Carpet Cleaner Machines Reviews

Find The Best Carpet Cleaner For Your Home

  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Top 10 List & Summary Reviews
    • 1. Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine 86T3/ 86T3Q Review
    • 2. Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner FH52000
    • 3. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer FH50150
    • 4. Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner FH50700
    • 5. Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner
    • Index of All Reviews
  • Professional Grade
    • Best 3 Professional-Grade Carpet Cleaning Machines for Home Users
    • 1. Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine 86T3
    • 2. Rug Doctor Machine
    • Professional Vs Regular Carpet Cleaning Machines
  • Lightweight
    • Best 3 Lightweight Carpet Cleaners
    • 1. Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner FH50700
    • 2. Bissell Turboclean Powerbrush Pet 2085
  • Portable
    • Best 5 Portable Carpet Cleaners Reviews
    • 1. Bissell SpotClean Professional 3624
    • 2. Bissell Little Green Spot & Stain Carpet Cleaner 1400
    • 3. Bissell SpotBot Pet Deep Cleaner (Automated Cleaning)
  • Compare
  • How To Choose
    • Factors To Consider
    • Hoover vs Bissell
    • Types of Carpet Cleaners To Choose From
  • Advertising Disclosure
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We earn commissions from purchases (details)
.

Bissell’s Single Bladder Tank Vs Hoover’s Two-Tank System

October 29, 2014 By Emmeline Chu 1 Comment

bissell bladder water tank system

Bissell’s “bladder” water tank system. The inner bladder is being filled with clean water. Screengrab from video demo below.

Most of Bissell’s regular upright home carpet cleaners come with a one-tank “bladder” system that has been advertised as offering convenience to users. As a user, you will only need to carry one tank with an inner bladder pouch to the sink to empty and refill it. Although this could be helpful, it also creates other inconveniences. A lot of users have remarked that the inner bladder tank set-up makes the emptying of dirty water awkward.

In comparison, Hoover offers a two-tank system for its regular upright carpet cleaners for home users. In general, there are less grouses concerning a dual water tank system, as it appears to be simpler to understand and apply. One tank is for holding the clean water and detergent mix. A second dirty water tank collects the dirty water that is suctioned from the carpet during the cleaning process.

This difference in tank systems between the two respected companies has been highlighted in the Hoover vs Bissell Carpet Cleaning Machines Compared post. It also includes numerous other points of comparison between the two brands.

Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner
Click Here for a Full Review on Hoover's Best Full-Sized Cleaner

 

What Is The Bladder Water Tank System?

Bissell’s single water tank system consist of a water tank with a “bladder bag” inside. The bladder bag is just a water pouch made of tough material to hold clean water with detergent for carpet cleaning purposes. Think of this as an “inner tank within a tank” system. As the clean water from the tank bladder is used up, it gets suctioned back as waste water into the water tank.

Note that the waste water resides outside the bladder bag within the same water tank. Separated by the inner “bladder tank,” clean water and waste water do not mix. Below is a video that illustrates how it works (start at 0.22):

Most Bissell carpet machine users seem at ease with handling this one-tank bladder pouch system, but there are some complaints about it. This is even from home users who like their Bissell cleaners, but wish the tank system was simpler (eg. “a two-tank system would be nice”).

For Bissell fans, the company has introduced a new consumer upright carpet cleaner design that incorporates a two-tank system. Check out the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution 1548.

Comparison With A Two-Tank System

One Trip To Empty/Refill Tank

As Bissell advertises, the main advantage of the single-tank bladder system is that it allows users to carry only one tank to and from the sink when emptying and refilling. This benefit seems to elude most users. Almost no one talks about this being a great benefit. In fact, with dual-tank systems, hardly anyone complains about having to bring two separate tanks to the sink – one for refilling and one for emptying to the sink.

While Bissell’s idea of handling only a single tank sounds great, users point to the following inconveniences of the system:

But Whenever Waste Water Fills The Bladder… You End Up Carrying Both Clean & Dirty Water

Sometimes, the tank is filled with waste water and you will then need to carry BOTH clean and dirty water to the sink or bathroom. With a two-tank system, you would only need to carry the dirty water tank to the sink or toilet and empty it.

Advertisements

 

Difficulties In Handling

It can be difficult to empty out the dirty water completely while there is still clean water and detergent mix in the clean water. Although you are supposed to pour out the waste water from the far end of the tank, you may sometimes have to shake off the dirt/hair/debris inside the tank. This shaking and maneuvering causes the clean water with detergent to escape.

Some models have tank caps that help to keep the clean water and detergent mix in, but clean water may still leak if you are shaking the tank a lot (such as when removing the pet hair or other debris). This is less of an issue if the Bissell carpet cleaner model you are using has a separate detergent mix tank, or if you are not using any detergent. In those cases, you may lose some clean water in the process, which is less painful than losing both water and detergent.

In any case, a single bladder tank set-up is just not as straight-forward when compared to a two-tank system, where the user simply needs to just dump out a tank of waste water.

Difficulties In Monitoring Water Level

A more minor point of dissatisfaction with having a bladder tank system for some users is that it is difficult to tell if the clean water tank is emptying out. Some users prefer a system where this information is clear to them. Two-tank systems may score better in this regard. A lot of times, the tanks are made of translucent plastic material and strategically placed, so that users can see the water level.

In Conclusion

Based on user feedback, it appears that the one-tank bladder pouch system is less well-liked than a two-tank system, principally because it is somewhat awkward to handle. At the same time, there are many who say they are not bothered by it. Some users feel that they do not really enjoy it, but it is more of a manageable annoyance than a deal breaker.

