Is there a full size printable framing template for the Big4One?

Ella's published Big4One documents do not include a full-size printable framing template. The framing reference is the Big4One spec sheet, whose dimension drawings give the tub's actual size of 33 1/8 inches wide by 66 inches long, and the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the drawing details and whether a full-size template is available for your order. Before anyone frames an opening, work through the Printable Pre-Install Measuring Checklist for a Walk-In Tub so the bather, the path in, the alcove and the utilities are each measured once, in inches, at their tightest point.

What to Use Instead of a Template

The Big4One spec sheet is the outward-swing-door specifications PDF for the model on ellasbubbles.com, and it is what your contractor should print. It carries the dimension drawings with the adjustable leveling legs, the drain configuration, the faucet layout and the electrical requirements, which is everything a template would show and more. The figures a framer needs most are these:

• Actual size: 33 1/8 inches wide by 66 inches long by 39.5 inches high.
• Seat and interior: a 24 inch wide seat and 56 inches of interior length, as the Big4One video on this page states.
• Shipping size: 36 by 68 by 49 inches, the crate that has to travel through the house to the bathroom.
• Weight: 271 pounds net and 400 pounds shipping.
• Water: 127 gallons unoccupied and 75 to 100 gallons occupied, depending on bather size. Quote the gallon figures only; the litre values printed on this sheet are misprints.

Fine positions on the dimension drawing, such as where the drains and the door fall along the 66 inch length, should be read from the PDF itself rather than from a summary, and confirmed with the team if a figure is hard to read. The video on this page shows the tub from the outside and inside so your contractor can match the drawing to the real shell.

Sizing the Finished Opening

Measure the alcove finished wall to finished wall, often called tile to tile, rather than stud to stud. Drywall and tile take up room, and it is the finished opening that has to clear the shell. The Big4One ships with one reversible end panel and no extension panel, so unlike the 52 and 55 inch tubs that use an extension panel to fill a 60 inch alcove, there is no factory panel to close a gap; the checklist notes that no extension panel exists for the Ultimate, the Big4One or the ShaK. The finished opening should land close to 66 inches rather than well beyond it, or your contractor will need to frame and finish the extra space. The checklist asks for the alcove length at deck height and at the floor, the alcove width, and the difference between the two diagonals, which tells you whether the alcove is square. It also asks for the lowest window sill and the countertop height, because they are compared with the tub height, and at 39.5 inches the Big4One stands higher than a conventional tub.

Door, Apron, Grab Bar and Drains the Framing Must Allow for

• Door. The Big4One has an outward-swinging door of plastic composite and tempered glass with a 3 latch gear and shaft mechanism. It swings out into the room, so leave clear floor space in front of the tub and do not plan a vanity or a toilet where the door opens.
• Apron. The front apron is removable with two access panels. Keep the front of the tub accessible rather than boxing it in, because service access is through those panels.
• Grab bar. A stainless steel chrome finish wall-mounted grab bar is included, so your contractor should plan the wall where it mounts before the finish goes on.
• Drains. The Big4One uses two 2 inch T-type dual-port floor drains with two end caps included, two overflows, and two stainless steel operated openers with extended chrome handles. The house drain can be connected to either or both ports, and an end cap closes a port that is not used, which gives the plumber two places to make the connection.
• Frame. A stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs carries the shell, so the tub is leveled on its legs once it is in the opening.

Electrical and Hot Water

The Big4One is 115V 60Hz equipment and requires dedicated GFCI protected electrical lines; every electrical fixture connects to a dedicated GFCI protected outlet or GFCI protected circuit breaker. The spec sheet lists a 9A 900W hydro pump for the 15 upper seat jets, a 7A 900W hydro pump for the 4 foot and 2 calf jets with a 6A 750W in-line heater, a 4.5A 500W three-speed air pump for 12 seat and 4 foot jets, and a 0.5A LED chromatherapy light, with an optional 7.3A MicroBubble pump and an optional heated seat and backrest. Give that list to your electrician before the walls close.

For hot water, size to the occupied figure. The Big4One uses 75 to 100 gallons with a bather in it, and a 75 gallon or larger house water heater is recommended for the average walk-in tub. The in-line heater on a hydro massage tub maintains bath temperature while the pump runs; it does not heat cold water, so the house water heater does all the work of filling the tub hot. What Is Occupied vs Unoccupied Water Capacity on a Walk-In Tub? explains how to read the two figures and what else affects a fill.

Who the Opening Is Being Framed for

The Big4One is one of three Ella models built for larger bathers, with a 24 inch seat and a long interior that suit bathers around 6 feet and taller. The video on this page shows a 6 foot 7, 350 pound former professional football player seated in it with room to spare, and Ella's Bubbles sets no weight limit on its tubs; the question is whether the bather fits. If the bather is large but not tall, Is There a Weight Limit? Bariatric and Large-Bather Walk-In Tub Options points to the TransferXXL and other wider seats instead, which would change the opening you frame. Confirm the model before the framing, and have the bather take the three seated measurements on the checklist, hips, shoulders and head to feet, so the 66 inch opening is being built for the right tub. How Deep Is the Water Really in a Walk-In Tub? explains the seat-to-overflow figure to read from the same spec drawing.

Watch: Big4One: Largest & Most Spacious Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What doorway and room size does the Ella Big4One 33x66 need?
• How to Read an Ella Spec Sheet: Actual Versus Nominal Size, Shipping Size, Occupied Versus Unoccupied Capacity, Package Jet Tables, Amp Disclaimers and Known Misprints

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