Which Ella walk-in tubs have jets aimed at the feet and legs?

Jets aimed at the feet and legs come with the hydro massage system rather than with one particular model, so any Ella walk-in tub built with hydro massage has them: the pump recirculates your bath water and pushes it back out through jets aimed at the back, hips, legs and feet. On the outward-swing door tubs the component drawings show two calf and leg hydro jets plus four foot massage jets, and the optional Independent Foot and Calf Massage adds a second pump with six jets dedicated to the feet and calves. Whether the standard hydro package already gives you what you want, or you need that second pump, is the buying question answered in Does a whirlpool-only walk-in tub have foot jets, or do I need foot massage?. This page sets the systems side by side, explains how to run the feet and legs on their own, and shows how a tub with leg jets also takes a shower setup.

The Therapy Package, Not the Model, Puts Jets at Your Feet

Every Ella walk-in tub starts as the same shell and seat. What changes is the equipment installed underneath it and the buttons on the deck, and that therapy package is chosen when the tub is ordered and built in at the factory. It is not an accessory added afterwards and it cannot be changed later, which is why the question to settle before you order is which package reaches your feet the way you want.

On a hydro package, when you press the Water button the pump draws bath water in through the inlet cover and pushes it out through jets aimed at the back, hips, legs and feet. One press starts the hydro and one press stops it. Every Ella tub with hydro massage has an intensity dial on the deck: turning it up introduces more air into the jet stream for a stronger flow, and turning it down reduces the air for a gentler flow. The dial is an air control on a small hose rather than an electrical part, so you can adjust it freely during the bath. The lower calf and foot jets are adjustable as well. Turning the center of a foot jet face opens, reduces or closes that jet, so a bather who likes a firm massage at the back but a softer one at the feet can set them differently.

Hydro is also the system that brings the in-line heater with it. The heater is plumbed into the hydro loop and holds the bath at the temperature you filled it while the jets run. Ozone sterilization runs automatically with the hydro pump on packages that include it, though not every hydro tub lists one; the spec sheets for the Standard and Standard60, for example, list no ozone generator. The whole system is described in What Is a Hydro Tub and How Does Hydrotherapy Work?.

The Systems Compared

What the differences mean: if you want a full bath with your feet and legs massaged, the standard hydro package already does it, because the footwell jets run every time the pump runs. If you want to sit on the seat with only your feet and calves in moving water, you need Independent Foot Massage, because the shared pump cannot run until the water is above the highest jet. The Standard60 is the model whose diverter switches let you send the massage to the feet and legs alone without a second pump, so it is worth asking about if that is the feature you care about. Air massage is a different kind of massage altogether, and How do hydro, air and microbubble therapies differ and how do they work? pulls the three systems apart.

Running the Feet and Legs on Their Own

On the shared pump every jet is fed by one pump, so the tub must be filled 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jet before you press the Water button. Jets above the waterline spray water out of the open top of the tub, and a pump run without water above the jets is damaged, so a foot-only soak is simply not possible on this package.

The Independent Foot and Calf Massage option changes that. It adds a second hydro pump with its own in-line water heater, its own push button and its own intensity dial, feeding four foot jets and two calf jets. You fill only the footwell, to just below the seat and just above the calf jets, and run those six jets while the upper seat jets stay off. It is decided at order time like every other package.

If you choose air massage instead, the first press of the Air button is always high speed, the second is medium, the third is low, and a fourth press turns the blower off. About 20 minutes after you turn the air pump off, Auto Purge starts on its own and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It cannot be stopped and it is normal even if it begins while you are still in the room. The jet positions, including the feet and bidet positions, are shown in Do Walk-In Tubs Come With Massage Jets, Hydrotherapy and Air Baths?.

Adding a Shower to a Tub with Leg Jets

The jets and the shower are separate systems, so a tub with hydro massage at the feet and legs takes a shower setup just as readily as a soaker does. The shower hardware attaches to the faucet, not to the therapy package. The Shower Column Kit connects to the diverter on an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck-mounted fast-fill faucet, adjusts up to about 7 feet tall, and carries an oversized 10 inch rain shower that you can aim at the seat for a seated shower or at the footwell for a standing one, along with a vertically movable 5 mode hand shower bracket. The kit's diverter selects either the rain head or the hand shower, one at a time, so the two do not spray together, and that is by design. A separate handheld shower arm with a 24-inch slide bar kit is also offered.

Because a walk-in tub is open on top, a few habits keep the floor dry. Keep the hand shower below deck height and aimed toward the tub wall, and do not lift it to a wall bracket without the leak elimination kit, since water can travel down the hose and behind the tub. Fill until the water is above every jet before switching on any therapy. The tempered glass 4 fold screen locks into place to keep spray in, but it needs a side wall next to the deck, so the tub must sit in a corner or alcove, and it mounts on the wall side away from any extension panel. A 52 inch tub with an extension panel in a 60 inch alcove uses the 32 inch 3 fold configuration. If spray still escapes, Why Does Water Spray Out of the Tub When I Use the Hand Shower? walks through what to check.

What to Confirm Before You Order

1. Decide whether you want the feet and legs included in a full bath, or a foot-only soak as well. The first calls for the hydro package, the second for Independent Foot Massage or the Standard60 diverter switches.
2. Look at the component drawing or spec sheet for the model you are considering, since not every model offers every package and the jet layout is printed there.
3. Decide whether you want a seated or standing overhead shower, which adds the Shower Column Kit to an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck-mounted faucet.
4. Note the room: a 4 fold screen needs a side wall beside the deck, and the shower column is far simpler to fit before the tub is set in place.
5. Have your model name and room size ready when you speak with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or visit ellasbubbles.com/support, so the jet package and the shower setup can be matched to the tub you have in mind.

Related Guides

• Independent Foot Massage: A Foot Spa Without Filling the Whole Tub
• Does a hydro massage only walk-in tub include foot jets?
• How Do I Use Only the Foot Massage Without Filling the Whole Tub?

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