Hoover regular upright cleaners do have a slight design edge by offering a two-tank system. Nevertheless, Bissell machines that use the bladder tank system continue to be very well-rated and liked overall. Other factors also matter when it comes to choosing a carpet cleaner, and more can be found in this Hoover vs Bissell comparison.

Looking for a regular home carpet cleaner but not sure what to look for? Check out the Carpet Cleaning Machine Buyer’s Guide.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Emmeline Chu
Emmeline Chu
Emmeline Chu is the Chief Reviewer on this site. She likes to keep all things clean, especially carpets and rugs. Emmeline admits to a quirky obsession with carpet cleaner machines. Since 2014, she has been writing reviews on carpet cleaners. She shares her story here.
Emmeline Chu
Latest posts by Emmeline Chu (see all)
  • Stain-Cleaning with Martha Stewart and Meurice Garment Care - May 9, 2018
  • What Are The Best Handheld Carpet Cleaners? - August 4, 2017
  • 5 Best Pet Carpet Cleaners For Removing Pet Stains And Odors - May 22, 2017

 

 

  Advertisements

 

 

 

Filed Under: Carpet Cleaning Machines Tagged With: bissell carpet cleaning machines, bissell vs hoover, bladder tank system, hoover carpet cleaning machines, two tank system, upright carpet cleaners

About Emmeline Chu

Emmeline Chu is the Chief Reviewer on this site. She likes to keep all things clean, especially carpets and rugs. Emmeline admits to a quirky obsession with carpet cleaner machines. Since 2014, she has been writing reviews on carpet cleaners. She shares her story here.

Comments

  1. Mike S. in Novi, Michigan says

    December 4, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    I have the 2014 “yellow” 2x version which has the 2-in-1 bladder tank. Of couse you have to be careful, as the waste-water bag is soft. Well-made, so, used under home conditions, should last a long time with proper care. Tank replaceable for $50 from Bissell. If your carpets haven’t been cleaned in a while, expect a lot more pet hair and black dirt the first time out. Vaccuming first helps but this machine pulls out a lot of imbeded dirt. Relatively easy to clean but the pet hair may get caught in the machine the first time and require rotating-brush cleaning at first. My white carpeting (it’s a used house-I hate white) is the whitest in 4 years. Cleans as well as a much heavier rental machine or “Stanley Steamer” man. It should last enough years to easily pay for inself. Almost 100% plastic, so not for people who are “rough handlers” of floor cleaners and vaccums.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe – Best Value

Advertising Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
.........
This site contains advertising links. See AD Disclosure.

#1 Recommended – Bissell Big Green 86T3/ 86T3Q

Recommended Lightweight Carpet Cleaner

Best-Selling Portable Spot Cleaner Review

Bissell SpotClean Professional 3624 Portable Carpet Cleaner
Bissell SpotClean Professional 3624 Portable Carpet Cleaner

Carpet Cleaning Machines Reviews

Regular Home Carpet Cleaners
  • Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner
  • Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer FH50150
  • Hoover Power Scrub Elite Pet Carpet Cleaner FH50251
  • Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Carpet Cleaner
  • Hoover MaxExtract Dual V Carpet Cleaner F7412-900
  • Hoover Steamvac Carpet Cleaner With Clean Surge F5914-900
  • Bissell DeepClean Premier Pet Carpet Cleaner 17N4 Review
  • Hoover MaxExtract 60 PressurePro Carpet Deep Cleaner FH50220
  • Bissell ProHeat 2X Advanced Carpet Cleaner 1383Bissell ProHeat 2X Advanced 1383
    (With Internal Heater)
  • Index of Reviews
Comparison Chart
  • Compare Carpet Cleaning Machines
Professional Grade Machines
  • Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine 86T3/86T3Q Review
  • Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3
  • Bissell BG10 Big Green Commercial Carpet Extractor
Portable Machines
  • Portable Carpet Cleaning Machines Reviews
  • Bissell SpotClean Pro 3624
  • Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner
Lightweight Upright Machines
  • Lightweight Carpet Cleaners Reviews
  • Bissell ReadyClean PowerBrush 47B2
More Reviews
  • Index of Reviews

Bissell Carpet Cleaner Reviews

Compare & Choose a Bissell Cleaner

New Reviews & Guides

  • Hoover Power Scrub Elite Pet Carpet Cleaner FH50251
  • Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner FH11300PC
  • Pet Carpet Cleaner Machines Guide
  • Top Features Of Hoover Upright Carpet Cleaners To Consider
  • Bissell Big Green Complete Home-Cleaning System 7700
  • Bissell DeepClean Lift-Off Deluxe Pet Upright Deep Cleaner 24A4

Recent Posts

  • Stain-Cleaning with Martha Stewart and Meurice Garment Care
  • What Are The Best Handheld Carpet Cleaners?
  • 5 Best Pet Carpet Cleaners For Removing Pet Stains And Odors
  • 4 Main Types of Home Carpet Cleaners – Upright, Spot, Lightweight, Pro-Grade
  • Steps To Using A Bissell Carpet Cleaner Without Hassle

Copyright © 2023 CarpetCleanerMachinesReviews.com
About Us | Contact Us | Review Process | Reviews Index | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service | Compensation Disclosure | FTC Compliance | Sitemap
Disclosures: This site contains advertising links on most pages. We receive compensation for displaying these advertisements. Learn more >
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Limitation: We put every effort to provide the most accurate and helpful information on this site but we cannot provide any warranties on this information. Your use of our website or materials linked is completely at your own risk. Please always do your own due diligence before making a purchase or trying the product. In addition, some cleaning or stain removal methods discussed on this site may not work and even cause harm. Please always exercise caution and verify the information before using it. See full Terms of Service.