How Do I Adjust or Replace the Magnets on My Tub Access Panel?

The magnets on an Ella access panel can be adjusted so they actually touch the panel face, or reinforced with additional magnets behind the panel, and either fix is done on site by your installer or a handy person with a screwdriver. A magnet or bracket that is cracked or missing is a small part that ships under the parts warranty. Before you adjust anything, though, confirm the tub is level and the panel is going on in the right order, because a panel that will not stay put is usually a frame problem rather than a magnet problem. The seating sequence is in How to Refit a Magnetic Access Panel That Will Not Seat in the Corners.

How the Magnets Hold the Panel

All current Ella access panels attach with magnets. They hold the panel firmly against the frame while still letting it release with a straight pull, which is why there are no clips to pry and no screws to back out on most models. The Flow was the last model to use velcro strips, and it has since moved to magnets as well. Inward-swing and outward-swing door models use slightly different magnet configurations because the frame around the door differs, but both configurations hold the panel equally well. The hook-shaped suction cup packed with your tub is the removal tool: press it flat near the center of a clean, dry panel, pull straight out until the magnets let go, and turn the hook horizontal afterward to release the cup. How the Access Panels Attach and What the Suction Cup Tool Is For covers that tool in detail.

Two model notes matter here. On the Standard and Zen platform the two front access panels are held with screws under screw caps, and it is the side panel that attaches with magnets against tabs inside the panel. On the Ultra there are four magnetic access panels. So if your front panel has screw positions, the fix for a loose panel is missing screws or caps rather than magnets, and Where Do I Get the White Screw Caps and Trim for the Front Panel? is the article you want. The video below shows how the apron and its panels attach differently from model to model, with clips, screws, velcro tape or magnets, and reminds you that every removable panel comes off before the tub is carried into the house.

Rule Out the Frame Before You Touch a Magnet

A panel that pops off on its own is telling you the magnets are not contacting the panel face. The most common reason is not a weak magnet but a frame that is not sitting square. The panel edges and the bottom brackets only line up when every leveling leg is bearing on the floor and the apron is at the right height. Work through these checks first:

1. Remove the panel fully and set it aside face up so the finish is not scratched.
2. Check level along the length and width of the deck, then slide a slip of paper under each leveling leg. If the paper slides under, adjust that leg until it bears firmly. On the Standard, Zen and Flow platform the front legs must also be screwed into the subfloor.
3. Open and close the door and confirm it closes into an even seal. Uneven gaps between the door and its frame point to a leg that still needs adjusting.
4. With the tub level, refit the apron and confirm the bottom brackets line up with the panel holes without forcing. If the holes are still off, the apron height needs to be reset, not the panel or its magnets.
5. Look behind the panel for anything pressing on it. Cords, tubes and the control box must sit clear of the panel, and there should never be insulation packed around the equipment.

Those steps are drawn from Why Does My Tub's Front Panel Keep Popping Off?. On a tub that was leveled after installation, the apron height can change enough that the magnets no longer meet the panel, which is the case where the magnets themselves do need attention.

Adjusting the Magnets so They Reach the Panel

Once the tub is level and the apron sits at the right height, put the panel back on in the correct order. Find the small black pressure plates along the top edge of the apron opening, hold the panel at a slight angle, slide its upper edge under those plates, then swing the rest of the panel in and press the two upper corners toward the tub at the same time. You should feel the magnets grab, and the panel should sit flat with no gap and no rocking when you run a hand around the perimeter.

If the panel goes on but still pops back off, one or more magnets are not reaching the panel face. The fix is to adjust those magnets so they touch the panel, or to reinforce the hold with additional magnets behind the panel. Ella's guidance is that either job can be done on site by your installer or contractor, or by a handy person with a screwdriver. Ella does not send technicians, so plan on a local installer doing the work if you are not comfortable with it yourself. Keep the panel face and the frame clean while you work so the magnets seat against a flat surface.

Replacing a Cracked or Missing Magnet or Bracket

If a magnet or its bracket is cracked or missing, it is treated as a replacement part and ships under the parts warranty. A panel that is itself cracked, warped or missing a magnet can also be replaced as a part. Because panels and their hardware differ by model and door side, the team confirms the right part from photos rather than from a parts list. Before you open a ticket, gather:

• Your model name and the serial number from the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door.
• A photo of the panel edge and the frame where it seats, and a photo of the bottom brackets.
• A level reading on the deck, so the team can rule out leveling before shipping a part.
• A close-up of the damaged or empty magnet position.

Open the ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. If you are enclosing the tub during a remodel, keep the front apron clear so these panels can always come off, as described in Planning Service Access: Front Aprons, Access Panels, and Why You Must Not Insulate Around the Tub.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: End Panels And Extension Panels with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• How to Remove and Reattach the Front Apron on Your Walk-In Tub
• How Do I Get a Replacement Access Panel for My Walk-In Tub?

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