What Is the Difference Between Air Jets and Water Jets in a Walk-In Tub?

Water jets and air jets are two separate systems that happen to share the same tub. Hydro massage water jets are fed by a pump that draws your bath water in through the pump inlet cover and pushes it back out through the jets as a directed stream, with an intensity dial on the deck to set how firm it feels. Air massage jets are fed by their own air pump that blows only air through sealed lines, so the massage arrives as a blanket of bubbles rising through the water, with three speeds from one push button. The water system on its own is covered in What Are Jets de massage hydro on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page puts the two side by side so you can see which one, or which combination, suits you.

The Two Systems at a Glance

Put simply, the water jets are the massage you feel as pressure against the back, hips, legs and feet, adjustable both at the dial and at each jet. The air jets are the massage you feel as movement all around you, chosen by speed rather than by pressure and left exactly as the factory arranged them. The hydro side also brings the in-line heater and ozone with it, while the air side brings the self-drying Auto Purge, and those automatic extras shape the day-to-day ownership as much as the massage itself.

How the Water Jets Work

When you press the Water button, the hydro pump draws bath water in through the inlet cover and pushes it out through the jets. The in-line heater and the ozone generator both run automatically with the hydro pump: the heater holds the water at the temperature you filled it, and the ozone sterilizes the water as it circulates. The intensity dial is an air control on a small hose rather than an electrical part. Turning it adds or removes air in the water stream to make the massage firmer or softer, which is why the dial is the first answer when hydro jets feel too strong.

Many hydro jets can be aimed, and the foot jet nozzles can be opened, reduced or closed by turning the center. Jet counts belong to the package rather than the model. The Standard ships with 18 hydro jets on an 8.1A 900W pump, the Elite's hydro package has 16 jets, 10 in the seat and 6 in the foot area, and the Transfer family's Hydro Massage package lists 22 jets, 16 seat and 6 foot. Tubs with independent foot massage add a second pump and dial so the foot and calf jets run on their own. Before starting, fill the tub 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jet, because running a pump dry causes permanent damage that is not covered by warranty.

How the Air Jets Work

The air massage uses its own air pump, which blows air through sealed lines to air jets in the seat and between the legs, so only air moves through those lines while the system runs. The first video on this page shows the three-speed system in action and points out that Ella places jets in places others do not, including hip jets, feet jets and bidet jets. Because the system is sealed, an individual air jet cannot be permanently closed off: removing one lets air escape and the whole system suffers.

The push button on the deck is pneumatic. Pressing it sends a puff of air down a small hose to the control box, which switches the pump on. If that hose works loose at the button or at the control box, the button does nothing, so a loose hose is the first thing to check when the air massage goes quiet. On the push controls the first press starts high speed, the second drops to medium, the third to low, and a fourth press turns the system off. There is no reverse ramp. On the digital touchpad, touch the air bubble icon once to start, use the plus and minus buttons to change intensity, and hold the icon for two seconds to turn the air off.

About 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, the Auto Purge starts on its own and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It is fully automatic, cannot be stopped, and is normal even if it begins while you are still in the tub. The everyday name for a tub with this system, and what to do if the bubbles feel too strong, are in What Is a Bubble Tub and How Does Air Massage Work?.

Which Packages Give You Which Jets

Neither system is tied to a tub shape. The shell stays the same whichever package you choose, and what changes is the equipment underneath. The package menu is Soaking, Hydro Massage, Air Massage, Air plus Hydro, Hydro plus Independent Foot Massage, Hydro plus Microbubble, and triple combinations on certain models. Hydro adds the water pump with the in-line heater and ozone plus a push button and intensity dial. Air adds the three-speed blower with Auto Purge. The LED chromatherapy light comes with every dual and triple package but not with hydro alone.

Because jets follow the package, a single spec sheet can print two different counts and both are correct. A Transfer sheet lists 22 hydro jets for the Hydro package and 11 hydro plus 17 air jets for Hydro plus Air. The Deluxe ships as a fixed Air plus Hydro package, and the ShaK and Big4One ship with the digital-controller Air plus dual Hydro package included. The package cannot be changed after the tub is built, so settle it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before production. The full menu is in What Is a Therapy Package on a Walk-In Tub?.

There is also a third kind of bubble that is neither of these. Infusion microbubble therapy uses a dedicated pump, pressure vessel and agitator to feed a single port that turns the whole bath cloudy and silky. It is a skin soak rather than a massage, and it is compared with the water jets in What Is the Difference Between Thérapie par microbulles and Jets de massage hydro?.

Choosing Between Them, or Having Both

Choose hydro massage if you want a deep, targeted massage you can aim at the back, hips, legs and feet and tune with a dial. Choose air massage if you want a gentler, all-over sensation you can step down to low, or if you expect water jets to feel like too much. Many bathers choose Air plus Hydro so they can use whichever suits the day, with the LED light included. Whichever you pick, the electrical side follows the package, because spec sheets print the dedicated lines per package, so have your electrician read the schematic that ships with the tub. On the care side, hydro tubs get the monthly vinegar flush and a pump inlet cover check, air systems self-clear with Auto Purge, and a soaker needs neither.

Related Guides

• What Are Air Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub?
• What Are Bidet Jets on a Walk-In Tub?
• Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating Element

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