Can you add a shower to a walk-in tub?

Yes. Every Ella walk-in tub ordered with the 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet already has a pull-out hand shower on the deck, and an optional shower column kit adds a 10 inch rain head for seated or standing showers without drilling the tub. As Which accessible bathtub options work best for elderly users? explains, the hand shower is one of the built-in accessibility features, so a walk-in tub is a place to shower as well as to soak. Below is what is already on the deck, how the column goes on, how to keep the spray in the tub, and when a walk-in shower is the better choice.

The Shower That Is Already on the Deck

Ella's 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets include a pull-out hand shower, and the 2-piece cartridge is certified with an ADA lever. A seated bather can rinse hair and shoulders from the seat, and a bather who can stand can use it as a full shower behind the closed door. The waterfall fast-fill faucet, shown in the second video on this page, pairs the faucet with a new extendable multi-function hand shower that has four settings and rests on a shower column. The mount adjusts up and down and side to side, and the attachment is reversible so the hand shower can be placed wherever it suits the bather. The waterfall faucet is offered in chrome, brushed nickel and matte black. On models that accept it, a 24 inch hand shower slide bar gives the hand shower a fixed height range on the wall.

Adding a Shower Column for a Rain Head

The shower column kit is Ella's way to add an overhead shower to an existing walk-in tub. The first video on this page shows the installation, and it connects to either the 2-piece or the 5-piece fast-fill faucet set already on the deck.

1. Remove the existing hand shower from its deck receptacle.
2. Install the shower column base attachment into the vacant receptacle.
3. Replace the water supply line.
4. Attach the new 1/2 inch supply line to the diverter on the 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet set.

Because the column uses the hole the hand shower already occupied, nothing new is drilled through the acrylic. That matters for the warranty: Ella's rule for grab bars applies to every add-on, so never drill into the tub shell or deck, since any alteration not done by Ella is excluded from coverage. Where and how should grab bars be installed around a walk-in tub? also asks you to keep wall bars clear of any shower screen or valve you plan to add, so plan the bar positions and the column together. The column adds a 10 inch rain head that a seated bather can use, and a standing bather gets a conventional overhead shower.

One detail changes in an alcove. A shower column installed on a tub that has an extension panel uses the long 4 to 5 inch pipe connector to reach the wall, so mention the alcove and the panel when you ask about the kit. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? explains why most 52 and 55 inch models carry that panel.

Keeping the Water in the Tub

A hand shower or rain head sends water above the rim, so the walls and the front of the tub need protection. In a three-wall alcove the walls above the deck are finished with tile or a surround over a tile flange so water runs back into the tub. For the open side, Ella offers a 4-fold glass screen that converts to a 3-fold screen by removing one section, which is how it fits a 52 inch tub sitting in a 60 inch alcove with an extension panel. Tell the team the alcove width and whether your tub has a panel so the right screen configuration is supplied.

What the differences mean: if the bather sits for every shower, the hand shower already on the deck may be enough, and the slide bar keeps it within reach. If anyone in the home wants to stand under a shower, the column adds the rain head and the glass screen keeps the floor dry. All of the add-ons connect to the faucet set and the deck, so the tub itself is never modified.

Walk-In Tub with a Shower, or a Walk-In Shower?

For most elderly bathers the better choice is a seated walk-in tub with a low step-in threshold, a built-in seat at about chair height and grab bars, because the bather steps through a sealed door and sits rather than climbing over a tub wall. The Capri, for example, has a 3.5 inch threshold, and most models put the seat at 17 inches, similar to a standard chair. Adding the hand shower or column to that tub gives one fixture that does both jobs. Where the person stays in a wheelchair or shower chair, a roll-in shower base with a nearly flush entry is the better choice, and Ella's shower stalls come with a fold-down seat. A 16.5 by 16.5 inch fold-down seat, a teak fold-up seat and left-hand or right-hand folding bench seats rated for 600 pounds are also offered, as Shower Seat Sizes and Options: Is a Larger Fold-Down Seat Available? explains. To picture a full shower before committing, the online Shower Builder Tool lets you scroll through the options and build a design, after which a contractor visits to measure the space.

Whichever route you take, a local licensed plumber does the connections, and Ella's team supports the work by ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or by phone at (800) 480-6850. Have your model name, faucet set and alcove measurements ready when you ask about the column kit or a screen.

Related Guides

• Ella Fast-Fill Faucets: 2-Piece vs 5-Piece, Finishes, and the Waterfall Option
• Installing the Shower Column Kit on Your Walk-in Tub
• What Is the Waterfall Faucet on an Ella Tub?

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