The frigid winter months put extra strain on your household, especially on heating appliances. Conventional storage water heaters are especially impacted by the cold weather. The task of keeping a large volume of water hot at all times during dead of winter is a tall order – House Logic described storage water heaters as "a born loser" to this end, based on their design alone. Beyond efficiency problems, there are plenty of ways that traditional storage heaters can cause extra hassles during the coming winter months. You and your family can circumvent these troubles by going tankless this fall.

Still time to anticipate a tank failure
With winter around the corner, the end of autumn is the perfect time to inspect the home's water heater. Conventional models have a life cycle of about a decade, though this performance might be cut short if the appliance has been impacted by scale build-up. If a tankless water heater has reached the end of its rope, then there is a high chance that this winter could be its last. A water heater failure could put your home in danger of water and fire damage, so running a tank storage heater into its 11th or 12th years is a risky game. Going tankless is a great way to simultaneously add value to your home and eliminate your risk of being stranded without hot water in the middle of the winter. After all, The potential costs caused by a tank failure could far outweigh that of a water heater replacement. Tankless unit are also built to last twenty years, ensuring the new model will outlast its predecessor.

No tank means no need to insulate
Standby loss is a big issue for conventional water heaters all year round. Heat is constantly escaping from the storage tank, slowed only by insulation built into the walls of the reservoir. The Department of Energy even recommends that homeowners wrap their tanks with blankets to ensure the appliances run more efficiently during the winter. Thankfully, homeowners can dodge these chores for good by going tankless. Electric tankless models heat water on demand, eliminating the standby loss problems that plague older models. In addition, high-end electric models are built to resist freezing in up to -30 degree environments. These features offer homeowners a piece of mind and a bit of relief from their winterization chore list.

Greater efficiency offsets increased demand
Tankless water heaters offer far greater efficiency over conventional storage tanks. During the winter months, when fuel costs are at their peak, this difference in energy consumption is most significant. Tankless water heaters offer 99 percent thermal efficiency, guaranteeing that nearly 100 percent of the electricity costs required to run a water heater are put to good use. Even the most efficient traditional models, by comparison, are only 65 percent efficient. Considering that a large percentage of a household budget goes toward utilities, these monthly savings can make a big difference.

Added storage space useful in winter
Another handy benefit that tankless water heaters offer for the winter is their compact size. Winter precipitation will require you to store outdoor furniture and garden decorations inside. Replacing a bulky water heater with a tankless model a fraction of a size is an easy way to instantly free up a storage area for the winter months. Built just a tenth of the size of traditional water heaters, tankless are the top choice when it comes to saving interior space.