What size Allen wrench removes the handles on an Ella walk-in tub faucet?

A 3 mm Allen wrench removes the handles on both Ella fast-fill faucets. On the 2-piece single-lever faucet the Allen bolt sits under a decorative bolt cover on top of the spout handle, and on the 5-piece faucet each red or blue handle has its own Allen bolt under its colored cap. If you are going past the handle to change a cartridge, the 5-piece set also needs a 17 mm socket wrench, and the full sequence for both faucets is in Faucet drips or the handle feels stiff: replacing your faucet cartridge step by step.

Which Faucet Is on Your Deck?

The tool list depends on which faucet you have, so identify it before you look for a wrench. The 2-piece fast-fill faucet has a single lever: lift for on, lever left for hot, right for cold, lever down for off, with a diverter button under the spout for the hand shower. The 5-piece fast-fill faucet has a separate red hot handle and blue cold handle with a diverter lever between them. Both sets include a hand shower on a 5 foot retractable stainless braided hose. The thermostatic set is a third faucet type. The published handle and cartridge guides cover the 2-piece and 5-piece sets, so if you have a thermostatic set, send a photo through a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support before you take anything apart.

What this means in practice: one 3 mm Allen wrench gets every faucet handle off, whichever set you own. The differences start below the handle. The 2-piece faucet has one cartridge under the spout handle and the parts around it are brass, while the 5-piece faucet has a separate cartridge in the hot valve and in the cold valve, each sitting under a plastic collar and each loosened with a 17 mm socket. If your only goal is to snug a loose handle, you never need the socket at all.

Removing the Handle on the 2-Piece Faucet

The two-piece cartridge video shows the technician doing exactly this on a deck-mounted faucet, and the printed steps on the specification sheet match it.

1. Pop off the decorative bolt cover on top of the spout handle.
2. Insert the 3 mm Allen wrench and loosen the Allen bolt.
3. Lift the spout handle straight off. You can now see where the Allen bolt attaches to the cartridge stem.
4. If you are only re-seating a loose handle, put it back on top of the cartridge stem, tighten the Allen bolt securely without over torquing, and replace the cover.
5. If you are changing the cartridge, unscrew and remove the escutcheon plate, loosen and remove the brass locking collar, and lift the cartridge out.

When the handle goes back on, the red side should be on the left for hot and the blue on the right for cold. Refitting it backwards is the most common way to end up with a lever that reads the wrong way after a repair.

Removing a Handle on the 5-Piece Faucet

The five-piece cartridge video shows the same job on the red and blue handles. Each handle is its own assembly, so the steps are repeated for whichever side you are working on.

1. Remove the red or blue cap on top of the handle.
2. Use the 3 mm Allen wrench to loosen the bolt beneath it, then lift the handle off.
3. Remove the plastic collar that sits under the handle.
4. To reach the cartridge, loosen and remove it with a 17 mm socket wrench. Check for debris, foreign objects or calcification, clean with a soft brush and rinse if needed, then replace the cartridge and tighten without over torquing.
5. Replace the plastic collar, put the handle back on facing the correct position, tighten the Allen bolt firmly without over torquing, and replace the colored cap.

Leaving the plastic collar out, or refitting the handle without tightening the bolt, is a direct cause of a handle that works loose again later. Both points are covered in Why Does My Faucet Handle Keep Falling Off?.

Before You Loosen Anything

• Close the hot and cold shut-off valves behind the access panel first. The handles are the only thing holding the water back once a cartridge comes out, so the valves have to be off before the socket comes out.
• Look for the bolt before you reach for the wrench. If a handle keeps dropping off, the Allen bolt has usually loosened or fallen out entirely, and no wrench size will help until the bolt is replaced.
• Tighten securely, never hard. Every published step ends with the same instruction: without over torquing. A bolt that is cranked down can damage the handle or the cartridge stem.
• Check the cause, not just the handle. A handle that squeaks or feels rough or stiff usually points to debris or scale on the cartridge underneath. A soft brush and a rinse often saves the cartridge, and the constant-drip guide at Why Does My Tub Faucet Drip Constantly and How Do I Fix It? covers when the cartridge itself needs replacing.

If the Bolt, Cap or Handle Is Missing or Damaged

The Allen bolts, the decorative cover, the red and blue caps, the hot and cold indicator buttons and the handles in each finish are all small stock parts. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with your faucet type, whether 2-piece single lever, 5-piece with red and blue handles, or the thermostatic set, and a photo of the handle and the fastener. The team matches the part from stock. Handle replacements and finish options for the 5-piece set are described in 5-Piece Faucet: Water Keeps Flowing With the Valve Off, Low Pressure, Handle Replacements and Finish Options. If a 5-piece valve will not stop the flow with the handle off, the team reviews a photo and, when the part is covered under the parts warranty, sends a replacement valve; you can then swap only the cartridge into your existing valve body or replace the valve entirely. Either way the handle, collar and cap go back on with the same 3 mm wrench.

If it is the diverter lever on a shower column that keeps coming out rather than a faucet handle, that lever is held by a set screw in its threaded portion. Snug that screw first, and if it is short or missing, send a photo of the lever and its screw so the team can confirm the right one.

Related Guides

• Faucet Cartridge Burst and Spraying Water: Shutting It Down and Getting Replacement Hot and Cold Valves
• Faucet Supply Hose Leaking Under the Deck: Access, Identification and Replacement
• Tub Fills Only Scalding or Only Cold and Will Not Mix to Warm

Common Questions