Can you add a shower to a walk-in tub?

Yes. Every Ella walk-in tub with the 5-piece fast-fill faucet already includes a pull-out hand shower for seated rinsing, and an overhead shower for standing or sitting can be added with a wall-mounted slide bar, the Ella rain shower column on the models where it is offered, or a wall or ceiling shower on its own valve fitted by a licensed plumber. Does a Walk-In Tub Come With a Shower Head? Riser, Column and Rain-System Options for a Standing Shower compares those choices before you buy; this page covers what each one adds, how the column goes onto a tub that is already installed, and how to keep the spray inside the tub.

The Ways to Add a Shower to a Walk-In Tub

The table lists each option with the figures that appear in Ella's guides and videos. None of them changes the tub shell, and the column is the only one plumbed with the tub.

The difference for you is timing and plumbing. The hand shower is already there. The slide bar attaches to the wall and can go in at any time. The column is plumbed with the tub, so it is far simpler to fit before the tub is set in place and enclosed, and it is not available for every model, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 whether it is offered for the tub and faucet package on your order before you count on it. A rain system in the wall or ceiling works with any tub because it never touches the tub's plumbing, which is why it is the answer whenever the column is not offered.

Adding the Column to a Tub That Is Already Installed

The shower column video on this page shows how the kit goes onto an existing tub deck. Your plumber removes the existing hand shower, installs the shower column base attachment into the vacant receptacle, replaces the water supply line, and then attaches the new one-half inch supply line to the diverter on the 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet set. The column is then ready for use. Because the supply connection is made under the deck, the job depends on reaching the plumbing side of the tub. Before ordering the kit for an installed tub, ask the team whether the column can still be added to your model and what access your plumber would need.

In an alcove, where the tub is enclosed on the back and both ends, that access is the main question. Ask your installer for a wall access panel behind the plumbing end so the connections can be reached without disturbing tile. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? also notes that a column on a tub with an extension panel uses the long 4 to 5 inch pipe connector to reach the wall, so mention the alcove and the panel when you ask about the kit. The column raises the overall height of the installation, which matters under a sloped ceiling or beside a window.

Using the Hand Shower and Keeping the Water in the Tub

To use the hand shower, lift it from its holder on the deck, and on the waterfall faucet slide it up or down its column to the height you want. Splashing is handled by a screen or a curtain rather than by anything on the tub. The 4-fold tempered glass shower screen is 44 inches wide by 42 inches high in a chrome finish. It mounts to the wall, ideally into a stud, rather than to the tub, and a rubber seal along the bottom keeps water inside. It runs from the back wall at the seat end toward the grab bar at the front, crossing the door, so it covers the seating area where most showering happens. On a 60 inch tub that leaves an opening of about 16 inches at the standing end, and because the spray is aimed at the seat there should not be much splashing there. The same screen converts to a 3-fold screen by removing one section, which is how it fits a 52 inch tub in a 60 inch alcove with an extension panel.

Households that add a standing shower column often use a regular shower curtain from any home and hardware store instead of, or in addition to, the screen, because a curtain covers the whole length of the tub and slides out of the way. Is There a Lock on the Walk-In Tub Door, and How Do I Stop Hand-Shower Splashing? covers the screen placement, and it explains that the door has no lock by design: close and latch it, bathe, and wait until the water is fully out before touching the latch.

A Walk-In Tub with a Shower, or a Walk-In Shower?

A walk-in tub with a hand shower or column gives you both a seated soak and a shower in the same footprint, which is the usual reason to add a shower rather than replace the tub. If the bather never soaks and only showers, Ella also offers walk-in showers, and you can put a design together online with the Shower Builder Tool before a contractor visits to measure the space and finalize the installation details. Ella shower stalls that include a seat ship with a standard fold-down seat, with a 16.5 by 16.5 inch fold-down seat, a teak fold-up seat and left-hand or right-hand folding bench seats as alternatives; the options are compared in Shower Seat Sizes and Options: Is a Larger Fold-Down Seat Available?. Whichever way you go, the shower hardware is chosen with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and a licensed plumber does the installation.

Related Guides

• Installing the Shower Column Kit on Your Walk-in Tub
• How Do I Use the Hand Shower in My Ella Walk-In Tub?

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