through a screen at the bottom of the tank. Lint, dust and pet hair clog that screen, and a starved pilot goes out or shows 2 flashes. If yours keeps going out, look at the base of the tank for a gray mat of fuzz first. Then see why a pilot keeps going out and the thermocouple and thermopile.
Power vent models
A Bradford White power vent has a blower on top and a plastic vent pipe running outside. Its codes cover the vent as well as the flame:
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| The light | What it means |
|---|---|
| One flash a second | Weak pilot |
| 8 flashes, then 1 | The flammable vapor sensor is out of spec |
| 8 flashes, then 2, 3 or 4 | A gas valve fault |
Before you call on a power vent, check that it’s plugged in and the outlet has power, then look at the vent outside. Leaves, a nest or a snowdrift over the pipe shut the burner down on any brand.
How old is my Bradford White?
The first two letters of the serial number are the date. The first letter is the year, on a 20-year cycle that skips I, O, Q, R, U and V. The second letter is the month, A for January through M for December, skipping I.
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| Letter | Year | Letter | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2004 or 2024 | L | 2014 |
| B | 2005 or 2025 | M | 2015 |
| C | 2006 or 2026 | N | 2016 |
| D | 2007 | P | 2017 |
| E | 2008 | S | 2018 |
| F | 2009 | T | 2019 |
| G | 2010 | W | 2020 |
| H | 2011 | X | 2021 |
| J | 2012 | Y | 2022 |
| K | 2013 | Z | 2023 |
So a serial starting PD was made in April 2017. For A, B and C, the tank itself tells you which cycle it’s on: a tank from 2004 has twenty years of crust on its fittings. More on reading the age of any water heater.
Repair or replace?
A thermopile, a pilot cleaning or a gas control is a normal repair on a Bradford White under 10 years old. Past that, weigh it against a new tank; here’s how long a water heater lasts. Bradford White sells through plumbing wholesalers rather than big box stores, so the one in your basement was most likely put in by a plumber. We repair and replace them across Northern Virginia; more on our Bradford White page, and how they stack up in the best water heater brands. The blinking light guide covers the Rheem and A. O. Smith controls, and A. O. Smith codes go deeper on that one.
On a tank with years left, the water heater flush is $99 (normally $199): we drain and flush the tank, check the anode rod and test the relief valve. Sediment is what overheats the bottom of a tank. On an old one, the water heater estimator shows your installed price first, and $500 comes off it.
Book it
A plumbing diagnosis visit is $49, or $250 after hours, and you get the price of the fix before we start. Call (703) 997-9757, day or night, or book the water heater flush from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer by November 30 and a box of warm MOLTN cookies comes with it. Every current deal is on our offers page. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
Why is my Bradford White water heater blinking?
One slow blink every few seconds is normal. A count of quick flashes with a pause is a code: 2 is a weak pilot signal, 4 is an overheat, 5 is a failed temperature sensor.
What does 4 flashes mean on a Bradford White water heater?
The water got too hot and the high-limit safety opened. Turn it off and call; the gas control gets replaced.
Why is there no light on my Bradford White gas control?
Usually the pilot is out. Relight it by the label on the tank. If it won’t stay lit, the thermopile or the air screen at the bottom is the usual cause.
How do I tell how old my Bradford White water heater is?
Read the first two letters of the serial number. The first is the year and the second is the month. PD is April 2017.
Gas models don’t; the overheat safety is inside the gas control. Electric models have a red reset button behind the upper panel.
