WATTS M.71.A Weekly Date Code
Product Specifications
- Manufacturer: Watts Water Technologies
- Date Code Format: YYWWXX
- Legibility Requirement: .08 inches [2 mm]
- Lettering Type: All capital letters using Arial or Helvetica font
Product Usage Instructions
- The date code consists of six digits in the format YYWWXX:
- The marking system provides traceability to the manufacturer and date of manufacture.
- Legibility should meet human readability standards without magnification. Use Arial or Helvetica font for marking characters.
- Characters should be at least .08 inches tall for legibility.
- Arial font in all capital letters is preferred. Automated processes like dot peen or laser are recommended for generating characters.
Applicable Products
- All Watts products purchased and manufactured products containing a UPC barcode and individual components as specified on production drawings or purchasing specifications.
Scope
- This document specifies marking requirements for the application of date code and manufacturer identification on all Watts Water Technologies (Watts) purchased and manufactured products that have a UPC barcode and individual components when specified.
- The purpose of this marking system is to provide traceability to the specific manufacturer and date of manufacture throughout a product or component’s service life.
Individual Product / Component Requirements
Date Code Format:
- Date code will utilize six digits with code format YYWWXX as identified below:
- Year of Manufacture identifier (“YY”): The first two digits of the code identify year of manufacture
- Week of Manufacture (“WW”): The middle two digits will identify the week of manufacture of the component or finished product assembly. In the event that a fixed template or date stamping means is applied, a span of 1 week prior to and 1 week after the actual date of final product completion is acceptable. The production week is based on January 1st being start of year. Specific date code schedule is outlined in Table 1.
- Supplier Code (“XX”): The final two digits will identify the supplier via an alphanumeric code. The alphanumeric code will utilize numeric digits 0 through 9 and upper case alphabetic characters A through Z with the letters I and O excluded. The supplier code is generated by converting the 6-digit decimal Supplier number in the Watts system to the two digit alphanumeric representation. Note: Watts MRP system will automatically generate this code and populate field on Watts purchase orders and/or supplier schedules.
- Example conversion of 6-digit supplier number 156622.
- The alphanumeric code representation of 156622 is GJ. The complete code for a product manufactured by this supplier in the 12th week of 2010 would be 1012GJ.
Exception: The following Watts facilities will use the following single digit codes.
- Webster Valve: W
- Regtrol: R
- TWVC: T
- WNV: N
- NOGALES MEXICO: M
- St. Paul’s S (3)
Product / Component Date Code Placement
Code is to be applied on all finished products containing a UPC barcode and on specific components as specified on the production drawing or purchasing specification. For finished products, refer to Table 2 for recommended marking locations by product type. If the product is not listed or if a manufacturer is unable to mark in the recommended location, a marking location must be reviewed and agreed upon by the supplier and Watts. Agreement is to be confirmed via formal approval issued by Watts (active production drawing or temporary marked-up drawing signed by Watts).
Placement must be in a location that is not in contact with final service media (i.e. internal wetted parts); it shall not be applied on surfaces used during installation and servicing. Wherever practical, the marking location on the item shall be selected to ensure readability during normal operational use. The main body in case of an assembly, or most pronounced surface on a fitting or component, is the preferred location to apply the marking. In cases where product geometry or material form does not permit marking directly on principal surfaces, use of a nameplate, handle or tag securely attached to the product may be considered. Marking size shall satisfy the legibility requirements of this specification.
Permanency
- Markings applied via direct product application, nameplate, handle or identification bands shall be as permanent as the normal life expectancy of the product/component and be capable of withstanding the environmental conditions experienced in normal application use.
- The directly applied identification marking method must ensure that the mark will withstand installation and service procedures and shall account for the final finished condition of the item, including paints, coatings, and sealants to assure readability.
- Refer to Table 3 for guidance on acceptable marking methods.
Legibility
- Legibility shall be as required for human readability without magnification.
- The recommended minimum character height is .08 inches [2 mm].
- In cases where component size or geometry does not permit use of characters per this minimum height, the supplier must consult Watts to obtain approval of the agreed-upon configuration.
