What Is the Ella Flow Walk-In Tub and What Makes It Different?

The Ella Flow is Ella's compact walk-in bathtub, 28 inches wide, 48 inches long and 36.5 inches tall, built with an inward-swing acrylic S-shape door, a 16-jet hydro massage system, a single 2 inch gravity drain with an emergency pull-up chain, and a 15 amp electrical requirement where most Ella tubs call for 20 amps. It is designed as a space saver for small to average size bathers, fits through a 28 inch doorway, and ships with an extension panel so it can still fill a 60 inch tub alcove. Its door is the platform described in What Is an S-Shape Inward-Swing Door on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page collects the rest of the spec sheet figures and the points that set the Flow apart.

Key Figures from the Spec Sheet

Read together, these figures describe a tub that trades interior length for the ability to go where no other Ella tub fits. The 48 inch length and 28 inch width get it through a narrow doorway and into a small bathroom, while the 20 inch seat width matches the seat on larger models, so the saving is in the length of the tub, not in how wide you sit. The 65 gallon unoccupied capacity is the smallest fill in the seated line, which is worth knowing if your water heater is modest.

What Sets the Flow Apart

• The smallest footprint. At 28 by 48 inches the Flow is Ella's space saver. The video shows the extension panel that fills the gap when the tub goes into a 60 inch alcove, and the end panel that covers the faucet side.
• A 15 amp circuit. The spec sheet calls for one dedicated 110/120V 60Hz line with a 15 AMP GFCI standard three-prong outlet. Ella's published therapy schematics print 20 AMP dedicated outlets for the other families, as indexed in Therapy System Schematics Index, so tell your electrician which tub you have before the circuit is run.
• One drain with a pull-up chain. The Flow sits on the single-drain platform shared with the Standard and Zen families: one 2 inch gravity drain, one overflow, and a removable plug on a chain that you pull by hand. There is no drain cable or opener to adjust, and What Is the Emergency Pull-Up Chain on a Walk-In Tub? explains how to keep the plug seating.
• An acrylic S-shape door. The door swings inward with its handle inside the tub, so it needs no floor clearance in front of the tub, which is a big part of why this platform suits smaller bathrooms. Enter, close and lock the door while standing, then sit, because closing it from a seated position is much harder.
• No grab bar on the spec sheet. The included features list the shell, frame, door, apron, end panel and extension panel; no grab bar or towel bar is listed for this model.

The Hydro Massage System

The spec sheet lists one therapy system for the Flow: hydro massage with an 8.1 amp, 900 watt pump, an intensity dial air control, a 6 amp, 650 watt in-line water heater, 16 jets and a push control. The video describes strategic foot and calf jets for lower leg massage, and the in-line heater holds the bath at the temperature you filled it with. The intensity dial is the first thing to check if the jets ever feel gentle, since turning it up adds air to the stream for a stronger flow. If the dial is up and the jets are still weak, clear the pump inlet cover, fill to at least 2 inches above the highest jets, and run the vinegar flush: combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub to one inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. Why Are My Walk-In Tub Jets So Weak? walks through the full sequence. An optional removable head and neck support is shown in the video for added comfort.

Faucet and Drain Details

The Flow ships with the 2-piece fast-fill faucet set: a solid brass chrome spout with a single lever and diverter button, two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided stainless steel supply lines, and a pull-out hand shower mixer with a back-flow prevention valve, 5 settings and a 5 foot braided hose, in chrome or brushed nickel. The hand shower is limited to 1.9 gallons per minute, and the faucet uses a 40mm high-flow cartridge. Because the faucet is designed for unrestricted flow, a slow fill almost always points at the house side, such as a shutoff that is not fully open or low pressure, and Why Does My Walk-In Tub Fill So Slowly? lists the checks in order.

The drain is one 2 inch PVC drain and one overflow with the emergency pull-up chain. Under the tub it feeds a T-type body with four 2 inch ports, so your installer connects the house drain from whichever direction suits the bathroom and caps the unused port with the cap that ships with the tub. PVC connections are not included, and reducers may adapt smaller pipes. The faucet cut-outs on the deck are a 2 1/2 inch hole for the faucet, a 1/3 inch hole for the mounting rods and a 7/8 inch diagonal hole for the hand shower.

Included Features and Warranty

• Acrylic tub shell in gloss white, fiberglass gel coat reinforced.
• Stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs.
• Inward swing acrylic S-shape door with an easy entry low threshold and textured slip-resistant floor.
• One removable front apron and a removable end panel covering the faucet.
• One extension panel, the filler for 60 inch alcove installations.

The lifetime limited warranty covers parts for the original purchaser; labor and installation are not covered, and non-Ella faucets carry their manufacturer's warranty. The activation form must be completed, signed by both the customer and the installer, and returned to Ella's Bubbles to put the warranty in force. Ella does not send technicians: covered parts ship after verification and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the work. For questions about fit or your order, contact your Ella dealer or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850, with your model name and serial number ready.

Watch: The Ella Flow: Best Compact Walk-In Tub for Seniors | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why Does the Ella Flow Use a 15 Amp GFCI Outlet, Not 20?
• Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types

Common Questions