What Are the Downsides of a Walk-In Tub Before You Buy One?

The honest trade-offs of a walk-in tub are mostly about space and planning rather than the bath itself: the door needs clear floor in front of it, the door side is fixed at the factory and cannot be changed later, every doorway on the delivery route has to be measured, and Ella manufactures the tub but never installs it, so you hire a licensed plumber and electrician. A few design choices, such as the molded seat and the chain-operated drain on some models, are also worth understanding before you order. What Is Door Side (Left-Hand vs Right-Hand) on a Walk-In Tub? covers the one decision that is hardest to undo, and this page walks through the rest and how to choose in the right order.

The Door Needs Room, and Its Side Cannot Change

An outward-swing door needs roughly 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub, so a toilet about 10 inches from the tub will block it. Inward-swing doors avoid that, but every door style still needs you to think about how you approach the tub. The door side is set at the factory and cannot be reversed after delivery, so it has to be right before the order is placed. On an Ella tub the door sits at one end with the seat at the other, so choosing the side also decides which way you face and where the faucet deck lands. Note where the house drain is, decide which side you want the seat on, and check that an outward-swing door will clear the toilet and vanity. The house drain does not have to dictate the side on its own, because there is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame, enough for a 2 inch PVC line, and the drain body has ports on both sides, so your installer has options. Confirm the connection plan with your licensed installer and the orientation with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you order.

Ella Does Not Install the Tub

Ella manufactures and supports the tub and never installs it, so you plan on a licensed local contractor, usually a plumber and an electrician. That is a cost and a coordination task that sits with you, and it is the reason to choose the installer before the order is placed rather than after the crate arrives: the installer is the person who confirms the fit, the door side and the drain plan. Ella can refer installers from its nationwide network, and lifetime technical support by phone, email and video chat is included with every tub for the installer's questions on site. Product questions about how the tub works, how it installs and what the warranty covers go to Ella no matter where you bought; questions about your specific order, delivery and any return go to where you purchased. Should I ask Ella's Bubbles or my retailer my product questions? lays out that split.

The Fit Is Your Measuring Job

A walk-in tub arrives crated, and every doorway and hallway between the truck and the bathroom has to be measured before the tub arrives. The bathroom itself needs the wall-to-wall length, the depth from the back wall, the clear floor in front of the tub for the door, and the height of any window sill above the tub position. None of that is difficult, but it has to happen before ordering, and it is the step people skip when a sales presentation moves quickly.

The Seat and the Drain Are Simpler Than They Look

The molded seat is not adjustable. If you want to sit higher, a seat pillow riser that adds about 3 1/2 inches and holds on with suction cups is the way to do it, and a suction-cup seat cushion adds grip. On the Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow, the single 2 inch gravity drain is closed by a removable plug on a chain, so you pull the chain by hand to open the drain and set the plug back before the next fill. There is no drain cable or opener to adjust on those models, and What Is the Emergency Pull-Up Chain on a Walk-In Tub? explains how to keep the plug sealing. Other Ella families use operated drain openers with handles, so if a hand-pulled chain is not what you want, that is a point to raise when you choose the model.

Accessory Decisions That Are Hard to Undo

• Faucet finish: the 5-piece Fast-Fill set comes in chrome, brushed nickel, black and gold, but the tub's therapy buttons and dials stay chrome regardless, which is the usual reason people reconsider a black or gold faucet after seeing it installed. A faucet that has already been installed cannot be returned for credit, so confirm the finish before your plumber fits it.
• Shower column: the kit is installed prior to the final installation of the tub, so it is best planned when you order rather than added later.
• Four-fold glass screen: it can be ordered alone when stock allows, but when stock is very limited screens may be offered only with a tub purchase, so decide on the screen at order time.
• Seat belt, cushion and riser: these can be arranged for a tub that is already installed, and the team confirms fit and bracket position for your model first.

Can I Buy an Ella Accessory on Its Own Without Buying a Tub? goes accessory by accessory.

How to Choose, in Order

1. Start with your own measurements: shoulders, hips and overall body, along with mobility, comfort and safety needs.
2. Measure the bathroom and the delivery route, as above.
3. Settle the size and the door style, inward or outward swing, or the L-shaped transfer door for wheelchair use.
4. Choose the door side with your installer, using the drain location and the clear floor in front of the tub.
5. Pick the therapy package, then the accessories such as a heated seat, headrest, glass screen or rain head shower column.
6. Confirm the whole configuration with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before the order is placed.

The short video on this page runs through that sequence: consider your needs, measure the bathroom, select the features, and make sure of professional installation and reliable support. The second video is about shopping itself. It describes the sales tactics to anticipate when competing companies visit your home: a very high opening figure that is negotiated down, a call to a sales manager that produces a today-only offer, and a checklist of mobility conditions that everyone seems to qualify for. If you see high-pressure tactics or a company with only one or two models, the advice in the video is to keep shopping, find an Ella dealer in your area, and talk to the team before you sign anything.

Related Guides

• What Is Nominal Size vs Actual Size on a Walk-In Tub?
• 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
• What you need before installing your Ella walk-in tub: a planning checklist

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