Type of lettering
- Letters shall be all capital letters using either Arial or Helvetica font.
- Preferred font is Arial. Generating characters by automated processes (e.g., dot peen, laser, interactive graphics systems, stencils, or embossed stamp) shall be the preferred method.
- Example of all characters used for marking requirements specified in this ATI: 0123456789ABCDEFGHJKLMNPQRSTUVWXYZ (Arial font 12-point BOLDFACE shown)
Table 1 – Week Code Values
| Date of Product Manufacture | Week Code | Date of Product Manufacture | Week Code | |
| January 1 – January 7 | 01 | July 3 – July 9 | 27 | |
| January 8 – January 14 | 02 | July 10 – July 16 | 28 | |
| January 15 – January 21 | 03 | July 17 – July 23 | 29 | |
| January 22 – January 28 | 04 | July 24 – July 30 | 30 | |
| January 29 – February 5 | 05 | July 31 – August 6 | 31 | |
| February 6 – February 12 | 06 | August 7 – August 13 | 32 | |
| February 13 – February 19 | 07 | August 14 – August 20 | 33 | |
| February 20 – February 26 | 08 | August 21 – August 27 | 34 | |
| February 27 – March 5 | 09 | August 28 – September 3 | 35 | |
| March 6 – March 12 | 10 | September 4 – September 10 | 36 | |
| March 13 – March 19 | 11 | September 11 – September 17 | 37 | |
| March 20 – March 26 | 12 | September 18 – September 24 | 38 | |
| March 27 – April 2 | 13 | September 25 – October 1 | 39 | |
| April 3 – April 9 | 14 | October 2 – October 8 | 40 | |
| April 10 – April 16 | 15 | October 9 – October 15 | 41 | |
| April 17 – April 23 | 16 | October 16 – October 22 | 42 | |
| April 24 – April 30 | 17 | October 23 – October 29 | 43 | |
| May 1 – May 7 | 18 | October 30 – November 5 | 44 | |
| May 8 – May 14 | 19 | November 6 – November 12 | 45 | |
| May 15 – May 21 | 20 | November 13 – November 19 | 46 | |
| May 22 – May 28 | 21 | November 20 – November 26 | 47 | |
| May 29 – June 4 | 22 | November 27 – December 3 | 48 | |
| June 5 – June 11 | 23 | December 4 – December 10 | 49 | |
| June 12 – June 18 | 24 | December 11 – December 17 | 50 | |
| June 19 – June 25 | 25 | December 18 – December 24 | 51 | |
| June 26 – July 2 | 26 | December 25 – December 31 | 52 |
Table 2: Date Code Marking Location Guide
| Product Type / Family | Preferred Marking Location | Alternate Location |
| Air Separators / Air Vents | Valve Body** | none |
| Automatic Control Valves | Valve Body** | Nameplate |
| Backflow Prevention Valves | Valve Body** | Nameplate |
| Balancing Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Ball Valves | Valve Body** | Adapter |
| Boiler Drain Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Boiler Level Controls | Valve Body** | Nameplate |
| Butterfly Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Check Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Corrugated Connectors | Nut | Exposed Tube OD |
| Di-electric Union Fittings | Tail piece | Adapter |
| Drainage Products | Body | Cover |
| Electronic Products | Primary Circuit Board | Nameplate |
| Escutcheons | Non-exposed back side | none |
| Expansion Tanks | External Tank shell | Nipple Flats |
| Faucets | Valve Body Under Spout | near UPC markings |
| Filtration Equipment | Body and Filter Bowls | Nameplate |
| Fittings (Quick-Connect, PEX) | Fitting Body | none |
| Float Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Flow Checks | Valve Body** | Bonnet |
| Flow Switches | Valve Body** | none |
| Gate Valves | Valve Body** | Bonnet |
| Gauges | Gage Housing | none |
| General Fittings / Saddle Valves | Fitting Body | none |
| Globe Valves | Valve Body** | Bonnet |
| Hose Bibbs | Valve Body** | none |
| Hose Connection Vacuum Breakers | Valve Body** | none |
| Hydronics Fill Valves | Valve Body** | Cage |
| Hydronics Isolation Valves | Valve Body** | Adapter |
| Kitchen Sink Strainers | Strainer Body: Bottom of strainer body | none |
| Metal Tubular / Bath Wastes | All tubes/castings near the threaded end | none |
| Metering Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Pipe and Tubing | Outside surface with standard markings | none |
| Pipe Nipples | Non-threaded External Surface | none |
| Plastic Tubular / Bath Wastes | All tubes near the threaded end | none |
| Pressure Regulators | Valve Body** | Nameplate |
| Relief / Bypass Valves | Valve Body** | Nameplate |
| Strainers (Wyes: Water filtration) | Valve Body** | none |
| Tempering Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Trap Primers | Valve Body** | none |
| Vacuum Relief Valves | Valve Body** | none |
| Wall Hydrants | Valve Body** / Tube Extension | none |
| Washing Machine Shut-off Valves | Main Body & Elbows | none |
| Water Hammer Arrestors | Copper Tube | Brass Adapter Flats |
| Water Supply Hoses | Crimp Sleeve | Nut |
| Water Supply Stop Valves | Body Flats | none |
Note: Valve Body date code to appear near size or model marking.
