How do you adjust the 3-latch gear lock on an outward-swing door?

There is no adjustment screw on the 3-latch gear-and-shaft lock itself. The lock is set right when the tub is level on every leg, the handle completes its full turn so all three tapered pins seat in the striker plate, and the handle lock nut behind the front apron is set so the handle moves smoothly yet still pulls the door firmly into the seal. What Is a Gear-and-Shaft Latch (2-Latch and 3-Latch) on a Walk-In Tub? explains how the mechanism works, and this page lays out, in order, what you can adjust, what you must not touch, and when to ask for a part.

How the Three Pins Are Supposed to Seat

Turning the handle turns a shaft. Gears on that shaft drive three tapered locking pins out of the door and into openings in the striker plate on the frame. At the start of the handle's travel the pins need only light pressure, because the taper is just beginning to enter the frame. As the handle completes its rotation the pins seat fully and the taper pulls the door evenly into the gasket all the way around. The first video on this page shows the three-shaft gear and lock system on the U-shape door and how easily the handle engages and disengages when everything is aligned.

Two checks come from that design. First, the handle position tells you whether the pins are seated: on a U-shape door the handle faces toward the hinges when locked, and a handle left halfway means the seal is only partly compressed. Second, a door that has to be forced is telling you something upstream is wrong, because the lock has no screw that tightens or loosens the pins. This 3-latch door, a plastic composite frame holding a tempered glass panel, is fitted to the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak, Big4One, Tub4Two and Big4Two, as described in How do outward-swinging walk-in tub doors work on Ella tubs?. The L-shape door on the Transfer tubs uses the same family of mechanism with two pins, and the same checks apply.

Step One: Check Every Leveling Leg

Most 3-latch doors that stop lining up are on a tub that is no longer level. Ella tubs have at least six leveling legs, and each must rest solidly on the floor with no gap beneath it. When a leg hangs free the shell bows, the door rubs the jamb, the pins drift away from the striker plate openings, and the gasket may not touch on the lower handle side, which is where most door leaks begin. Adjusting anything at the handle on a bowed tub only masks the problem.

1. Check every leg. Any foot with a gap beneath it is the cause.
2. If the tub is bowed down in the center, extend the center leg until the door frame clears the swing of the door.
3. Measure all sides and keep adjusting until the tub is level and straight.
4. Open and close the door several times. It should close securely and pull evenly into the seal all the way around.

Leveling is part of installation, so it belongs to your local licensed plumber or installer. Ella does not send technicians, but its technical support can answer your installer's questions by phone, email or video.

Step Two: Set the Handle Lock Nut

Once the tub is level, the only tension adjustment on the door is the lock nut behind the handle. The full procedure, and the video that shows it on tubs with Ella's chrome handles, is in How Do I Adjust the Door Latch So the Door Seals Without Forcing?. In short:

1. Remove the front apron to expose the back of the handle mechanism. Put masking tape on the apron edge first, since the plastic can be sharp, and if the apron will not come off entirely, prop it open against the frame near the handle.
2. Locate the lock nut behind the handle and remove its protective cap.
3. If you have to force the handle, loosen the lock nut a little at a time. If the handle moves easily but the door never pulls into the seal, tighten it.
4. Test the handle after each small step. Stop when it moves smoothly and still holds the door firmly against the seal, then replace the cap and the apron.

Finish by checking the seal itself. It must be clean and in shape for the pins to pull the door into it evenly.

What Not to Do

• Do not adjust the hinges. The hinges are never the fix for a door that rubs or will not seal. The hinge bolts exist so the door can be removed and replaced, which the second video on this page shows: a 3/16 Allen wrench loosens the six bolts on the door side of the hinge, an assistant lifts the door away, and the replacement goes on by lining up the bolt holes and tightening the bolts firmly. That is a replacement procedure, not an alignment adjustment.
• Do not lean on the door or put your weight on it. The door and seal warranty is valid only when the alignment of the tub and door is correct and has not been changed by the bather's weight.
• Do not force the handle. A handle that can hardly be moved points to the lock nut or to leveling, and forcing it is not an adjustment.
• Do not mistake the striker plate drip for a latch fault. The pin openings in the striker plate are not sealed underneath, so a little water that clings to the door and the track can drip through after a bath. No part is missing and the latch is not loose, as How Do Walk-In Tubs Work, From the Door Seal to the Drain? explains.

When the Pins or Striker Plate Need Attention

If the tub is level, the lock nut is set, the seal is clean and in shape, and the pins still miss the striker plate openings or the plate itself has loosened, the pins and striker plate can be adjusted or replaced. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your model name, your order details from where you purchased, and photos of the pins, the striker plate and the handle in the locked position. Any replacement part ships under the warranty, and a local licensed plumber does the labor.

Related Guides

• Door Handle Loose, Wobbly or Hard to Turn: Tightening the Bolt Under the Cap and Adjusting the Lock Nut
• My Door Rubs the Frame When It Closes: Fixing Tub Bow with the Leveling Legs

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