Ella's Bubbles Walk In Tub Blog

Support Center / Troubleshooting & Repairs / How to Reset Your Walk-In Tub Control Box Step by Step

How to Reset Your Walk-In Tub Control Box Step by Step

Updated September 2026

To reset your walk-in tub control box, disconnect the main power, label and unplug every air tube and electrical connection, restore power, hold the config button until the green LED cycles through one, two, three and four blinks, then reconnect everything and test each function. The control box is the electronic brain of your Ella walk-in tub: it receives the air signals from your deck controls and powers the pumps and lights, so when several functions act up at once, a full reset of the control box often clears the problem. This guide walks you through it exactly as our technical support team demonstrates it. Plan on about fifteen minutes, and have some masking tape and a marker ready to label the connections before you remove anything.

Before You Begin

  • Locate the control box behind the removable access panel on the front apron of your tub. Planning service access shows where the panels are on each family.
  • Mark every tube and connector before removal so each one goes back in the correct position. This step matters, and we highly recommend it.
  • Handle electrical connectors slowly and carefully to avoid damaging any pins.
Front view of the blue Ella walk-in tub control box showing the pump and blower air switch ports, the ICL light port and the green power LED
The blue control box: air-switch nipples on the front, pump connectors and the green power LED.

Step by Step Reset

  1. Disconnect the main power supply. The green LED power light on the control box will go out when power is disconnected.
  2. Disconnect all function connections to the box. Mark each one first. Grasp each air tube firmly, then twist and pull carefully. Remove electrical connections slowly to avoid damaging pins.
  3. Disconnect the electrical connections to the air and water pumps that your tub has.
  4. Reconnect the main power supply. Look for the green LED to come back on. It will flash four times and then remain solid green.
  5. Press and hold the config button on the control box until the green LED cycles through its configuration process. It will blink once, then twice, then three times, then four times. At that point release the config button. The LED will blink four times, turn off, and then go solid green. The control box is now reset.
  6. Reconnect everything using your labels. Reattach the air lines and the electrical lines, making sure each line is secured firmly, then reconnect all air and hydro pumps.
  7. Test every function your tub has. Run the air, the water, the microbubbles, and the LED lights to confirm they are all working. If the reset was not successful, repeat the entire process.

Know Your Control Box

Tubs with a heated seat use a master control box, which controls the massage systems and the heated seat together. Knowing the layout helps you label with confidence:

  • Dedicated connectors for the heater pads, the air pump, and the water pump.
  • Small air tube fittings for the push controls: one for the water pump switch, one for the air blower switch, and one for the LED light switch. Push-button air hoses and ports shows which hose goes on which nipple.
  • A display connector for tubs with the digital control keypad, which performs the same functions as the push buttons.
  • The ICL connector for the LED chromatherapy light.
  • The config switch used in the reset procedure above.
  • The main power inlet. Some control boxes use a standard three prong 15 amp connector, while larger master boxes use a 20 amp plug with one vertical and one horizontal prong, which fits a 20 amp receptacle from any electrical supply store.
Close-up of the pump, blower and light air switch nipples on an Ella walk-in tub control box
Label each air tube before you pull it: pump, blower and light nipples look alike.

Component Layout Varies by Therapy Package

The exact components wired to your control box depend on the therapy package on your order. An air massage package is a simple chain of push control, control box, and air pump. Hydro packages add a hydro pump, in-line heater, and ozone generator, and combination packages add further pumps, each with its own controls. Ella publishes a schematic for every package, and if you are not sure which one matches your tub, send us your serial number and we will send you the correct diagram; manuals, spec sheets and drawings by model lists what exists for each tub, and which cord plugs where identifies each box and cord.

If a Single Button Still Does Not Respond

A reset clears the box, but a dead button is often the air path rather than the box. This video shows how the push buttons work by pneumatic pressure through a small tube to the control box, and the two things to check: that the tube is pushed firmly onto the nipple at the box, and that it is secured at the button with its locking nut. If a button is stuck down from an air lock, disconnect its tube at the control box so the button pops up, then reconnect. Pressing the button should produce an audible click from the relay inside the box; no click means the signal is not arriving.

If the Reset Does Not Fix It

Repeat the procedure once. If a function still does not respond, the fault may be in a specific connection, pump, or the box itself, and our team resolves this class of issue every week, usually by sending the exact video for your configuration or walking you through it live. See also touchpad and push control troubleshooting, pump and massage system checks, and, when the green LED never comes on at all, control box has no power light.

Common Questions

What does the config button do?
It tells the control box which therapies are connected. Holding it through the one, two, three, four blink cycle re-learns the configuration; the LED then blinks four times, goes off and turns solid green.
What do the LED blinks mean when I plug the box in?
Four flashes followed by solid green is the normal power-up. A few configurations are set to three flashes instead. No light at all with a live outlet means power is not reaching the box.
Do I need to reset a replacement box?
No. Replacement boxes are tested and configured before they ship, so you only do the disconnect and reconnect portion of the video.
Should I reset the box after a power outage or a tripped breaker?
First reset the breaker and press reset on the GFCI outlet, then look for the green LED. If power is present but several functions misbehave, run the full reset above.
Is there a fuse or a breaker inside the control box?
Not in Ella's published documentation. The reset points are the panel breaker, the GFCI outlet and this reset procedure.
The jets came on by themselves or will not shut off. Will a reset help?
If the air runs for about two minutes roughly 20 minutes after a bath, that is the normal Auto Purge and nothing is wrong. A pump that will not stop when you press its button usually has a stuck push button or a trapped air lock in its tube; clear the tube, refit it firmly, then reset the box. A relay stuck closed can also hold a pump on; switch the circuit off and open a ticket.
How long does the reset take?
About fifteen minutes including labeling, and most of that is careful disconnecting and reconnecting. The config cycle itself takes well under a minute.
I reset the box twice and one pump still does nothing. What next?
Open a ticket with your model, serial number and a short video of what happens when you press each button. The team will diagnose the relay, the box or the pump and send the right part.

Still need a hand? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and our technical support team will be glad to help.

Did this solve it?

If not, open a ticket and our team will pick it up from here.

Open a Support Ticket