What Is the Ella Zen Walk-In Tub and What Does It Include?

The Ella Zen is an acrylic walk-in tub in the 30 by 52 inch class with an inward swing acrylic door, designed for the average bather who wants a hydro massage soak in a standard alcove. It comes as a hydro massage tub with 17 jets and an in-line water heater, the 2-piece single lever fast-fill faucet with a pull-out hand shower, a low step-in threshold, a textured slip-resistant floor, and grab bars on the deck and the wall, with a heated seat and backrest as the one listed option. Comparing Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tub Models sets the Zen beside the rest of the lineup, and this page gathers what the Zen itself includes and what that means for your bathroom.

Size, Seat and Water Capacity

The current spec sheet lists the Zen at 29 1/2 inches wide, 52 inches long and 37.5 inches high, which is why it is grouped with the 30 by 52 tubs. The seat is 20 inches wide and 15 inches long. These are the figures to hand your installer when checking the alcove and the doorways the tub has to pass through on delivery day.

• Actual size: 29 1/2 inches wide by 52 inches long by 37.5 inches high.
• Seat: 20 inches wide and 15 inches long.
• Water capacity: 65 gallons unoccupied, and 30 to 50 gallons with a bather in the seat, since the bather displaces part of the water.
• Net weight 210 pounds; shipping weight 310 pounds in a crate measuring 32 by 54 by 49 inches.
• An extension panel is included as a filler for 60 inch alcove installations.

Because the extension panel is included, the 52 inch Zen fits a standard 60 inch alcove without a gap. If you would rather fill that alcove with tub, the Zen60 is the same platform in the 30 by 60 inch size, 29 1/2 by 59 1/2 inches actual. Walk-in Tub Models and Sizes: Soakers, Transfer, Two-Person, and Inswing Options covers the other footprints if neither suits the room.

The Inward Swing Acrylic Door

The Zen uses the inward swing acrylic S-shape door, the same door platform as the Ella Standard. You may see the door described as U-shape on a spec sheet; that wording is a misprint, and the Zen door is the S-shape acrylic door. The handle faces outward, so it does not press into your leg while you are seated. An inward swing door needs no clear floor space in front of the tub, which suits a small bathroom or a toilet close by, and the water pressure inside the tub adds to the seal once the tub fills. The trade-off is that you step in, stand, and close the door past your knees, so some room inside the tub is needed. The Elite, which is often compared with the Zen, uses a brushed stainless steel inward swing door with frosted glass instead. Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering? helps you decide whether an inward door fits the way you enter.

The Hydro Massage System

Therapy on the Zen is hydro massage only. It is not offered with air jets or as a plain soaker, which is one of the main differences from the Elite, where more therapy options are available. The system is built around:

• 17 hydro jets, with lower jets aimed at the feet and calves.
• A hydro massage pump rated 8.1 amps and 900 watts, switched with a push control.
• An intensity dial air control that adjusts the strength of the jet stream.
• An in-line water heater rated 6 amps and 650 watts that runs automatically with the hydro pump.

The optional heated seat and backrest is rated 4 amps and is chosen at order time, since it is built into the tub.

Faucet, Drain and Everything Else in the Box

The Zen ships with the 2-piece single lever fast-fill faucet: a solid brass chrome spout with a single lever and a diverter button, and a pull-out hand shower with 5 settings on a 5 foot retractable stainless braided hose, in chrome or brushed nickel. The faucet is rated for up to 18 gallons per minute at 60 PSI with ideal in-home plumbing, and the hand shower is limited to 1.9 gallons per minute. Two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided stainless steel supply lines are included; the shut-off valves they connect to are not.

Drainage is one 2 inch PVC drain with one overflow and an emergency pull-up chain. The drain body is a T-type with four 2 inch ports, so your plumber can run the drain pipe in either direction and cap the unused ports. The rest of the included list:

• Acrylic tub shell in gloss white, fiberglass gelcoat reinforced.
• Stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs.
• Two front access panels and one reversible, removable end panel.
• Stainless steel chrome U-shape grab bar mounted to the deck and the wall.
• Extension panel for 60 inch alcove installations.
• Brushed stainless steel towel bar.

Electrical, Installation and Warranty

The Zen needs one dedicated 110/120 volt, 60 Hz line with a 20 amp GFCI protected standard three-prong outlet, so plan that circuit with your electrician before delivery. Ella does not send technicians; the tub is installed by a local licensed plumber and electrician, with free technical support from the team at (800) 480-6850. The spec sheet states a lifetime limited warranty on the shell, frame, door and parts to the original purchaser, with labor and installation not covered, and non-Ella faucets covered only under their own manufacturer's warranty.

Who the Zen Suits

The Zen is built for one bather of average size who wants a hydro massage soak behind an inward swing door in a standard alcove. It is not a wheelchair transfer tub; the Transfer 60 is the model built to be wheelchair accessible. Two bathers call for a two-seater model, which measures 32 inches wide by 60 inches long. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the Zen in your door side and faucet finish.

Common Questions