What Is the Installation Process for a Walk-In Tub Like?

Installing an Ella walk-in tub is a job for licensed, permitted and insured contractors who follow local plumbing and electrical codes. The work runs in a clear order: a site visit and measurements, connecting the drains and water supply, plugging the equipment into a GFCI receptacle, leveling the tub and aligning the door, a fill test, and then the tile flange and wall finish. If you do not have a contractor yet, start with Getting Installer Referrals and Leads for Your Walk-In Tub.

Before Installation Day: The Installer and the Site Visit

Ella's Bubbles does not perform installations or send technicians, so the process begins with a local licensed contractor. Ella maintains an installer network and can recommend contractors in your area. When you ask for help finding one, the referral works like this:

1. Ella's Bubbles sends the recommended installer your contact information.
2. The tub specifications for your model and its electrical diagrams go with it, so the installer has them ahead of time.
3. The installer contacts you directly to arrange next steps.
4. The installer visits your home to take measurements of the installation space.
5. The installer provides you with an estimate for the installation work.

If you are still choosing a tub, Ella's Bubbles also offers a walk-in tub builder tool online, mentioned in the Shower Builder Tool article. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can share the link.

Connecting the Drains

The first video, Ella's installation guide, opens with a reminder that it is for educational purposes only and is not intended for do-it-yourself projects. It then shows the drain system your plumber will connect. The majority of Ella walk-in tubs are equipped with dual drain technology: two gravity-driven, T-type, four-port 2 inch drains.

• The plumber can connect all four ports, or connect either side, depending on the house drain condition.
• Unused ports are sealed with caps. The video shows the capped ports clearly.
• The floor drain covers are height adjustable for optimum sealing and draining.
• The dials function as overflow protection and use a stainless steel cable with a lever to open or close each floor drain.
• The dual drain also works as a vent system, allowing fast air pocket relief and drainage.

One planning point for your bathroom: the door and the tub drains are on opposite sides of an Ella walk-in tub. As you face the tub, a right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right. Check that against where your existing waste line sits before the tub is ordered.

Water Supply, Faucet and Shut-Off Valves

Ella offers a 5-piece or a 2-piece fast-fill faucet set, and each comes with an extendable multifunction hand shower. Ella tubs are shipped with 5 foot supply lines, so your plumber brings the hot and cold supplies within reach of those lines.

The video strongly recommends installing 3/4 inch shut-off valves near the tub, or somewhere very close, for easy access and service. It is a small step during installation that makes any future service far simpler, because the tub can be isolated without shutting off water to the rest of the home.

Electrical Connections

The pumps and other electronics on an Ella tub are UL certified and simply plug into a GFCI receptacle. Your electrician provides the receptacles according to local code and the electrical diagrams for your model. The video asks that the electrical components be clearly marked and easily accessible, which matters later when someone needs to reach the equipment behind the access panels.

Leveling, Door Alignment and the Water Test

Every tub must be perfectly level, and the door must be perfectly aligned, prior to filling and testing. This is the step that should never be rushed. The door seals properly only when the tub sits level on its frame.

Once the tub is level and connected, the installer fills and tests it before any wall is finished. Wall finishing should begin only after the pre-installation water test and the leveling check, because fixing a leak behind finished tile is far more disruptive than fixing it with everything still open.

The Tile Flange and Finishing the Walls

Ella walk-in tubs have a flat deck edge with no built-in lip, and no Ella walk-in tub ships with a tile flange, by design. The water barrier at the wall is a glue-up flange added at installation, as explained in What Is a Tile Flange on a Walk-In Tub?.

• The flange is a thin waterproof strip glued to the tub edge with 100 percent silicone.
• The wall tile or wall panels overlap the flange and the deck, so water sheds back into the tub instead of behind it.
• Every joint is caulked with silicone.
• The 124 inch kit suits most Ella tubs in a standard three-wall 60 inch alcove, and longer strips are listed for larger models.

The flange ships separately by parcel carrier, not in the crate with the tub, so do not report it missing on delivery day. The ShaK is the one exception to the tiling plan. It is not designed to be tiled in directly, so talk with technical support before planning tile around a ShaK.

Adding a Shower Afterward

If you want a shower at the tub, the second video shows the shower column kit. It connects to an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet set. The installer removes the existing hand shower, installs the shower column base attachment into the vacant receptacle, replaces the water supply line, and attaches the new one-half inch supply line to the diverter on the faucet set.

For questions during any stage, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Common Installation Questions: Tile Order, Leveling Legs, Subfloor, Panels, Drain Size and the Outdoor Test
• Electrical requirements by model: dedicated GFCI circuits for your walk-in tub
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?

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