Is a broken water supply line on my walk-in tub covered under warranty?

Whether a broken water supply line on your Ella walk-in tub is covered comes down to the published warranty terms and a verification by the support team, so the honest answer is that the team decides each case after it has seen photos of the failed line and your serial number. The Lifetime Limited Warranty covers the tub's supporting equipment, including the faucet, fixtures, waste and overflow, as parts only, for the original purchaser at the original installation address, and labor is never included. The photo-and-serial-number process in Faucet Cartridge Burst and Spraying Water: Shutting It Down and Getting Replacement Hot and Cold Valves is the one to follow, and it starts with shutting the water off.

What the Supply Lines on the Tub Are

On an Ella walk-in tub, water reaches the faucet through two supply lines, one hot and one cold. They connect at the shut-off valves and run to the faucet, they are stainless steel, and the run is only about five feet long. Those stainless lines are the reason the tub itself does not tint the water, as Why Is the Water From My Walk-In Tub Rusty or Brown? explains, and they are the lines this page is about. The shut-off valves on the hot and cold lines feeding the tub are fitted by your installer, and everything on the house side of those valves is the home's plumbing rather than part of the tub.

The size of the lines depends on the faucet. The current 5-Piece Fast Fill set uses 3/4-inch supply lines, while older faucets usually have 1/2-inch lines, and when a newer set goes onto an older tub the plumber fits a standard 3/4-inch to 1/2-inch NPT adapter at the check valves. The shower column kit adds its own one-half inch supply line to the diverter of a two-piece or five-piece fast-fill faucet. When you describe the break to the team, say where it is: at the faucet end, at the shut-off valves, or somewhere between, because that tells the team which part it is looking at.

What the Published Warranty Terms Say

The Lifetime Limited Warranty on an Ella walk-in tub covers the bathtub shell, frame, door, door seal and finish, and it also covers the supporting equipment: motors, pumps, fixtures, electronic controls, the faucet, the waste, the overflow and plated finishes. It is a parts warranty. Ella ships replacement parts free of charge after verification but is not liable for incidental expenses or charges connected with removal or replacement, and installation, plumbing and electrical connections and water damage to the home are expressly excluded.

Two published exceptions apply around the faucet. The thermostatic control valve on faucets that have one carries a 1-year limited warranty, and a non-Ella brand faucet carries only its own manufacturer's warranty. The warranty belongs to the first purchaser only, is tied to the original installation address, cannot be transferred, and does not cover improper or negligent installation. It must also be in force: the two-page activation form, completed and signed by both the customer and the installer, has to be returned to Ella's Bubbles, online at ellasbubbles.com/warranty-activation/. Ella is not bound by warranty promises made by a dealer, retailer or contractor, so an assurance given at the time of sale does not change the terms.

This page states those terms and nothing more. Whether a particular broken line on a particular tub is replaced under them is a determination the support team makes once it has the photos and the serial number in front of it.

Shut the Water Off Before Anything Else

A broken supply line releases water at full supply pressure, so stopping the water comes before photos or phone calls.

1. If your installer fitted shut-off valves on the hot and cold lines feeding the tub, close both.
2. If there are no stops at the tub, shut off the home's main water valve until a plumber arrives.
3. If water reached the pump or the controls, switch off the tub's breaker and let the area dry before the tub is used again.
4. Confirm the flow has stopped before you reach for the camera.

These are the same first steps the team gives when a faucet cartridge bursts, and they apply to any pressurized leak under the deck.

What to Send and What Happens Next

• Clear photos of the broken line, the fitting it failed at and any part that broke with it. The team keeps a record of failed parts and shares the pictures with the factory.
• Your model and serial number, from the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door.
• The shipping address for the parts and a phone number for the delivery.
• A note that the tub cannot be used, so the shipment can be prioritized.
• If the faucet is not the original, say which faucet is on the tub. A clear photo of the faucet on the deck is enough if you do not have the invoice.

Open the ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850. After verification, a part supplied under the warranty ships to the original customer's address without charge, and tracking is emailed once the carrier picks it up. If the team finds that the damaged piece is a valve or the faucet body rather than the line itself, it can ship those as well, and the hot and cold valves are sent as a set, as described in Replacing Your Walk-In Tub Faucet Set, Valves or Hand Mixer. Ask whether the failed line needs to be kept. A burst cartridge does not have to be returned, but the team will tell you what it wants for a line. If a part is not covered, it can be purchased, with payment taken by phone on the call.

Who Does the Work

Ella does not send technicians. Parts ship under the warranty, and a local licensed plumber does the labor, which is not covered. The plumber removes the failed line, fits the replacement, opens the supply slowly and checks both handles for leaks before the tub is filled. Ella's technical support is free for the life of the tub and can guide your plumber by phone or video. Anything on the house side of the shut-off valves, the valves themselves, and any damage water did to floors or walls are outside the tub warranty and belong to the plumber and the household. If the leak turns out to be at the drain rather than a supply line, the drain body sits under the tub and is handled as described in Ordering a Complete Drain and Overflow Assembly and How It Is Replaced.

Related Guides

• Faucet drips or the handle feels stiff: replacing your faucet cartridge step by step
• Replacing a Failed Thermostatic Control Valve: Cleaning First, Cartridge Versus Whole Valve, and How to Order
• Why Does My Tub Faucet Drip Constantly and How Do I Fix It?

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