Why Won't the Air and Water Jets Run at the Same Time?

If the air and water will not run at the same time on your Ella walk-in tub, something has been crossed at the control box, because Ella builds each massage system with its own pump so every therapy can run together. The most common reason is two air hoses on the wrong nipples: each push button's hose must go to its own labeled port, and when the water and air hoses are swapped, one button ends up triggering the wrong function, so pressing one seems to shut the other off. The first thing to check is which hose sits on which port behind the access panel.

Likely Causes

• The water and air hoses reversed on the control box nipples, which are easy to mix up.
• A hose moved to the wrong port during a repair, a button cleaning, or a panel removal.
• A control box that needs its configuration re-learned after hoses were disturbed.
• Grout or silicone inside a button that keeps it from sending a clean signal.

What to Check, in Order

1. Remove the front access panel and locate the blue control box. Read the labels on the nipples: Pump #1 Airswitch for the Water button, Blower/Pump #2 Airswitch for the Air button, Light Airswitch for the Light button. The push-button hoses and ports guide has photos.
2. Trace each hose from its deck button to the box. If the water and air hoses are reversed, swap them, pushing each on firmly with a twist. On some packages a water hose runs straight to a white nut on the pump instead; which cord plugs where explains the layouts.
3. Pull each hose off the box for a second so the line returns to room pressure, refit it, press the button and listen for a click inside the box.
4. With water at least 2 inches above the highest jets, press Water, then press Air. Both pumps should run together, and the air button should cycle high, medium, low and off.
5. If anything is still crossed, run the control box reset. Reconnect the labeled lines one at a time and test air, water, microbubble and LED after each one.
6. If a button was recently cleaned of grout, check whether it springs back freely and clicks the relay. Construction material inside a button usually means a replacement button rather than more cleaning.

When to Open a Ticket

If the hoses are on the correct ports and the reset does not restore independent operation, open a ticket with your serial number, a clear photo of the control box showing every hose and its label, and a short video of what happens when you press Water and then Air, and reach your Ella dealer or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850. The team can confirm the port layout for your therapy package from the photo.

Common Questions