The aromatherapy option on an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub is a small canister plumbed into the jet system, with a chrome twist cap sitting flush on the tub deck. You twist the cap open, add a scent cartridge or your chosen bath scent or essential oil, twist it closed, and the water circulating through the jets picks up the aroma and carries it into the bath. It is a NuWhirl system, it is an option rather than a standard feature, and it can be installed on almost any Ella walk-in tub that has enough free deck space.

What the Canister Is

Ella's Bubbles partners with NuWhirl for this system. NuWhirl's aromatherapy canister is a four-part plumbing assembly that lets bathers easily insert and replace personalized bath scents or essential oils. The four parts are:

• Easy Grip cap. The filler cap is designed to be gripped and twisted open easily whenever you need to reach the scent cartridge. It is available in a chrome finish only, and it is the only part you see or touch as a bather.
• Specialized canister. The canister body is shaped to maximize the aroma dispersed into the bath and accommodates the most commonly available scent cartridges. It measures 1 5/8 inches in diameter and 2 7/8 inches long, with a 1 inch pipe spigot fitting on the bottom.
• Nut. A 0.6 inch thick nut with 1 15/16 inch wrench flats secures the canister through the deck from below.
• Tee. The canister sits on a standard 1 inch Schedule 40 PVC tee. NuWhirl calls this "standard tee installation" because it gives the installer flexibility to plumb the canister into either a pressure line or a vacuum line of the jetting system.

The cap itself is 2 3/8 inches in diameter and 1 1/8 inches tall. The deck hole is cut with a 1 11/16 inch hole saw. Everything except the cap lives beneath the deck, so if you have been looking for a separate diffuser or tray, there is none; the chrome cap is the whole visible system.

How to Use It

1. Twist the chrome cap open.
2. Insert a scent cartridge made for whirlpool aromatherapy canisters, or add your chosen bath scent or essential oil.
3. Twist the cap closed.
4. Fill the tub past the jets and run the hydro massage as usual. The circulating water passes the canister and disperses the scent through the jets.
5. Replace or refresh the scent whenever you like by opening the cap again.

This installation video has no narration; it is a visual walkthrough of the canister assembly. It shows the four parts described above going together: the tee in the plumbing line, the canister dropping through the deck hole, the nut tightening from below, and the chrome twist cap finishing the top. Watching it with the dimensions above makes clear why the bather only ever handles the cap, and why the option needs both free deck space and access to the plumbing behind the apron.

Why the Scent Goes in the Canister and Not in the Jets

Ella's cleaning guidance allows oils, fragrances and salts in the bath but discourages them, because they leave residue in the pump and jet lines and call for more frequent vinegar flushes. Bath bombs are to be avoided altogether, since their ingredients can damage the pump system. The canister was designed to solve this: a cartridge or a small amount of scent held in one chamber gives you the aroma without pouring oil through the whole system. Our article on Epsom salts, bath bombs and oils covers the full additive rules, and the monthly maintenance guide explains the vinegar flush.

Which Tubs Can Have It

Ella's FAQ states that the aromatherapy option can be installed on almost any walk-in tub if there is sufficient deck space, particularly when it is combined with other options that also take up deck space. The cleanest way to get it is to include it in your order so the deck hole and tee are done at the factory. For a tub that is already installed, adding it means cutting a 1 11/16 inch hole in the deck and teeing into the jet plumbing behind the apron, which is a job for a licensed contractor; ask the team first so they can confirm your model has the space and the right line to tap. Aromatherapy is listed among the factory-built systems in what can and cannot be customized, alongside the LED chromatherapy light covered in the chromatherapy guide. For help weighing it against the other options, see common questions about choosing therapies.

Common Questions

For anything model-specific, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will be glad to help.