How Do I Check That My Walk-In Tub Is Level After Installation?

To check that a walk-in tub is level after installation, drain it, remove the front apron, and set a level on the deck front to back and then side to side, watching especially for a low spot in the middle. Then look at every leveling leg under the tub and confirm each one sits solidly on the floor with no gap, because a leg that floats or carries less weight than the others bows the shell and twists the door frame. Ella tubs have at least six leveling legs, and Why Is My Walk-In Tub Door So Hard to Close? shows what happens when one of them is not doing its share.

Why Level Matters More on a Walk-In Tub

A walk-in tub has a door in its side, and that door only seals when the frame around it is square. When the center of the tub sags, the door frame narrows and the door drags on the jamb or bends the seal as it shuts. When one leg carries less weight than the others, the frame twists just enough to open a gap along one edge of the door. Either way the door may not close properly and could leak, which is exactly the warning the installer gives in the delivery and installation video on this page. A tub can test perfectly before it goes in and fail on the first fill simply because the bathroom floor is not as flat as the factory floor.

The Check, Step by Step

1. Drain the tub completely and leave it empty. Do not fill it again until the check is finished, because water pressure on a misaligned door can leak and can shift the alignment further.
2. Remove the front apron so you can see the leveling legs and the underside of the shell.
3. Place a level on the deck and read it front to back. Then turn it and read side to side. Note which direction is high.
4. Look for a low spot in the middle. A tub that reads level at both ends but dips at the center is bowed, and the fix is the center leveling leg, not the corners.
5. Extend the center leveling leg until it bears weight. On a bowed tub you can watch the door frame open as the middle lifts.
6. Go around every remaining leg and confirm it sits firmly on the floor with no gap. Adjust each one so all legs touch with equal weight, then re-read the level in both directions.
7. Close the door with a gentle push and sight along both edges. It should meet the frame evenly all the way around, and the seal should compress rather than fold.
8. Fill the tub and let it stand with the door closed for 20 minutes. Confirm the door closes smoothly and the seal stays dry before any surrounding walls are finished.

Signs the Tub Was Never Level, or Has Moved Since

• The door is hard to close, rubs the jamb, or has to be shut hard. The tub is most likely bowed down in the middle.
• The door meets the seal on one edge but stands away on the other. One or more legs are not bearing equal weight, and Why Is There a Gap on One Side of My Walk-In Tub Door? walks through that symptom.
• A door that closed fine at installation has become tighter months later. Floors settle, and a leg that was firm can end up carrying less than it did.
• A seal that looks flattened on one side right after delivery. Squeeze it gently with your fingertips and pull it slightly away from the frame so it springs back, then wipe it with rubbing alcohol. A restored seal often fills what looked like a gap. Do this after leveling, not instead of it.

Leveling comes before any door adjustment. Do not force or pry a hinge, and leave the handle tension at the lock nut alone until the level reads true in both directions, because adjusting the door on a twisted frame hides the cause without fixing it. Hinge adjustment, if it is still needed, comes only after the tub is confirmed level.

What Your Installer Signs Off on

The warranty activation form has a second page of 16 items the installer initials. Two of them are this check: the tub is level with all legs touching the floor, and the door seal was watertight after a 20 minute fill. Others on the same page include a dedicated GFCI breaker, the thermostatic control valve operated on both hot and cold, and the locking nut tightened on both drain stoppers. If your installer left without running the fill test, ask for it. If the form was never completed, What Is the Warranty Activation Form explains how to complete it now.

Improper or negligent installation is excluded from warranty coverage, and a tub that leaks because a leg was left floating is an installation matter rather than a defect in the tub. Getting the level right on the day, and keeping the signed form with your receipt and a photo of the serial label, protects you on both counts.

Who Does the Leveling

Ella's Bubbles does not send technicians. The installer who set the tub, or any local licensed contractor, adjusts the legs, and Ella technical support can guide them by phone or video through ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850. If you need someone local, Getting Installer Referrals and Leads explains how the team can recommend a contractor in your area and sends that contractor the tub specifications ahead of the visit. Before you call, have your model and serial number ready. The serial label is behind the magnetic access panel next to the door.

The installation video follows a Transfer 60 going into a home. The installer unpacks and inspects the tub, fills it outside before it goes into the house to check for leaks while running all the pumps, then drains and dries it and moves it inside. The narration stresses that proper leveling is vitally important, because if the tub is not level the doors will not close properly and could leak.

Watch: Walk-In Tub Installation and Delivery Ella's Bubbles Transfer 60 with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Leveling your walk-in tub: why every leg must touch the floor before anything else
• How Do I Fix a Walk-In Tub That Is Not Level?

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