Can I safely use bath bombs in a jetted walk-in tub?

No. Ella asks you to leave bath bombs out of any jetted walk-in tub, even if you use them only now and then, and even on a bath where you do not turn the jets on. The oils, dye, glitter, confetti and floral material in a bath bomb travel through the intake into the pump and jet lines, where they can clog the jets and affect the tub's mechanics over time. The product-by-product verdicts live in Is Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs or Bath Oil OK in a Jetted Walk-In Tub? What the Jets Can and Cannot Handle, and this page looks at bath bombs on their own: why they are the one product Ella rules out, the one tub where they are fine, what to do if one has already gone in, and what to use instead.

Why a Bath Bomb Is Treated Differently from Soap

A jetted Ella tub draws bath water in through the intake, pushes it through the pump and the in-line heater, and sends it back out through the jets. Anything in the water makes that trip too. Soap, shampoo and body wash rinse away with the bath water and cause no trouble, which is why any ordinary brand is fine every day. Fully dissolved Epsom salt makes the trip and comes back out just as cleanly. A bath bomb is different because of what it leaves behind once the fizz is gone:

• Oils. The oils that make a bath bomb feel luxurious coat the inside of the pumps and lines, where they are hard to flush out. Ella's guidance on bath oils and bath beads is that they can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, and that damage caused that way is not a warranty matter.
• Dye. Colorants travel into the lines with the water, and Ella's documents list dye among the ingredients that can affect the jet system.
• Glitter, confetti and floral material. These are solids that never dissolve. An undissolved salt crystal can lodge in a jet, and these do the same thing, with the difference that salt eventually dissolves and glitter never does.

Ella's published tables put bath bombs in the not recommended row for every jetted tub and call them the one product we ask you to skip. The cleaning and maintenance guidance adds that their ingredients can damage the pump system that every jet line runs through and may have long term effects on the tub mechanics. None of that shows up after a single bath, which is exactly why the habit is easy to keep and hard to notice until the jets weaken.

Does It Matter If the Jets Stay Off?

Ella's guidance does not make an exception for a bath with the pumps off. In a jetted tub the jet lines are fully plumbed into the shell, so whatever a bath bomb releases is in the water that sits against the jet openings and the intake, whether or not a pump is running, and whatever settles there goes through the system the next time a pump runs. The practical test is simple: if your tub has a hydro, air or microbubble system, keep bath bombs out of it on every bath. Using them rarely reduces the amount of residue, but it does not change what the residue does once it reaches the pump.

The Soaking-Only Exception

If your Ella tub is a soaking-only model, with no jets and no pumps, a bath bomb is fine. There is no intake, no pump and no jet line for the oils or glitter to reach, so the only thing to do is rinse the tub afterward so the color and oils do not dry on the acrylic or the chrome trim. If you are not sure which kind of tub you have, look for jet openings in the shell and a therapy control on the deck; a soaking tub has neither. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can also confirm the configuration from your order.

If a Bath Bomb Has Already Gone in

One bath bomb is not an emergency, but the residue should come out of the lines before it has time to set. Run the same vinegar flush Ella recommends once a month:

1. Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
2. Fill the tub with water to 1 inch above the highest jets.
3. Add the mixture and run the tub for 10 minutes.
4. Drain, then rinse the tub with the hand shower, paying attention to the jet covers, drain and chrome trim.

If bath bombs were a regular habit, plan on repeating the flush more often than monthly for a while, which is the same advice Ella gives for bath oils. The tub's built-in helpers work in your favor too. Ozone sterilization runs with the hydro system, and on tubs with air massage the Auto Purge activates automatically about 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. Neither is a substitute for the vinegar flush. If the jets are weak or uneven after a flush, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and a description of what went into the tub, or call (800) 480-6850.

What to Use Instead for a Nicer Soak

You do not have to give up a scented or softened bath. Epsom salts are the one additive Ella approves for a jetted tub, with two habits: dissolve them completely in a cup of warm water so no crystals reach the jets, and enjoy the hydro, air or microbubble therapy first, adding the salts for the still soak once the systems are finished. Drain right after soaking and rinse the chrome, because salt residue that dries on the drain, threshold and trim can leave spots that look like rust, as Can Epsom Salt Damage a Walk-In Tub, Its Jets or Its Chrome? explains. The full routine is in Can I Use Epsom Salts, Bath Bombs or Bubble Bath in My Walk-In Tub?.

Bubble bath is fine in small amounts, even with the jets running, as long as you expect a great deal of foam and rinse afterward; Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In Tub covers how much to use. Scented or colored bath salts carry the same dyes and fragrance oils as a bath bomb and are not recommended; if you use them anyway, use them sparingly, dissolve them fully and rinse thoroughly. Bath oils and bath beads are discouraged for the same reason. The complete verdict table, product by product, is in Can I use Epsom salts, bath bombs, bubble bath, or oils in my walk-in tub?.

Questions fréquentes