How Do the Two Front Access Panels on the Ella Ultimate Open for Service?

The Ella Ultimate's two front access panels sit on the removable front apron on the same side as the door, and they come off from the front of the tub without moving it. Ella aprons attach with clips, screws, velcro tape or magnets depending on the model, so check yours first: a magnetic panel pulls gently away from the frame from one corner with no tools, while a panel with round white caps along its edge has screws underneath. What Is an Access Panel on a Walk-In Tub? covers the panels across the whole line, and this page focuses on where they are on the Ultimate, what you reach through them, and what has to stay clear so they keep working.

Why Both Ultimate Panels Are on the Door Side

The Ultimate is Ella's 60-inch stainless steel inward-swing door tub, with an actual size of 29.625 by 59.50 by 35.75 inches on the current spec sheet. Because it measures 59.5 inches, it fills a standard 60-inch alcove on its own and needs no extension panel, as What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? explains. That is also why the panel layout is different from the 52-inch tubs. In a three-wall alcove the back and both ends of a 60-inch tub are closed off, leaving only the front apron exposed, so Ella places both of the Ultimate's access panels on the side the door is on. The Zen60 uses the same arrangement. The result is that a 60-inch tub in an alcove can still be serviced from the front.

The trade-off is at the plumbing end. On every Ella tub the drains and faucet deck are at the opposite end from the door, so the Ultimate's two 2-inch four-port drains sit at the far end from the panels. In an alcove that end is against a wall. Ella's alcove guide asks your installer to add a wall access panel behind the plumbing end so the drain connections can be reached later without disturbing tile.

What Sits Behind the Ultimate's Panels

Behind the apron the air and water lines, the pumps, the in-line heater, the control boxes and the grounding straps are bundled so everything can be reached from the front. On the Ultimate the spec sheet lists the equipment you will see:

• A hydro massage pump rated 5A feeding 11 seat jets, with an intensity dial and ozone sterilization.
• A second 5A hydro pump for the independent foot and calf massage, with its own intensity dial, feeding 2 calf jets and 4 foot jets, and a 9A, 1000W in-line water heater.
• A 4.5A, 500W three-speed air massage pump feeding 17 jets, 9 in the seat and 8 in the footwell, with Auto Purge that activates about 20 minutes after the pump is shut down.
• The LED chromatherapy transformer for the 0.5A light, plus the push controls, and the optional digital controller and heated seat and backrest wiring if ordered.

The spec sheet notes that the amp value for each pump may change based on availability, so read the label on your own pump rather than the sheet if you are ordering a part. The video tour in Planning Service Access shows the organized piping, the grounding straps and the Auto Purge lines behind a typical apron.

Opening and Closing the Panels, Step by Step

1. Clear the floor in front of the apron and lay a towel down so a panel set face down does not scratch.
2. Look at the edge of the panel beside the door. If you see round white screw caps, unscrew each cap by hand and back out the screw beneath it. If there are no caps, the panel is held by magnets, velcro or clips.
3. On a magnetic panel, grip one corner and pull gently away from the frame. No tools are needed, and the panel releases with a straight pull rather than a twist.
4. Set each panel aside face up. While the panel by the door is off, photograph the serial number label on its inside face, because that label is what a service ticket asks for.
5. Do the work, or let your licensed plumber or electrician do it, with nothing packed around the equipment.
6. To refit a magnetic panel, set it against the frame so the magnets catch all the way around. On a screwed panel, refit the screws first and thread the caps back on last. The panel should sit flat against the frame without forcing.

If a cap or a screw has gone missing during the job, Where Do I Get the White Screw Caps and Trim for the Front Panel? explains what to photograph so the matching part ships.

Keeping the Panels Reachable for the Life of the Tub

Whatever you build around the Ultimate must keep the front apron removable. Ella's guidance is consistent across its service articles:

• Never tile in front of the apron. Keep tile, trim and flooring clear of the apron line.
• Do not pack insulation around the equipment. Overheating damage caused by insulation counts as misuse.
• Cutting the apron or an end panel for a recessed installation voids coverage on the altered parts only. The rest of the tub stays covered.
• In an alcove, plan the wall access panel at the plumbing end before the tile goes on.
• If the Ultimate stands free against one or two walls instead, the included reversible end panel covers one exposed end and a second end panel can be added for the other. No model includes a cover for the long back side, so that side goes against a wall or a framed knee wall. Can My Walk-In Tub Sit Freestanding With the Sides Exposed? walks through each layout.

The panels also matter on delivery day. The Ultimate weighs 220 pounds net and 350 pounds crated, and every removable panel, including the front apron with its access panels and the end panel, must come off before the tub is carried into the house. The tub is lifted only by its stainless steel frame. The video on this page shows the reversible end panel, the apron and the two access panels being identified for exactly that reason.

When to Open a Ticket

If a panel will not seat, a pump behind it is not running, or you are not sure which fastening your apron uses, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850. Pull the panel beside the door, photograph the serial label and the equipment area, and have the model name ready. Replacement parts ship under the warranty, and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the labor.

Related Guides

• How to Remove and Reattach the Front Apron on Your Walk-In Tub

Common Questions