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Water Leaking From the Door Handle Screws: Reseal the Screws Before Replacing the Door Seal

▶Glossary6
  1. Why the Handle Screws Can Leak
  2. How to Reseal the Handle Screws
  3. Test Before You Replace the Door Seal
  4. Related Guides
  5. Common Questions
  6. Still Need Help?

Water weeping from the screws on the door handle is fixed by removing those screws, resealing them with silicone and reinstalling them. Ella's technical support recommends doing this first and testing the tub before ordering a new door seal, because a leak at the handle screws is a sealing problem at the screw holes rather than a gasket problem.

Why the Handle Screws Can Leak

The handle screws pass through the door panel. If the seal around them is no longer tight, water in the tub can follow the screws through the door and drip down the outside. The tell-tale sign is water appearing at or just below the handle while the rest of the door edge stays dry. Because the drip can run down inside the apron, it sometimes shows up as a wet floor or as water reaching the room or unit below. Treat it promptly for that reason.

How to Reseal the Handle Screws

  1. Drain the tub completely and dry the door around the handle.
  2. Remove the handle screws. If the handle itself is loose or stiff, the handle bolt and lock nut guide covers that adjustment separately.
  3. Clean any old sealant and residue out of the screw holes and off the screws, then let everything dry fully.
  4. Apply silicone sealant into each hole and under each screw head, then drive the screws back in so the silicone seals the threads and the head.
  5. Wipe away the excess and let the silicone cure for the full time stated by the sealant manufacturer before the tub sees water.
  6. Fill the tub above the handle height, let it stand, and check the outside of the door and the floor for any moisture.

Silicone sealant is a hardware-store item. Ella does not send technicians, so a local licensed plumber can do this work, and Ella's technical support can answer that person's questions by phone or email.

Test Before You Replace the Door Seal

It is natural to assume a worn seal is the cause and to ask for a gasket along with the fix. Technical support's advice is to seal the screws first, test, and only then consider the seal. If the door still leaks after the reseal and the water is coming from the bottom edge rather than the handle, work through why a walk-in tub door leaks at the bottom. If a latch has cracked and the door no longer pulls tight, see the cracked latch article. For gasket care and how a replacement gasket is requested, see door gasket care and replacement. A replacement seal, when one is needed, ships under the parts warranty after the team verifies the problem with photos and your serial number.

Common Questions

Do I need a new door seal if water leaks at the handle?
Usually not. Water at the handle screws means the screw penetrations need resealing, not the gasket. Reseal the screws with silicone, test the tub, and only consider a new seal if a leak remains elsewhere on the door.
What kind of sealant should I use on the screws?
Use a silicone sealant applied into the screw holes and under the screw heads. Let it cure fully according to the manufacturer's directions before filling the tub.
Will Ella send someone to fix the leak?
No. Ella does not send technicians. This is a simple reseal that a local licensed plumber can do, and Ella's technical support can answer that person's questions by phone or email if needed.
How do I know the leak is from the handle and not the door seal?
Dry the door, fill the tub and watch. Water that appears at the handle screws while the bottom edge of the door stays dry points to the screws. Water tracking along the bottom edge points to alignment or the seal, which the leak-at-bottom article covers.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

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