TABLE 3. Marking Methods
(This table is given only as a guide)
| Marking Methods | Mark Characteristics | Recommended Use |
| Blast (grit) ( with pre-encoded stencils) | Variable depth or height | Abrasive method that can be used on most surfaces |
| Acid Etch ( with pre-encoded stencils) | Characters produced by use of acid. Use on metal and glass | |
| Vibro Peen | Metal or nonmetallic parts that may deform if metal-stamped. Hand-held operation. | |
| Metal Stamp | Metal or nonmetal parts that will not deform under the stamping pressure required. Also, the alteration of the surface roughness finish will not be detrimental to proper functioning. | |
| Dot peening | Metal or nonmetal parts that may deform if metal-stamped. | |
| Engraving | Sheet metal fabrication that will deform if the metal is stamped. Functional marking with color filler | |
| Embossing | Thin sheet metal, plastics on nonfunctional surfaces | |
| Cast or forged (with pre-encoded stencils) | Castings or forgings – characters raised or depressed depending on the method of manufacture, unless otherwise specified on the drawing. Marking should be used on non-machined surfaces only | |
| Molded (with pre-encoded stencils) | Usually plastic or rubber parts; may be either raised or depressed, unless otherwise specified. | |
| Electrochemical etch (electrolytic process) | Characters normally depressed, but may be raised. Used on fine surface finishes without protective coating, also high hardness parts (HRC 50 or higher) | |
| Laser Discoloration | Surface mark | Heat from the laser discolors the material surface without associated metal removal |
| Laser (Paint pigmentation) | Chemicals added to some plastics will react by changing color when exposed with a laser. | |
| Laser (Bonding) | Raised mark | Marking is produced by bonding a medium to the surface of an item, marking with a laser and producing a raised mark. |
| Laser (Engraving) | Variable depth | Very good resolution of alpha-numeric and machine-readable marking symbology. Character height and width range from .007 to 4.0 inches. |
| Laser (Etching) | Generally limited to 0.001 inch max. depth, done at lower power settings | |
| Laser markable Inks/Paints | Surface Mark | Inks and paints containing pigments that discolor when struck with a laser beam |
Package Requirements
Date Code Requirements:
- All packaging utilized for individual product containment (bag or individual box) and for packaging multiple individual products (master carton) must have a date code applied on the product label itself or other location as directed per this specification.
- The date code is to accurately identify the date of packaging.
- Where inner cartons are packaged, both inner packaging and master containers must have this date code applied based on actual date of packaging.
Date Code Format:
- Date code will utilize eight digits with code format MM/DD/YY-XX as identified below:
- Month Packaged identifier (“MM”): The first two digits of the code identify the month product is packaged.
- Day Packaged identifier (“DD”): The second set of two digits identifies the actual day of the month the product is packaged.
- Year of Manufacture identifier (“YY”): The third set of two digits identifies the year.
