What Is a Hydro Tub and How Does Hydrotherapy Work?

A hydro tub is a walk-in tub with a hydro massage system: a pump recirculates your bath water and pushes it out through water jets aimed at the back, hips, legs and feet. Hydrotherapy works by combining that moving water with the warmth and buoyancy of a deep, seated bath. The jets themselves are described in What Are Jets de massage hydro on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page puts the whole system together: the parts, what the water does for you, how the bath stays warm, which Ella tubs are hydro tubs, and how to use and care for one.

The Parts That Make a Tub a Hydro Tub

You may hear the same system called hydrotherapy jets, water jets or whirlpool jets. Whatever the name, a hydro tub from Ella's Bubbles has the same working parts under and around the shell:

• The hydro pump. When you press the Water button, the pump draws bath water in through the inlet cover and pushes it back out through the jets.
• The hydro jets. They deliver a deep, targeted massage to the back, hips, legs and feet. Many hydro jets can be aimed, and the foot jet nozzles can be opened, reduced or closed by turning the center.
• The intensity dial. This dial on the deck sets the strength of the massage.
• The in-line heater. It is plumbed into the hydro loop and holds your bath at the temperature you filled it.
• The control. Hydro massage is started with easy touch push buttons or, where fitted, a digital touchpad.

On hydro packages that include an ozone generator, the ozone also runs automatically with the hydro pump and sterilizes the water as it circulates. Not every hydro tub lists one. The spec sheets for the Standard and Standard60, for example, list no ozone generator.

How Hydrotherapy Works

Hydrotherapy in a walk-in tub is the combination of three things: warm water, buoyancy and a moving jet stream. The video on this page explains it simply. Warm hydro massage soothes the body for a variety of reasons: warm water brings down swelling and loosens tight muscles, and the buoyancy of the water takes the weight off painful joints. The jets then add a massage on top of that warm, supported soak.

The same video shows how the intensity control dial shapes the massage. Every Ella walk-in tub with hydro massage has this dial. Turning the dial up introduces more air into the jet stream for a stronger flow, and turning it down reduces the amount of air in the stream, creating a more gentle flow. The dial is an air control on a small hose and not an electrical part, so you can adjust it freely during your bath to suit your comfort level.

A typical hydro session follows a simple order:

1. Fill the tub with comfortably hot water from the faucet.
2. Wait until the water is 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jet.
3. Press the Water button to start the pump.
4. Turn the intensity dial to the massage strength you like, and aim the adjustable jets where you want them.

How the Bath Stays Warm

A long soak cools off naturally, which is why every hydro massage package includes an in-line water heater. It is worth understanding what this heater does and does not do, as covered in What Is an In-Line Water Heater on a Walk-In Tub?.

• It maintains your bath temperature while the hydro pump is running. It does not raise it. Your home water heater does the heating, so start with a hot fill.
• It switches on and off with the pump. There is no heater button and no thermostat to set.
• It will not warm a bath that was filled with cool water, and it does nothing for air massage, which has no heater.
• On tubs with independent foot massage, the heater is attached to the foot massage pump, so running the foot jets is what keeps the water warm on those configurations.

Typical heater ratings on the spec sheets are 6A 650W on the Standard, Zen and Flow, 5.5A 650W on the Elite and Petite, and 9A 1000W on the Ultimate foot loop. Keep bath water at or below 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hydro Tubs in the Ella Line

Hydro massage runs across the Ella line, from the hydro-only tubs to the two-seat tubs. Jet counts belong to the therapy package, not the model name, so always confirm the package when you compare tubs.

The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow are hydro-only platforms. The Ella Standard 30x52 and Standard60 30x60 each ship in one configuration: 18 hydro jets with an 8.1A 900W pump, a 6A 650W in-line heater, a push control and an intensity dial, on one dedicated 20A 120V GFCI outlet. On the Standard60, diverter switches run the foot and leg jets only, the back jets only, or both. The Ella Flow 28x48 is the compact hydro tub, with 16 jets including foot and calf jets, the same 8.1A 900W pump and 6A 650W heater, and a spec sheet that calls for a 15A GFCI outlet.

On other families, hydro is one package among several. The Elite's hydro package has 16 jets, 10 in the seat and 6 in the foot area. On the Transfer family, the Hydro Massage package lists 22 jets, 16 seat and 6 foot. Tubs with independent foot massage add a second pump and dial for the foot and calf jets.

Hydro massage is also different from air massage. Air jets are small brass jets fed by a three-speed blower that deliver a gentle, effervescent bubble massage, the softer counterpart to the deep, targeted feel of hydro. The hydro-only platforms do not carry air jets, and because air jets and lines are built into the shell at the factory, air massage cannot be added later. If you think you may want both, read What Are Air Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub? before you settle on a package.

Using and Caring for a Hydro Tub

A hydro tub asks for very little, and a few habits protect the pump and keep the jets strong:

• Fill before you start. The water must be 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jet before the pump runs. Running a pump dry causes permanent damage that is not covered by warranty.
• Flush with vinegar. Before first use and once a month, and any time the jets feel weak or debris appears, combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub to 1 inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain.
• Clean the pump inlet cover at the same time as the flush.
• Skip bath bombs, which clog the jets.

The in-line heater, like the pump, is covered as supporting equipment under the Lifetime Limited Warranty. If you need help, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your therapy package name, which jets are affected, the intensity dial position, the water level you used, and your model and serial number.

Watch: Walk-In Tub With Hydro Massage Control Dial, Customize Your Comfort | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Hydro Massage vs Air Massage vs Microbubble: What Each System Does and How They Combine
• How do I clean a walk-in tub and its jets properly?

Related Videos

Questions fréquentes