Why Is My Ella Petite Walk-In Tub Leaking and How Do I Fix It?

An Ella Petite leaks for the same handful of reasons as any Ella walk-in tub, and the fix depends on where the water first appears: at the door handle screws, at a plug on the hydro return elbow, at an air jet gasket under the tub, or at a drain fitting. A staged fill test tells you which one you have before any parts are ordered. Water at or just below the door handle is a sealing problem at the screw holes rather than a gasket problem, and the repair is described in Water Leaking From the Door Handle Screws: Reseal the Screws Before Replacing the Door Seal.

Where to Look on the Petite

The Petite has an inward-swinging brushed stainless steel door with frosted tempered glass, a removable front apron with two access panels, and dual drains: two 2 inch drains with two overflows. Depending on the package ordered, it carries hydro jets, air jets or the microbubble system, and each of those has fittings under the tub. The access panels are how your plumber reaches the underside, so the whole diagnosis is done in place without moving the tub.

Find the Leak in Stages

• Dry the floor and the underside of the tub completely, and have a flashlight ready.
• Fill the tub without running any system and watch underneath. Drips that appear now point to the drains or the shell fittings, not the jets. Fill above the handle height, let the tub stand, and check the outside of the door and the floor. Water at or just below the handle while the rest of the door edge stays dry means the handle screws.
• Fill above the highest hydro jets and run the hydro system for a few minutes. Watch the hydro return elbow, its sealed joint at the shell, and both plugged holes for the first sign of water.
• Run the air massage and watch each air jet from below. Water tracking down a jet body or its nut points to a gasket or the jet itself. Follow the air line from the blower to each jet and look for wet spots along the tubing.
• Photograph every wet jet, elbow or drain fitting and note how many are affected.

The Fixes

• Handle screws: drain and dry the door, remove the screws, clean the old sealant out of the holes, apply silicone into each hole and under each head, drive the screws back in, and let the silicone cure for the sealant maker's full time before the tub sees water. Test before considering a new door seal.
• Return elbow plug: remove the old silicone from the leaking hole, clean it, apply 100 percent silicone, reseal the second hole on the opposite side while the area is open, and allow 24 hours to cure. This repair usually needs no parts. The steps are in Fixing a Leak at the Plug on the Hydro Return Elbow.
• Air jets: each jet is held from underneath by a threaded nut, and removing it exposes the gasket. Ella ships air jet gaskets, silicone, replacement jets and quick-connect elbows under the parts warranty, and sends a set for a cluster of leaking jets. See Air Jets Leaking Under the Tub: What a Local Plumber Can Fix and Which Parts Ella Sends.
• Drains: the drain is held by a threaded strainer under the drain plug. If a drain is the source, the strainer is loosened, the seal is redone and the strainer is retightened. Tell the team if the drains are wet so sealing parts can be included.

Who Does the Work

Ella does not send technicians. Replacement parts ship under the parts warranty, and a local licensed plumber does the labor. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your photos, your serial number, a short description and the address where parts should go, or call your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Parts can ship directly to your plumber's shop if that is easier.

Related Guides

• Why Is Water Leaking Underneath My Walk-In Tub?
• Door seal or gasket looks worn, loose, or leaks: care, repair, and replacement
• Leak at the Drain Elbow or Drain Pipe: Overtightening, Standard PVC Fittings and Replacement Assemblies

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