Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating Element

The air massage system on an Ella walk-in tub does not produce warmed air and has no heating element inside the air pump. The pump motor warms up as it runs and eventually pushes warmer air, but it draws its supply from the space under the tub, so a cold floor or an unheated space beneath the tub means cooler air at the jets. This is normal operation, not a fault.

How the Air Pump Works

The air pump is a blower motor mounted under the tub. When you press the air button it pulls air from under the tub and pushes it through the air channels to the air jets. Nothing in that path heats the air on purpose. As the motor runs it warms, and the air passing through it picks up some of that heat, which is why the air often feels warmer several minutes into a bath than it did at the start.

Why the Air Feels Cold in Some Homes

Because the pump breathes the air that surrounds it, the temperature under the tub sets the temperature at the jets. The air pump should not blow cold air unless the space underneath the tub is too cold, since that is the air the pump vents into the jets. A tub over a cold floor or in a room that is kept cool will deliver cooler air. The water itself is unaffected, and any change in bath temperature comes from the water cooling naturally, as explained in why the water does not stay hot and the jets blow cold.

What Actually Keeps a Bath Warm

Warmth in an Ella tub comes from the water side of the system, not the air side. Hydro massage packages that include an in-line water heater maintain the temperature of the water circulating through the hydro jets, as described in what an in-line water heater does. Whether your tub has one depends on the package, see does my Ella tub include an in-line heater. The optional heated seat and backrest warms the surfaces you sit against, which can offset the feel of the moving air.

Ways to Reduce the Cold-Air Feeling

1. Warm the bathroom before your bath so the air under the tub starts closer to room temperature.
2. Fill the tub and let the air system run for a few minutes before you settle in, since the motor warms as it runs.
3. Use a lower speed. On the three-speed push control the first press is high, the second is medium and the third is low, and a fourth press turns the air off.
4. If you have a hydro package with an in-line heater, run the hydro jets so the heater maintains the water temperature while the air massage is on.

Remember that about 20 minutes after you turn the air pump off, the auto purge runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. That burst of air is automatic, cannot be stopped, and is normal even if it starts while you are still in the tub.

Related Guides

• My walk-in tub turned on by itself: the air massage Auto-Purge is normal
• Water Inside the Air Blower: The Check Valve in the Air Manifold
• Air Pump Whines or Stopped Working: Tests Before Replacement and How a New Pump Ships

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.