Who Needs A Dual Tank Water Softener? And Why!

If you have hard water, you know that you need to get a water softener. But what kind of water softener do you need? Most water softeners look very much the same except that some water softeners have two tanks instead of just one. Should you get a Dual-Tank water softener?

You need a dual-tank water softener if you need to have an uninterrupted supply of softened water regardless of the time of day or amount of water used. A dual-tank water softener will provide softened water 24 hours a day.

Most people don’t need to have softened water while they are sleeping, which is the only time that a single tank water softener will not provide softened water. But if you require a 24 hour a day supply of softened water, a dual-tank water softener may be right for you.

Who Needs A Dual-Tank Water Softener?

Someone who would NEED an uninterrupted supply of softened water?

Remember that the primary reason to get a dual-tank water softener is to have an uninterrupted supply of softened water.

High Water Usage Buildings:

• Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals and Doctors’ or Dentists’ offices use water throughout the day to maintain cleanliness in the facilities, because soft water helps the soap to be more effective for cleaning, having a continuous supply of soft water is a must!

• Manufacturing Industry: Manufacturing facilities have machines that are cooled by water and kept clean with water to keep them operating properly. Hard water can foul parts and cause machines to fail which can lead to costly manufacturing downtime.

• Shopping Centers: Even a small shopping center will have many shops that need soft water throughout the day. Customers visiting the shopping center will expect the restrooms to be clean and the water they use to wash to be soft.

• Hotels/Motels: People are always coming and going from hotels and motels. There is no one time of day when guests will need to use a shower or sink so a hotel or motel needs to be able to provide their guests with softened water 24/7.

• Households With High Water Usage: Most households may not need a continual supply of softened water but if you have a large family or members of your family that needs soft water at all times of the day, you may want to consider a dual-tank water softener.

Food Service Businesses:

• Restaurants: You expect your drinking glass and dinnerware to sparkle when you sit down at your favorite restaurant. If a restaurant gets hard water stains on their dishware it can hurt business and even cause permanent wear on their expensive dishware.

• Coffee Shops: Coffee drinkings expect their coffee to taste perfect every time. Hard water can affect how coffee tastes and how coffee makers work. Having even a short interruption in softened water could mean a lot of unhappy coffee drinkers.

• Bakeries: Baking is a detailed process that requires all of the ingredients to be just right. A bakery needs to be sure that the water that they are using to produce their baked goods is going to consistently produce a high-quality product.

Who Doesn’t Need A Dual-Tank Water Softener?

• The Average Household:

Most households use the majority of their water during the day when the people in the home are most active and rarely will use water when their water softener is regenerating once a week for about an hour and a half at 2:00 in the morning.

A standard single tank water softener is normally set to regenerate in the middle of the night when very little (if any) water is being used so it can provide softened water for the household during the day when it is needed.

Even if you do use a small amount of water in the middle of the night when the water softener is regenerating, it is not likely to be enough to cause any issues with your homes’ plumbing or water fixtures.

What Makes A Dual Tank Water Softener Different?

In some cases, a dual-tank water softener is used when space is limited but a high volume of water is needed.

In this case, a dual-tank water softener may have water flowing through BOTH of its water softener resin tanks at the same time to soften high volumes of water flow.

But, in most cases, the primary purpose of using a dual-tank water softener is so that water is only flowing through one tank at a time and then when the water softener needs to regenerate, it will switch tanks to provide an uninterrupted supply of softened water.

A standard single-tank water softener does NOT provide softened water while it is regenerating which is why they are set to regenerate when no water is needed.

Check Out This Quick Video On How A Single Tank Water Softener Works!

Types Of Dual-Tank Water Softeners.

A dual-tank water softener can use both a programmable electric control valve or a non-programmable non-electric control valve.

Both types of control valves are able to monitor water usage and switch from one resin tank to another when needed.

Dual-tank water softeners can come with many different sized tanks from very small tanks to very large tanks depending on the need of the unit.

Are Dual-Tank Water Softeners Worth The Money?

If you have a commercial building that requires softened water at all times, a dual-tank water softener is absolutely worth the extra money!

But for the average homeowner, I don’t often recommend a dual-tank water softener because the higher cost that is often associated with a dual-tank water softener usually does not justify the minimal benefit that a dual-tank water softener will provide for the average homeowner.

Benefits Of A Dual-Tank Water Softener.

• Uninterrupted softened water: Because a dual-tank water softener alternates resin tanks when it starts its regeneration process, there is no interruption in soft water.

• More efficient regeneration: Unlike a standard single-tank water softener that automatically regenerates when it gets near its water softening capacity, a dual-tank water softener does not need to regenerate until it has used its resin to its full capacity.

• Compact size: A dual-tank water softener can use two short resin tanks rather than one taller resin tank which can make them ideal for compact areas like underneath stairs or basements with low ceilings.

Disadvantages Of A Dual Tank Water Softener.

• Higher price tag: For the most part, a dual-tank water softener will cost more than a standard single-tank water softener that would work just fine for most homes. Only when the need for uninterrupted soft water is required does the higher price become necessary.

• Takes up more floor space: Although a dual-tank water softener can require less vertical space because it uses two tanks side by side, it will require more floor space than a single-tank water softener.

• More complicated control valve: Both electric and non-electric dual-tank water softeners require that the valve switch tanks when they regenerate as well as perform the regeneration process. This can mean more moving parts to wear out and eventually need replacing.

To Sum Up!

If you own a business, building, or home that requires an uninterrupted supply of softened water, then a dual-tank water softener is a good choice for you.

But for most average homeowners, a properly programmed single tank water softener will provide soft water during the day when the family will be actively using water.