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Leak at the Drain Elbow or Drain Pipe: Overtightening, Standard PVC Fittings and Replacement Assemblies

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. Why the Elbow Cracked
  2. What to Photograph
  3. Standard PVC That a Plumber Can Work with
  4. What Is Available
  5. How the Drain System Is Laid Out
  6. After the Repair
  7. Related Guides
  8. Common Questions

A leak at the drain elbow under an Ella walk-in tub usually traces back to the elbow being overtightened when the tub was installed, and the repair is a replacement elbow fitted without the same mistake. The drain pipes themselves are standard 1 1/2 inch PVC, so a plumber can cut and re-join them with ordinary couplings, and complete drain assemblies are available when more than the elbow is damaged. This article explains what to look for, what to photograph and what Ella's Bubbles supplies. Slow draining, the house-drain connection choices and tracing water under the tub are covered in their own articles.

White 90-degree elbow drain fitting with threaded union nut and black rubber gasket for an Ella walk-in tub
The replacement elbow drain: a 90-degree fitting with a union nut and gasket. Snug, not forced.

Why the Elbow Cracked

When the team reviews photos of a cracked or weeping drain elbow, the finding has been overtightening during installation. Forcing a plastic fitting down with a wrench stresses the material and can produce a hairline crack that may not show itself until the tub has been used a few times. For that reason the instruction that goes with every replacement elbow is simple: snug, not forced. Do not overtighten the new one.

What to Photograph

  • The elbow itself, close enough to show the crack or the wet spot.
  • A wider shot of the drain assembly so the team can see which side of the tub and which port the elbow is on.
  • The connection to the house drain, including any T or Y fitting the installer used.

Send the photos with your serial number (on the label behind the magnetic access panel by the door), whether you are the original owner, and a street address for UPS. The team will confirm whether you need just the elbow or more of the assembly. The replacement parts article lists everything a parts ticket should include.

Standard PVC That a Plumber Can Work with

The drain pipes under the tub are standard 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe. If a section is damaged, or an installer needs to reroute a run, the pipes can be cut and reconnected with standard couplings from any plumbing supplier. There is nothing proprietary about the pipe, only about the drain body and its fittings, which come from the team. Where the tub's 2 inch drain outlet meets 1 1/2 inch house plumbing, connecting the 2 inch drain to 1.5 inch plumbing shows the reducer and the straight-down exit.

What Is Available

  • A replacement drain elbow.
  • A replacement drain plug on its own.
  • The entire drain assembly, including for older Standard tubs with a single drain.

The team does not recommend swapping the factory drain assembly for an aftermarket one in a different finish. The holes for the drain are already drilled to the Ella assembly, and removing it creates leak risks and voids the warranty on the affected parts. Drains and overflows are available in chrome. Owners of older or discontinued tubs will find the legacy options in parts for older and discontinued Ella tubs.

Close-up of the white PVC drain elbow and plumbing connections beneath an older model Ella walk-in tub
The drain elbow on an older, discontinued drain style. A photo like this lets the team tell old from current.

How the Drain System Is Laid Out

Dual Drain Technology and House Drain Connection
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Dual Drain Technology Overview The video introduces Ella's Bubbles dual 2-inch, four-port drain system and its connection to a house drain.
  2. 0:20 Live Drain Demonstration A live demonstration shows water flowing through the dual 2-inch, four-port drains.
  3. 0:39 Drain Setup Images Actual images display a drain setup before and after the installation of the dual drain system.
  4. 1:01 House Drain Connection Options The video explains recommended house drain connections and how installers determine the best setup.
  5. 1:27 Easy Turn Drain Handles The easy turn drain handles are shown, which also function as dual air vents to maximize water outflow.
  6. 1:40 Single Drain and Gravity Driven System Some tubs feature an oversized single drain with emergency pull chain, and the gravity-driven system is highlighted.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Dual Drain Technology and House Drain Connection with chapters and a full transcript.

The video shows why there are several ports under the tub. Where the industry standard is a single 1 1/2 inch drain, most Ella tubs use two oversized 2 inch drains, each with a four-port T-type body. The house drain can be connected to any of the four ports, and the unused ports are capped, which is what the installer in the video did when choosing two of the four. A 2 inch main drain is recommended for ideal draining, but a T or Y connection into a 1 1/2 inch house drain also works, and your installer determines which side is the most effective way to connect. The drains are gravity driven with no pump, so there is nothing electrical in the drain path to fail, and a standard-size tub drains in about 80 seconds under ideal conditions. One published fact to keep straight: the door and the drains are on opposite sides of the tub. A right-side door means the drains are on the left, and a left-side door puts them on the right, as you face the tub. Plumbing and drain configurations and plumbing common questions cover P-traps, T versus Y and center drains.

