What options can be added to the Ella Mobile walk-in tub?

The Ella Mobile 26x45 is ordered with one of five therapy packages (hydro, air plus hydro, hydro plus foot massage, hydro plus microbubble, or soaking), and it can carry LED chromatherapy with the dual package, an optional digital touchpad, and an optional heated seat and backrest. Its included 2-piece fast-fill faucet comes in chrome or brushed nickel, and a shower column can be added for an overhead rain shower. The tub itself is profiled in Ella Mobile 26x45: The Smallest Walk-In Tub; this page goes through each add-on and what it changes about the bath.

Why the Mobile Has a Shorter Options List

The Mobile is 45 inches long and 26 inches wide, with the pump and heater equipment mounted under the seat. That compact frame carries at most two massage systems, which is why the Mobile menu pairs hydro with one partner system rather than stacking three. It uses one oversized 2 inch drain with an easy-turn opener and emergency pull chain instead of the dual drain found on larger Ella models, and no extension panel is offered, so it suits a 45 inch space or a corner rather than a 60 inch alcove.

Every option below is a factory build choice. Therapy systems are built into the acrylic shell when the tub is made, so jets cannot be added to a soaker afterward and air cannot be added to a hydro-only tub. Settle the package, the controls and the faucet with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before the tub is built. The video on this page walks through the Mobile's door, drain, jetting and the add-ons described here, including the chromatherapy light, digital touchpad and heated seat and backrest.

Therapy Packages and What Each One Adds

The Mobile follows the outward-door family package menu described in Walk-In Tub Therapy Options and Features. Here is what each package puts into the Mobile, using the figures published for this model.

The differences come down to how much the bath does for you and what it asks of your bathroom. Hydro massage runs from a pump with an intensity dial, and its in-line heater is designed to maintain water temperature during the bath rather than raise it. Air massage adds a three-speed blower: on Ella push controls the first press is high speed, the second is medium, the third is low, and a fourth press turns the system off. About 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, Auto Purge runs automatically for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines, which keeps them mildew free; it cannot be stopped and is normal even if it starts while you are still in the tub. Microbubble therapy fills the water with millions of tiny bubbles for a milky, silky texture that oxygenates and gently exfoliates the skin, a popular choice for skin-sensitive bathers. The foot massage package places jets at the foot well. A soaking Mobile has none of this and needs no electrical outlet unless you add the heated seat and backrest, as Soaking-Only Walk-In Tubs: No Jets, No Pumps, No Electrical explains; soakers are built in smaller runs, so check availability when you order.

Comfort and Control Add-Ons

• LED chromatherapy. The color light adds a calming visual element to the bath. On the Mobile it comes with the dual package, so if you want the light, choose air plus hydro. It is not included with a soaker because it is tied to a therapy system.
• Digital touchpad. Ella tubs use mechanical push-button controls as standard, and the Mobile can be ordered with an optional digital touchpad instead. The therapy systems themselves are the same either way; only the way you switch them on changes.
• Heated seat and backrest. Warms the seat and the backrest for comfort while the tub fills and during the bath. It is the one option that gives a soaking tub an electrical requirement: the published schematic calls for a 15A 120V GFCI-protected line for the heater alone, so tell your electrician if you add it.
• Ozone sterilization. Eco-friendly ozone keeps the tub sanitary and is part of the hydro system on the Mobile rather than a separate add-on.

Faucet and Shower Choices

The Mobile comes with the Ella 2-piece single-lever fast-fill faucet in chrome or brushed nickel. It has a solid brass spout, a diverter button, two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided supply lines and a pull-out hand shower with 5 settings on a 5 foot hose. The hand shower is limited to 1.9 GPM, and the faucet fill rate is designed for 16 GPM. The deck is cut for a 2-1/2 inch faucet hole, 1/3 inch mounting rod holes and a 7/8 inch diagonal hand-shower hole. One Mobile video mentions a 5-piece faucet set as well, so if you prefer that layout, confirm it at order time.

For a standing or seated overhead shower, the shower column kit connects to either the 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill set and carries a height-adjustable multi-function hand shower plus a large overhead rain shower head that pivots and swivels. The column adjusts to a maximum of approximately 90 inches, with 14 inches of adjustment to bring the head down to approximately 76 inches. Connecting it requires access to the back side of the tub, so it must be installed before the final installation of the tub. Decide on it when you order and check the ceiling height above the tub position with your installer. What Is the Best Walk-In Tub Shower Combo for a Small Bathroom? compares the Mobile and the Petite as shower combos. Ella's general accessory line also includes a four-fold bath screen, a 10 inch rain shower head, a bathtub wall pillow and security grab bars; ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 which of these fit a 45 inch tub.

What Cannot Be Changed or Added

Some things are fixed on every Mobile regardless of package. There is no extension panel, so the tub does not stretch to fill a 60 inch alcove. The drain is a single 2 inch drain, not the dual drain. Only two therapy systems fit under the seat. The door hand and swing are built into the shell, frame and latch, so the side cannot be reversed in the field, and left and right tubs share the same measurements mirrored; Can a Clearance Walk-In Tub Be Changed to a Different Door Side or Therapy? explains why this applies to every Ella tub. Because the U-shape door swings outward 165 degrees, leave clear floor in front of the tub whichever options you choose.

Watch: Mobile Acrylic Walk-In Tub with Outward Swing Door & Seat, Easy Entry Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Which Ella walk-in tub models come with the 2-piece or 5-piece faucet?
• Heated Seat and Back: How It Works, Which Tubs Offer It, and How to Add It to Your Order

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