How Do I Use Every Function on the Ella Digital Control Panel?

The Ella digital control panel, also called the digital touchpad or keypad, runs the therapy systems from a flat panel on the tub deck: the air bubble icon starts the air massage and the plus and minus keys set its intensity, the hydro button starts and stops the hydro jets, and the light button cycles the chromatherapy colors, with a two second hold used to turn the air and the light off. Hydro jet intensity is still set with the chrome intensity dial on the deck, and on tubs with foot jets the panel also turns the foot jet pump on and off. If you want the panel shown side by side with chrome push buttons, Push Button Controls vs the Digital Touchpad: Operating Every Deck Control covers both; this page takes the digital panel on its own, function by function.

Air Massage: The Bubble Icon and the Plus and Minus Keys

Touch the air bubble icon once to start the air massage. Touch the plus key to increase the intensity and the minus key to decrease it. To turn the air massage off, hold the air bubble icon down for two seconds. That hold is the detail most new owners miss: a single tap does not switch the air off the way the fourth press does on push button tubs, so if the bubbles keep running, press and hold rather than tapping again. The first video on this page shows the air massage being started, adjusted and stopped on the touchpad.

After you turn the air off, expect the tub to blow air on its own about 20 minutes later. That is the Auto Purge, a two minute cycle that blows residual water out of the air lines. It runs automatically whenever the tub has power, and it is normal, not a fault in the panel.

Hydro Massage: The Hydro Button and the Intensity Dial

Press the hydro button once to start the hydro massage and press it once again to shut it off. The strength of the jets is not set on the panel. It is set with the chrome intensity control dial on the deck: turning the dial up introduces more air into the jet stream for a stronger flow, and turning it down reduces the air for a gentler flow. The in-line heater has no control of its own. It runs only while the hydro pump runs and stops the moment the hydro stops, so stopping the hydro also stops the heater. On tubs equipped with foot jets, the digital controller turns the foot jet pump on and off as well. The therapy systems under the deck are the same ones used on push control tubs; only the way you address them is different.

Chromatherapy Light

Press the light button once for the full range of colors, which cycle continuously. If you want to stay on one color, repeat a single press when that color is showing and the light holds there. To turn the light off, hold the button for two seconds. The light works exactly the same way on push button and digital touchpad tubs.

What the Panel Does Not Control

• Microbubbles. The microbubble system keeps its own push button even on touchpad tubs. Press it to start and press it again to stop.
• Heated seat and backrest. Two-seat tubs with heated seats carry a separate heat keypad for each seat, independent of the digital controller.
• Hydro intensity. Always the chrome dial, never the plus and minus keys, which belong to the air massage.
• All power at once. To remove every bit of power from the tub, switch off its dedicated GFCI breakers at the panel, or press Test on the GFCI outlet if it is within reach. The tub runs on its own dedicated circuits, so nothing else in the house goes dark. How Do I Turn the Jets Off in an Emergency? lists the stop for every function.

The digital controller is standard on the Shak, the Big4One and the whole two-seat family, the Tub4Two, Companion, Escape and Big4Two. The Lounger's Air plus Hydro package is digital controller only, and on the Monaco it is an add-on that is not always shown on the published listing, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 if you would like it on your order. What Is the Digital Controller (Touchpad) on a Walk-In Tub? has the model rundown.

Behind the Panel: The Control Box

The touchpad plugs into the display connector on the blue control box, which sits under the tub behind the front access panel. The box is what actually switches power to the pumps, the in-line heater and the lights; the panel only tells it what to do. A green LED on the box lights whenever power reaches it, and on a normal power-up the LED flashes four times and then stays solid green. Tubs with a heated seat use a master control box, and the LED chromatherapy light has its own separate control box and transformer. What Is the Control Box on a Walk-In Tub? explains the ports and the reset. Leave that equipment compartment uninsulated and reachable so the connections can be checked.

Care, Troubleshooting and Replacement

A soft, damp cloth is all the panel needs for cleaning. If the touchpad stops responding, check the green LED on the control box first, then confirm the keypad cable is seated at the display connector. The cable runs under the deck to the box, and a cable that has slipped down behind the tub or a plug that has worked loose looks exactly like a failed keypad, so reseating it may restore every function. If the connection is sound, run the control box reset. Signs that the keypad itself has failed are buttons that respond only some of the time, indicator lights that do not come on, or the system switching on and off on its own.

A failed touchpad is replaced as a single part, and none of the pumps need to come out to do it. Order it through your Ella dealer, where you purchased, or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850 with your serial number, a photo of the keypad and a photo of the side of the blue control box where the cables plug in. Electronic controls are among the parts covered by the Lifetime Limited Warranty, parts only, and support verifies the claim before a keypad ships and tests the new keypad before it goes out. Ordering a Replacement Electronic Keypad for Your Walk-In Tub lists the details to include. The second video on this page shows the swap: protect the tub surface, cut the silicone seal around the old pad with a straight edge without scoring the acrylic, pry the pad away, lift it out and disconnect the plug, connect the new pad and push the plug firmly, restore power briefly to confirm the new pad works, peel the backing from the two-sided tape, press the pad into place, and seal the edges with white silicone. Switch power off at the breaker before touching any connection, and have a local licensed electrician or your installer make the connection.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Digital Touchpad Replacement with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why Won't My Ella Digital Touchpad Respond When I Press a Button?
• What Does Each Icon on the Ella Digital Touchpad Mean and Do?

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