- Supplier Code (“XX”): The final two digits will identify the supplier via an alphanumeric code. The alphanumeric code will utilize numeric digits 0 through 9 and upper case alphabetic characters A through Z with the letters I and O excluded. The supplier code is generated by converting the 6-digit decimal Supplier number in the Watts system to the two-digit alphanumeric representation.
Note: Watts MRP system will automatically generate this code and populate field on Watts purchase orders and/or supplier schedules.
Example conversion of 6-digit supplier number 156622.
The alphanumeric code representation of 156622 is GJ. The complete code for a product packaged by this supplier on the 15th day of February in 2010 would be 02/15/10-GJ.
Exception: The following Watts facilities will use the following single-digit codes.
- Webster Valve: W
- Regtrol: R
- TWVC: T
- WNV: N
- NOGALES MEXICO: M
- St. Paul’s S (3)
Permanency / Legibility:
Date code shall be applied using ink that is not water-soluble. Specific minimum character heights are defined below per each package type.
Type of lettering.
- Letters shall be all capital letters using either Arial or Helvetica font. Preferred font is Arial.
Carton Marking:
- Date code must be stamped on cartons using a rubber stamp (not water-soluble ink), stencil or direct printing via ink jet.
- DO NOT handwrite on the master or Inner carton.
- If date code is applied on pre-printed glossy labels, use of inkjet, stencil, screen or punch pin printing is to be used to print the Date code.
ASSEMBLY AND TEST INSTRUCTIONS
Master Carton:
- Master carton refers to a box that contains an individual or smaller quantity of packaged units (Figure 1).
- For finished products containing a UPC barcode, date code shall be applied in location as shown in Figure 2.
- For manufacturers using print-on-demand labels, date code shall be printed as shown in Figure 3.
- Minimum acceptable character height for master carton date code shall be .25 inches [6.4 mm].
Inner/Individual Plain Carton:
- Plain carton refers to a box with no pre-printed graphics of the product detail that it contains.
- Individual carton is a single pack unit and inner carton is multi pack unit that are placed into a master carton (Product in individual or inner case is identified by a pre-printed label).
- Minimum acceptable character height for inner/individual plain carton date code shall be .25 inches [6.4 mm].
- For date coding inner and individual cartons refer to Figure 5. For placement of these cartons into a master carton refer to Figure1.
Pre-printed Individual Cartons and Bags:
- Date coding on pre-printed cartons and bags is governed by the location noted and defined by individual SKU’s artwork / Graphics.
- Date code mark is to be applied by needle punching, inkjet or ink stamp in specified area.
- Minimum acceptable character height for pre-printed carton and bag date code shall be .13 inches [3.3 mm].
Individual or Multi Pack – Plain (non-pre-printed) Bags:
- Plain individual or bulk pack bag refers to a plastic bag with no Watts graphics applied.
- Date code on the bags to be applied by needle punching, inkjet, ink stamp or permanent label in an area that does not interfere with heat-sealing of the bag and is visible on both sides of the bag. Minimum acceptable character height for plain bag date code shall be .13 inches [3.3 mm].
Crated Product:
- Crated packaging applies to wood or other structural packaging utilized for large or heavy items requiring reinforced packaging.
- Date code is to be applied to item label near label by stamp or stencil. Minimum acceptable character height for date applied on crate shall be .39” [10 mm].
Components
- This applies to products supplied in bulk packaging that do not have specified marking requirements.
- Date code is applied via stamp or stencil or printed directly on the label used for item identification as required by Watts’ purchasing specifications.
- Minimum acceptable character height for date code shall be .25” [6.4 mm].
FAQ
- Q: What products does the date code apply to?
- A: The date code applies to all Watts purchased and manufactured products with UPC barcodes and specified individual components.
- Q: How can I determine the manufacturing date from the date code?
- A: The first two digits indicate the year of manufacture, and the middle two digits represent the week of manufacture. Refer to the provided schedule for accurate decoding.
- Q: What if the characters cannot meet the minimum height requirement?
- A: If component size or geometry constraints prevent meeting the minimum character height, consult Watts for approval on an agreed-upon configuration.
Documents / Resources
 | M.71.A Weekly Date Code |
References
- User Manualmanual.tools
Published: August 12, 2025