Does a whirlpool-only walk-in tub have foot jets, or do I need foot massage?

Yes, a hydro massage tub, the whirlpool system, does have jets at the feet. On a tub with the single hydro pump those footwell jets are part of the same system as the back, hip and leg jets, so pressing the Water button runs them all together, and the tub must be filled above the highest hydro jets before the pump starts. What the independent foot massage option adds is a second pump dedicated to the foot and calf jets, with its own button and intensity dial, so you can fill just the footwell and run the foot jets on their own. Foot Massage Jets Not Working? Fill Level and Shared-Pump Foot Jets Explained covers the symptom side of this; this page answers the buying question of which setup you need.

What Reaches Your Feet on Each System

Every Ella walk-in tub starts as the same shell and seat, and the therapy package decides what is plumbed behind the footwell. The table sets the options side by side using only the figures published in the sources for each system.

What the differences mean: if what you want is a full bath with your feet included, the standard hydro package already does it, because its footwell jets run every time the pump runs. If what you want is 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 with the tub only partly filled. The air system is a different kind of massage altogether, and the two are compared in What Is the Difference Between an Air Bath and Whirlpool Hydro Jets?.

How the Shared Pump Treats the Feet

On a hydro package one pump feeds every jet. When you press the Water button, the pump draws bath water in through the inlet cover and pushes it back out through the jets set into the tub walls, delivering a deep, targeted massage to the back, hips, legs and feet. The in-line heater and the ozone generator run automatically with the pump, so the water is held at the temperature you filled it and sterilized as it circulates. The intensity dial on the deck is an air control on a small hose, and turning it adds or removes air in the water stream to make the massage firmer or softer. Many hydro jets can be aimed, and the foot jet nozzles in particular can be opened, reduced or closed by turning the center of the jet face, so you can soften or shut the flow at your feet without touching the rest. The fill rule exists because of that single pump: with the tub only half full, the jets for your lower back sit above the waterline and spray into the room, and a pump run without water is permanently damaged in a way the warranty does not cover. The whole system is described in What is a hydrotherapy tub with built-in spa jets?.

What Independent Foot Massage Adds

A tub built with independent foot massage has two separate hydro pumps, one for the seat jets and one for the foot jets, each with its own push button and its own intensity dial. The first video on this page shows the option in use: four dedicated foot jets and two calf jets driven by a separate pump, a separate control dial for the jet stream, and no need to fill the whole tub. The second video explains why Ella builds it this way. Competitors use one pump and a diverter valve that takes power from one side and sends it to the other, which creates a weaker, inconsistent flow, while two pumps let you run full power to just your feet or full power to your entire body. On these configurations the in-line heater is attached to the foot massage pump, so it helps hold the water temperature while the foot jets run. For a foot-only session, close the door and the drains, fill the footwell to just below the seat and just above the calf jets so every foot and calf jet is covered, press the foot button and set the strength with the foot dial. For a full massage, fill 1 to 2 inches above the highest seat jet and run both pumps. The option is explained in What Is Independent Foot Massage on a Walk-In Tub?, and the session routine is in How Do I Use Only the Foot Massage Without Filling the Whole Tub?.

Deciding Which One You Need

Three facts settle the choice. First, the second pump, its jets and its dial are built in at the factory, so independent foot massage cannot be added later; decide with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before the order is placed. Second, per the current Air + Hydro + Independent Foot Massage schematic the option is available on the Royal, Monaco, Elite, Capri, Shak, Transfer60, Transfer32 and TransferXXL, and it is standard on the Ultimate; the Standard, Zen and Flow are the hydro-only models in the line, and the Standard ships with 18 hydro jets. Third, triple packages that combine air, hydro and independent foot massage require two dedicated GFCI 120 volt 20 amp outlets, which is worth knowing before an electrician plans the rough-in. If you also have air massage, remember that it is a separate pump with a separate control: the first press is high speed, the second is medium, the third is low and a fourth press turns it off, and about 20 minutes after you turn the air off the Auto Purge runs for 120 seconds to clear the air lines. Not every model offers every package, so if you already own a tub and want to know what it was built with, send your model and serial number through ellasbubbles.com/support and the team can confirm whether your foot jets share the pump or have their own.

Watch: Best Walk-In Tub with Independent Foot Massage (Buyers Guide) | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Does a hydro massage only walk-in tub include foot jets?

Related Videos

Preguntas comunes