Underside of an Ella walk-in tub showing the drain body, drain cable, overflow, air vent and braided supply hoses
Under the deck: drain body and ports, overflow, vent and supply hoses. Every fitting here is checked while the tub drains.

After the Repair

Fill the tub a few inches and open the drains while you watch the elbow and the house connection, then run each pump for a few minutes if the tub has therapy systems and check the connections again. Snug, not forced, is the rule for every plastic fitting. If water is appearing under the tub and the elbow is dry, the article on finding the source of water under the tub takes you through the other connections, and if the tub empties slowly after the repair, tub drains slowly lists the checks. A drain that will not open or close at all is a cable matter: see drain cable replacement.

Common Questions

The drain elbow is leaking. What part do I need?
Usually, you will need just the replacement drain elbow, which is a 90-degree fitting with a union nut and gasket. To confirm the exact part, send photos of the crack or wet spot on the elbow, a wider shot of the drain assembly, and the connection to the house drain, along with your serial number, whether you are the original owner, and a street address for UPS. The Ella's Bubbles team will review these details to confirm if you need only the elbow or more of the drain assembly.
Why did the elbow crack?
The drain elbow usually cracks due to overtightening during installation. Forcing a plastic fitting down with a wrench stresses the material, which can produce a hairline crack that may not become apparent until the tub has been used a few times. When installing the new replacement elbow, the instruction is simple: fit it snug, not forced, to prevent future cracking.
Can my plumber cut and re-join the drain pipe?
Yes, your plumber can cut and re-join the drain pipe under the tub. The drain pipes themselves are standard 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe, so they can be cut and reconnected with ordinary couplings available from any plumbing supplier. There is nothing proprietary about the pipe itself, only about the drain body and its fittings, which come from Ella's Bubbles.
Is a complete drain assembly available?
Yes, a complete drain assembly is available, including for older Standard tubs with a single drain. You can also order just the replacement drain elbow or a replacement drain plug on its own. It is recommended to keep the factory drain assembly rather than swapping it for an aftermarket one, as the holes for the drain are already drilled to the Ella assembly, and removing it creates leak risks and voids the warranty on the affected parts.
My house drain is 1 1/2 inch. Will the 2 inch tub drain work with it?
Yes, the 2 inch tub drain will work with a 1 1/2 inch house drain. While a 2 inch main drain is recommended for ideal and fastest draining, a T or Y connection into 1 1/2 inch house plumbing also works effectively. The article on connecting the 2 inch drain to 1.5 inch plumbing shows how the reducer is used for this connection.
Which schedule of PVC should my installer use to extend the drains?
Ella's Bubbles' published documents do not specify a particular pipe schedule for extending the drains; your plumber should follow local code for drain pipe. If you would like the Ella's Bubbles team to review a proposed layout, you can send a photo or sketch with your support ticket. This allows the team to provide guidance specific to your installation.
Do I need a straight-down drain fitting for a LayDown tub?
The drain supplied with the 32x72 LayDown tub is designed to exit either front or back. If your installation requires the drain to go straight down, you should ask the Ella's Bubbles team. They will confirm what specific fitting or configuration is compatible with your unit to achieve a straight-down exit.
Which side of the tub are the drains on?
The drains on an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub are located on the side opposite the door. This means if your tub has a right-side door, the drains will be on the left side as you face the tub. Conversely, if your tub has a left-side door, the drains will be on the right side.
Everything is fine until we drain, then a fitting under the deck drips heavily. Why?
On dual drain tubs the overflow connects with a flexible hose into a compression fitting at the T under the deck. A hose cut short and forced into a tight bend kinks, goes egg shaped at the fitting and drips only while draining. That fitting sits right behind the narrow front access panel, so it can be reached without pulling the tub; photos through ellasbubbles.com/support get the right replacement hose.
An air pocket forms in the drain and water gurgles out elsewhere while draining. Is that the tub?
No. Water backing up or gurgling out of other fixtures while the tub drains points to venting in the house plumbing below the tub, not the tub itself. Have your plumber check the vent before any tub part is replaced.

For anything specific to your model, serial number or drain, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the Ella's Bubbles team will confirm the exact part.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

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