Do Walk-In Tubs Come With Jets and Massage Therapy Options?

Yes. Ella walk-in tubs come with jets and massage therapy, and the lineup is built around five jetting choices: a soaker with no jets, hydro massage, air plus hydro, hydro plus micro bubbles, and hydro plus independent foot massage. The overview of each package is in Walk-In Tub Therapy Options and Features. This page goes a step further and explains what each massage system feels like in use, where the jets sit on your body, which models are always jetted, and what needs to be decided before your tub is built.

The Massage Systems You Can Choose from

A walk-in tub is built with one therapy package, and the package decides which jets, pumps and controls are in the shell. Here is what each of the five choices means in the bath.

• Soaker. A walk-in tub with a door, a seat and gravity drains, and no pumps. A soaking package has no jets and no jet holes, so the interior is smooth. It is the quiet, simple choice for bathers who want a low threshold and a seat without massage.
• Hydro massage. Water jets driven by a hydro pump, with an in-line heater in the hydro water line. The Ella Standard is a good example: it ships as a hydro massage tub with 18 hydro jets and a push control with an intensity dial. The Capri's hydro package has 15 hydro jets, arranged with 9 in the upper section and 6 in the lower section.
• Air plus hydro. Air jets are paired with the hydro jets, so you can enjoy a soft, bubbling air massage and a firmer water massage in the same tub. The air massage has three speeds. The first press of the button is high speed, the second press is medium, the third press is low, and a fourth press turns the system off.
• Hydro plus micro bubbles. Micro bubble therapy fills the bathwater with millions of tiny bubbles and conditions the water to a milky, silky texture. It oxygenates and gently exfoliates the skin, which makes it a popular choice for skin-conscious or skin-sensitive bathers.
• Hydro plus independent foot massage. The foot and calf jets get their own dedicated hydro pump and their own intensity dial, separate from the seat jets.

Where the Jets Sit on Your Body

Ella places jets where they do the most good for a seated bather. The video on this page describes hip jets, feet jets and even bidet jets, and introduces the three-speed air massage system. The molded seat is about 17 inches high, and the deep floor section in front of it is where the lower jets live. Foot hydro jets sit on a beveled edge angled at the heel and the ball of the foot, calf jets sit a little higher, and on tubs with an air package the lower air jets are in the footwell floor. What Is the Footwell on a Walk-In Tub? shows how that part of the tub is laid out.

Independent foot massage makes the most of those lower jets. A tub built with this option 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. There is no diverter valve taking power from one side to feed the other, so each system gets full flow. It also means you can fill only the footwell, to just below the seat and just above the calf jets, and enjoy a foot spa without filling the whole tub. Per the current schematic the option is available on the Royal, Monaco, Elite, Capri, Shak, Transfer60, Transfer32 and TransferXXL, and it is standard on the Ultimate. The details are in What Is Independent Foot Massage on a Walk-In Tub?

Which Tubs Are Always Jetted and Which Can Be Jet-Free

Not every model offers every package, so it helps to know which way your favorite tub leans.

• Always jetted: the Ultimate, Deluxe and Ultra, the Big4One and Shak with their digital air plus dual hydro package, and the hydro-only platforms, which are the Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow. The Tub4Two, Companion, Escape and Big4Two always include at least one massage system.
• Available without jets: the Elite, Petite and Royal, the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile and Lounger, the Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL, and the LayDown tubs.
• Air on its own: air-only is offered on the LayDown tubs. Seated walk-in tubs pair air with hydro.

If you love the idea of a simple soak and the model in your size is always jetted, the Capri and the Elite are the usual soaker alternatives. The full list is in Soaking-Only Walk-In Tubs: No Jets, No Pumps, No Electrical. On the Transfer family, there is no single jet count per model, because the number of jets is set by the therapy package the tub is built with.

Comfort Features That Come Along with the Jets

Massage is only part of the experience. Several features work alongside the jets, and a few of them depend on the package you choose.

• In-line heater. The heater sits in the hydro massage water line and warms the water as the pump circulates it. Its job is to hold your bath at a comfortable temperature, not to heat cold water from the tap. It is part of hydro systems and is not included on soaking-only or air-only tubs, as explained in Does My Ella Tub Include an In-Line Heater?
• Auto Purge on air systems. Tubs with air jets clean their own air lines. Auto Purge activates automatically 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines, which helps prevent mold and mildew. It is fully automatic, it cannot be stopped, and it is completely normal.
• Heated seat and backrest. This option can be added for warmth while the tub fills and while you soak, and it can be paired with a soaker as well as a jetted tub.
• LED chromatherapy and ozone. LED chromatherapy lighting and ozone sterilization are additional features. The LED light comes only with dual therapy packages, so it is not part of a soaker.
• Simple controls. Ella tubs are acrylic and use push-button controls rather than electronic touch panels, and hydro systems add an intensity dial so you can set the strength of the massage.

What to Decide Before Your Tub Is Built

Therapy systems are built into the shell at the factory. Jets cannot be added to a soaker later, and the second pump, jets and dial of an independent foot massage cannot be added later either. That makes the therapy package the one choice to settle with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before your order is placed. The same model can be built with different packages, so check the therapy configuration on your order paperwork instead of relying on the model name alone.

Your package also shapes the electrical plan for your bathroom. A plain soaker needs no outlet, because the drains are gravity driven. With the heated seat and backrest, the published schematic calls for a 15A 120V GFCI-protected line for the heater. Triple packages that combine air, hydro and independent foot massage require two dedicated GFCI 120V 20A outlets. A local licensed electrician handles that work.

Once the tub is in, three habits keep the jets performing beautifully:

1. Fill before you start. For a full hydro massage, fill the tub 1 to 2 inches above the highest seat jet. For a foot-only session, fill the footwell to just above the calf jets.
2. Never start a pump until its jets are under water. A pump run dry is permanently damaged and is not covered by warranty.
3. Flush once a month. Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain.

Watch: Walk-In Tubs Featuring Three Speed Air Massage & Auto-Purge Technology | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating Element
• Hydro massage vs air massage: what each system does and how to use the controls
• Hydro Massage vs Air Massage vs Microbubble: What Each System Does and How They Combine

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