Can the hydrogen jet system be added to the Petite walk-in tub?

Hydrogen therapy is not one of the five therapy packages printed on the Ella Petite's spec sheet, and the catalog tub that ships with the H2 system is the Standard60. Installing the hydrogen generator in any other Ella tub is a special-order question that depends on the space available under the deck, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 about the Petite specifically before assuming either way. What Is H2 Hydrogen Therapy on a Walk-In Tub? describes the equipment; this page explains what the Petite is built to carry, why space is the deciding factor, and what to ask for.

What the Petite's Spec Sheet Actually Lists

The Petite is the narrowest tub in the stainless steel door family, with an actual size of 27.5 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches high, a 19 inch seat width, and a water capacity of 65 gallons unoccupied and 30 to 50 gallons occupied. Its current spec sheet offers these therapy packages:

• Air + Hydro, with the LED chromatherapy light included.
• Hydro + Hydro Independent Foot Massage, on two pumps, with the LED light included.
• Hydro Massage + Microbubble, with the LED light included.
• Hydro Massage alone, without the LED light.
• Soaking, with no jets.

The hydro system uses a 5 to 7 amp pump, an in-line water heater rated 5.5 amps and 650 watts, and 16 jets split 10 at the seat and 6 at the feet. The air system uses a 4.5 amp, 500 watt three-speed pump with 16 jets and the automatic purge that activates 20 minutes after the pump is turned off. Microbubble therapy runs on a 1 HP, 7.3 amp pump with a pressure vessel and agitator valve. Hydrogen does not appear anywhere on that sheet, and no H2 figures are published for the Petite. Every package requires dedicated GFCI protected 110/120 volt lines, and the sheet notes that amp values may change based on availability, so confirm them before purchase.

Why Space Under the Seat Decides It

Each Ella therapy system has its own pump under the seat; Ella does not use a diverter to split one pump between systems. That is why the number of therapies a tub can carry tracks the size of the frame: compact 52 inch tubs take two systems on most models, while the largest single-seat and two-seat frames take all four. Which Therapy Combinations Fit Which Tub lists the Petite, along with the Capri and Transfer26, at a maximum of two therapies.

The H2 system lives in exactly that space. It is a hydrogen generator and pump installed under the molded seat, fed from a blue distilled water tank that sits under the tub with a hose connected to the front of the tub, delivering hydrogen through a single jet below seat level. On the Standard60 it is packaged with infusion microbubble therapy as the H2 and Microbubbles System, on a 1 HP, 10 amp pump with a pressure vessel and agitator valve. On a 52 inch Petite, the generator, its pump and the tank would have to fit alongside whatever therapy package you choose, which is why the answer is a special-order check for your configuration rather than a catalog yes or no.

What "any Ella Tub Can Be Outfitted" Means

Ella's hydrogen videos state that any Ella walk-in tub can be outfitted with a hydrogen generator, that Ella will guarantee hydrogen levels of up to 2.2 parts per million, and that every hydrogen tub ships with verifiable test results. The knowledge base reconciles that with the spec sheets this way: the Standard60 is the catalog model with the H2 and Microbubbles System, and special-order installation in other Ella tubs depends on the space available under the deck. So the video is not wrong, but for the Petite it means ask, not order it from the sheet. The first video on this page shows the titration test behind that guarantee: a 6 mL water sample is dosed with a blue reagent that turns clear in the presence of dissolved hydrogen. Regular tap water stays blue at the first drop, indicating 0.1 ppm or less, while water from the hydrogen tub stays clear until 22 drops, which is 2.2 ppm. Common Questions About Ella Hydrogen Therapy walks through the PPB and PPM figures side by side.

What You Would Get If It Can Be Fitted

Whatever tub carries it, the system works the same way. Once the water covers the hydrogen inlet jet, one press of the H2 button starts the generator, which injects molecular hydrogen into the bath as micro and nano bubbles. By the time the tub fills to the drain overflow the concentration reaches 1500 PPB, which is 1.5 ppm, and it may rise to about 2000 PPB, or 2.0 ppm, during an extended 15 to 20 minute bath. Every hydrogen tub is individually tested before it ships, and the test sheet that comes with your tub is the authoritative number for your unit.

• The bath water is ordinary warm water from your faucet. Only the small blue tank takes distilled water, as Does an Ella Hydrogen Bath Need Distilled Water, and Is It Safe? explains.
• Fill the blue tank with distilled water only. Tap water carries minerals the system is not designed for and can lead to weak output or a dirty tank over time.
• Never press the H2 button until the water is above the hydrogen inlet jet, because the pump must not run dry.
• Before first use, cut the shipping ties, remove the container from under the tub, connect the hose to the front of the tub, then fill the tank. The routine for each bath is in How Do You Make a Hydrogen Bath and What Does It Do?.

How to Ask About Hydrogen on a Petite

1. Tell your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 that you are considering the Petite and want the H2 system, and name the therapy package you would otherwise choose.
2. Ask whether hydrogen can be special-ordered on the Petite, and with which package it can be combined, given the two-system limit on 52 inch tubs.
3. Ask what the electrical requirement becomes, since every system adds its own pump on a dedicated GFCI protected line and amp values are verified before purchase.
4. If the answer is yes, ask for the hydrogen test results to ship with the tub, and keep them with your paperwork.
5. If the answer is no, the Standard60 is the catalog model with the H2 and Microbubbles System, and the team can compare it with the Petite for your bathroom.

Related Guides

• What Comes With Each Therapy Package: Pumps, In-Line Heater, Ozone, Auto Purge, LED, Dials, Pressure Tank and Controls at a Glance
• H2 microbubble therapy on the Standard60: setup, distilled water, and what to expect

Common Questions