Air Jets Leaking Under the Tub: What a Local Plumber Can Fix and Which Parts Ella Sends

Yes, a local licensed plumber can reseal or replace leaking air jets on an installed Ella walk-in tub, and Ella ships the parts needed under the parts warranty: air jet gaskets, silicone, replacement air jets, and quick-connect elbows where the leak is at the fitting. Ella does not send technicians, so the labor is done by your plumber while support supplies the parts and technical guidance. Send photos of the leaking jets from underneath the tub along with your serial number, and the right parts go out to you or directly to your plumber's shop.

How an Air Jet Is Mounted

Each air jet passes through the tub shell and is held from underneath by a threaded nut. Removing that nut lets the jet be taken off, which exposes the gasket that seals the jet against the acrylic. A leak at an air jet usually means the gasket has lost its seal or the jet body itself is damaged. Because the nut is under the tub, the plumber needs access to the underside through a removable access panel, which is why the repair is done in place rather than by removing the tub.

Confirming Where the Water Is Coming from

Water on the floor after a bath does not always come from the air jets, even when several jets look wet. Support sometimes finds that the drain is the actual source, and the air line itself can develop a hole. Before ordering parts, narrow it down:

1. Fill the tub without running any system and watch underneath for drips. Leaks that appear now point to the drains or the shell fittings, not the jets.
2. Run the air massage and watch each jet from below. Water tracking down the jet body or its nut points to a gasket or jet problem.
3. Follow the air line from the blower to each jet and look for wet spots along the tubing. A hole in the line is repaired as described in cutting out the damaged section and rejoining with a coupling.
4. Photograph every wet jet, elbow or drain fitting and note how many jets are affected.

The drains are held by a threaded strainer located under the drain plug. If the drain is the source, the strainer is loosened, the seal is redone and the strainer is retightened, so tell support if the drains are wet too and the right sealing parts can be included.

Getting the Parts

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your photos, your serial number, a short description, and the address where the parts should go. Support can ship directly to your plumber's shop if that is easier. For a cluster of leaking jets, Ella sends a set of air jets plus gaskets and silicone so the plumber can reseal every affected jet in one visit. If a jet nozzle has broken rather than leaked, see getting the right replacement nozzle, and for hydro-side hoses and fittings see what can be replaced on the hydro system.

Doing the Repair

1. Turn off power to the tub at the breaker and drain the tub completely.
2. From underneath, remove the threaded nut on the leaking jet and take the jet off.
3. Clean old sealant and residue from the hole in the acrylic and from the jet flange.
4. Fit the new gasket, apply the supplied silicone, seat the jet and retighten the nut snugly without over-tightening against the acrylic.
5. Let the silicone cure fully before filling and testing. If plumber's putty was used as a temporary fix, replace it with the supplied silicone during the permanent repair.
6. Keep the control box and any electrical components dry. If water reached them, tell support before restoring power.

Ella authorizes the local plumber to perform this work, does not assume responsibility for the plumber's work, and provides free lifetime technical support by phone, email and live video for questions during the job. Who does what after installation is explained in who services an installed Ella tub and how the parts warranty and labor work.

Related Guides

• Air Jet Covers, Jet Faces, Tubing and Connectors: What Can Be Replaced and What Cannot Be Added Later
• Removing and Replacing an Air Jet: 3mm Hex Key, Clearing Debris and Resealing the Elbow
• Water Under or Behind the Tub: Finding the Source at Unions, Air Fittings, the Hand Shower, Drain Elbow and Supply Lines

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.