Can the Ella Zen Be Ordered With the 5-Piece Faucet Instead of Single-Lever?

The Ella Zen and Zen60 are published with one faucet, the 2-piece single-lever fast-fill set, offered in chrome or brushed nickel. Their spec sheet lists no 5-piece option, and the only optional item it prints is the heated seat and backrest. If separate hot and cold handles matter to you, the tub that pairs this same platform with the 5-piece set is the Ella Standard, as mapped out in Which Ella walk-in tub models come with the 2-piece or 5-piece faucet?.

What the Zen Spec Sheet Lists for the Faucet

The current Zen spec sheet, dated 04/25/25, has a single faucet section titled 2-Piece Single Lever Fast-Fill. Everything in that section describes one set, and nothing in it offers an alternative layout. Here is what it prints:

• A solid brass chrome spout with a single lever and a diverter button.
• Two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided stainless steel supply lines.
• A pull-out hand shower with a back-flow prevention valve, 5 settings and a 5 foot braided hose, limited to 1.9 GPM.
• A 40mm high-flow cartridge.
• A finish choice of Chrome or Brushed Nickel.
• Third-party certification to CSA B125.1, ASME A112.18.1 and ICC 117.1, plus ANSI/NSF 61/9, an ADA lever and IAPMO UPC certification.

The choice the sheet gives you is the finish. The faucet style is not presented as a choice. Under Optional, the sheet prints one item only, the Heated Seat and Backrest at 4AMP. The Ella Zen and Zen60 profile says the same thing from the other direction: the Zen is built on the Standard platform with a smaller seat, 17 hydro jets, and the 2-piece single-lever faucet in place of the 5-piece set. The single-lever faucet is part of what makes the Zen the budget version of that platform.

Why the Faucet Set Is Settled Before the Tub Is Built

On every faucet-equipped Ella tub, the deck is drilled at the factory for the set on the order. The Zen spec sheet prints the cut-outs for its 2-piece set. The faucet installs through a 2-1/2 inch diameter hole, there is a 1/3 inch diameter hole for the mounting rods, and there is a 7/8 inch diagonal hole for the hand shower. The 5-piece set is a different layout, with separate hot and cold handles and a diverter lever between them, so it does not drop into a deck that was drilled for a single lever.

Two more published details point the same way:

• Hoses and handsets are matched to the faucet set. The 5-piece hose does not fit the 2-piece faucet, so parts from one set are not a path to the other.
• A clearance Zen cannot be modified. It is supplied as built.

The practical meaning is simple. The faucet is not something to change on installation day. If the handle layout matters to you, raise it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before your order is placed, while the model choice is still open.

Zen, Standard and the Other Options Side by Side

These figures come from the current spec sheets and the model pages. The Flow and the LayDown72 are included because they are the other tubs people weigh when the faucet style is the deciding point.

What the table shows is that the faucet is one of three differences that travel together. Choosing the Standard over the Zen brings the 5-piece set, one more hydro jet and a larger seat, 22 by 18 inches against 20 by 15 inches. The parts that matter for installation stay the same: both 52 inch tubs share the inward-swing acrylic S-shape door, the 8.1A 900W hydro pump, the 6A 650W in-line heater and the single 2 inch gravity drain. They also hold the same 65 gallons unoccupied and 30 to 50 gallons occupied. The full figure-by-figure comparison is in How do the Ella Standard 30x52 and Ella Zen 30x52 compare?. So a bather who wants the 5-piece faucet is not giving anything up on fit by moving to the Standard, and gains seat room along the way.

How the Two Sets Differ in Daily Use

On the Zen's 2-piece set you lift the lever for on, move it left for hot and right for cold, and press the diverter button under the spout to send water to the hand shower. On the 5-piece set the red handle is hot, the blue handle is cold, and the middle lever is the diverter. You turn that lever toward OFF and push the faucet lever down to run the hand shower. Some bathers find one lever easier on the hands. Others like being able to set hot and cold separately. That preference is the real decision here.

The two sets have these things in common:

• Both include the same pull-out hand shower with 5 flow settings, limited to 1.9 GPM, on a 5 foot braided hose with a back-flow prevention valve.
• Both ship with two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided supply lines.
• Both are deck-mounted fast-fill sets, described piece by piece in What Is a Fast-Fill Faucet on a Walk-In Tub?.

The rate difference matters less than it looks on paper. The published GPM figures assume 60 PSI and ideal plumbing. In real homes, fill time runs 7 to 15 minutes depending on tub size and your water supply. A Zen with the single lever and a Standard with the 5-piece set will feel very similar at the spout in most houses.

Accessories do not push you toward one set either. The shower column video on this page shows the kit connecting to an Ella 2 or 5 piece fast-fill faucet set. You push the diverter button on the 2-piece set, or turn the diverter handle on the 5-piece set, to run the five-setting hand shower. The second video covers a rare quirk of the 2-piece set. If the diverter button sticks closed after the water is turned off, unscrew the hose from the handset and remove the plastic restrictor. That relieves the air lock and the button snaps back.

If You Want Separate Handles on a Tub This Size

1. Decide whether the handle layout is a preference or a need. If one lever works for the bather, the Zen's published faucet does everything the 5-piece does, including the hand shower.
2. If separate hot and cold handles are a need, look at the Standard 30x52 or Standard60. They share the Zen's footprint class, door, pump, heater and drain, and they come with the 5-piece set.
3. Bring it up before your order is placed. Tell your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 which model, door side and faucet finish you have in mind. The deck is drilled at the factory for the set on your order.
4. If the Zen is already in your bathroom, plan around its 2-piece set. For service parts, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model, serial number and a photo of the faucet so the exact part can be matched.

Watch: Ellas Bubbles: Two Piece Faucet Airlock Issue with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Ella Fast-Fill Faucets: 2-Piece vs 5-Piece, Finishes, and the Waterfall Option

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