Where can I buy a walk-in bathtub with professional installation?

An Ella walk-in bathtub is purchased through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and it ships nationwide from the company's facility in Chicago, so where you live does not limit which model you can order. Professional installation is arranged separately: Ella's Bubbles builds and tests the tub but does not perform installations, so a local licensed plumber or electrician sets the tub, with free technical support from Ella for that contractor. Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview introduces the company, and this page explains how the purchase and the installation fit together for a low-threshold tub with a built-in seat.

Who Sells Ella Walk-In Tubs

Ella's Bubbles is the manufacturer. Its luxury walk-in tubs are designed for a safer, more comfortable bathing experience, they are assembled in America at the company's facility in Chicago, and the company also offers walk-in showers for anyone who prefers a shower-based option. Wherever you are in the country, the order is placed through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, who confirm the model, door side, therapy package, faucet and accessories before the tub is built. Every tub is assembled and tested to order before it ships, and the total time from order to delivery varies by model, options and stock, so the team confirms current timing for your specific order. Once the order is placed, questions about it go to your Ella dealer, the team, or where you purchased.

Who Installs the Tub, and What Ella Provides

Ella manufactures and sells walk-in tubs but never performs the installation. The work is done by a licensed, experienced local contractor, normally a plumber for the water and drain connections and an electrician for the therapy systems. Here is how the responsibilities divide.

• You choose the installer. Any licensed installer is fine, and certification by Ella is not required. If you do not have one, Ella can help locate a reputable installer and can refer installers from its nationwide network, which includes Angi Pro contractors.
• Ella supports the installer for free. Ella provides lifetime technical support by phone, email and video, with manuals and live video help for your contractor during the installation and for any repairs later.
• Labor is warranted by the installer. Ella's Lifetime Limited Warranty covers parts. Installation, plumbing and electrical connections, and labor for removal or replacement are excluded, so the contractor who did the work stands behind the work.
• Ella does not send technicians. If a part fails under the warranty, the replacement part ships to you and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the labor.
• Installer choice affects coverage. Improper or negligent installation and modifications by anyone other than Ella's Bubbles are excluded from the warranty, so a licensed contractor who follows the manual protects your coverage. Specific questions about whether a change would affect coverage go to ellasbubbles.com/support.

Because the tub and the labor come from two different places, line up the contractor before the tub ships and give them the installation manual and spec sheet for your model, which your Ella dealer or the team can supply, so the crew knows what to expect on the day.

Choosing a Tub Built for an Older or Disabled Bather

A walk-in tub is a bathtub with a door in its side and a low threshold, so you step in through the door instead of climbing over a rim, then sit on a built-in seat and bathe with the door closed. What is a walk-in tub and who is it designed for? covers the design, and these are the elements to check against the person who will bathe.

• A low step-in threshold. The Capri, for example, has a 3.5 inch threshold, and the figure varies by model.
• A built-in seat at a comfortable height, 17 inches on most models, similar to a standard chair, so sitting down and standing up use the same motion as rising from a dining chair.
• Grab bars and a textured, slip-resistant floor on every walk-in model, with more bars available for the surrounding walls.
• A watertight door that closes on an integrated gasket with a multi-latch gear and shaft mechanism. Depending on the model the door swings inward, as on the Deluxe, or outward into the room, as on the Monaco.
• A deck-mounted fast-fill faucet with a pull-out hand shower, so the tub fills and rinses with the bather seated.
• Therapy options such as a heated seat and back, hydro jets, air jets, microbubbles and hydrofoot therapy, or a soaker with no jets at all.

Who each type suits is laid out in What is an accessible bathtub, and who are walk-in tubs designed for?. Wheelchair users transfer through the Transfer family's L-shaped outward-swing door, which leaves no sidewall beside the seat; the Transfer26 is 26 inches wide by 52 inches long with a 19 inch seat, and the TransferXXL is a bariatric model at 36 by 55 inches. Bathers who cannot bear weight or slide across use the HoistAssist, which pairs a transfer tub with its own battery hoist, or the HomeCare, designed exclusively for assisted bathing with a caregiver present. A bather who likes to stretch out fits the Longer at 27 by 60 inches with its extended seat area, while the Deluxe at 30 by 55 inches is a deeper tub for sitting upright. Someone who stays in a wheelchair or shower chair is better served by a roll-in shower base with a nearly flush entry, and Which accessible bathtub options work best for elderly users? compares those options. There is no ADA certification for any bathtub, because the U.S. Access Board does not certify products and private homes are not covered by the ADA; Ella tubs are residential tubs with many ADA-compatible elements.

Planning the Order so the Installation Goes Smoothly

1. Confirm the model, door side, therapy package, faucet and accessories with your dealer or the team, because the tub is built and tested to that order.
2. Decide on the shower column at the same time if you want a standing shower. The column needs access to the back side of the tub, so it is installed before the tub is finally set in place, as Where can I buy a walk-in tub shower combo with professional installation? explains.
3. Line up your licensed plumber or electrician before the tub ships, and give them the installation manual and spec sheet for your model.
4. After the installation, complete the two-page warranty activation form, signed by both you and your installer, and return it to Ella's Bubbles to put the warranty in force. The serial number you will need is on the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door.

If you are unsure which model suits the bather or the room, contact ellasbubbles.com/support or the team at (800) 480-6850 with the bather's needs and the size of the space, and they will help you narrow the choice before anything is ordered.

Related Guides

• Who Installs My Walk-in Tub? Hiring a Licensed Contractor and How Ella Supports Them
• What Installation Involves, How Long It Takes, and What Drives the Cost
• Installation Documents for Your Contractor: Spec Sheets, Electrical Diagrams, Manuals and the Live Video Session

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