Can You Use Epsom Salts in an Air Jet Walk-In Tub?

Yes. Plain Epsom salts can be used in an Ella walk-in tub with air massage, as long as the salts are fully dissolved before they go into the water and you enjoy the air massage first, then add the salts for a still soak. That is the same routine described in Can I Use Epsom Salts, Bath Bombs or Bubble Bath in My Walk-In Tub?, and this page covers what is specific to an air-jet tub: the air lines, the three-speed control you use to switch the massage off, and the Auto Purge cycle that clears the lines after your bath.

How an Air Massage Tub Handles What Is in the Water

Ella's air massage system uses an air pump to push air out through jets placed around the tub, including hip jets, feet jets and bidet jets, and the air massage video on this page introduces that jetting layout along with the three-speed system and Auto Purge. The air lines carry air into the bath, but residual water is left in those lines after a bath. That is why every Ella air massage tub has Auto Purge, which blows the residual water out of the air lines once the bath is over. Whatever was dissolved in your bath water is therefore in contact with the air jets and, for a short while, the air lines.

Ella's published guidance is clear about what that means for Epsom salt. Fully dissolved Epsom salt will not harm the jetting system, and it is the one bath additive Ella approves for use in a jetted tub. The two places salt can cause trouble are both handling problems rather than a property of the salt. An undissolved crystal can lodge in a jet, and salt water left to dry on chrome or stainless trim leaves spots that look like rust and can eat at the plated finish over time. Products in a different category are the ones that damage tub mechanics: bath oils, bath beads and fragrance oils can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, which is not a warranty matter, and bath bombs leave oils, dye, glitter and floral material that can clog the jets. Those verdicts, product by product, are in Is Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs or Bath Oil OK in a Jetted Walk-In Tub? What the Jets Can and Cannot Handle.

The Right Order: Air Massage First, Salts After

Ella's best-practice advice is to enjoy the hydro, air or microbubble therapy first, then add the dissolved salts for a still soak once the systems are finished. Dissolved salts will not harm the jetting system, but keeping them out of the running pumps is the habit the team recommends. In an air massage tub that looks like this:

1. Fill the tub and run your air massage. On the push controls, the first press of the air button is high speed, the second press is medium, the third press is low, and a fourth press shuts the system off. On the digital touchpad, touch the air bubble icon once to activate, use the plus and minus buttons for intensity, and hold the icon for two seconds to turn it off. The controls video on this page shows both sequences.
2. While the massage runs, dissolve the Epsom salts completely in a cup of warm water. No crystals should be visible before the mixture goes into the bath.
3. Switch the air massage off, add the dissolved salts, and soak with the systems at rest.
4. Drain right after soaking rather than letting the salt water sit in the tub.
5. Rinse the whole tub with the hand shower and wipe down every chrome finish: jet covers, drain, threshold, handles and faucet.

That order is Ella's best-practice advice. The fully dissolved salt itself is not what harms a jetting system, so if the salts do go in before the massage is finished, the essential step is still the same: no visible crystals in the water.

What Auto Purge Does After a Salt Bath

Auto Purge is the part of an air massage tub that soaking-tub owners never see. It activates automatically 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, which for most bathers is about 20 minutes after the bath, and it runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It is fully automatic, it cannot be stopped, and it is normal even if it starts while you are still in the tub or after you have drained and left the room. The air massage video shows the cycle and explains its purpose: clearing leftover moisture from the system to prevent mold and mildew and keep the tub fresh.

For an Epsom salt bath, Auto Purge means the air lines are blown clear of salted water without you doing anything. There is no special cycle to run after a salt soak. Drain, rinse the tub and the trim, and let the purge finish on its own. On a dual-massage tub the hydro side has its own helper, since the ozone generator runs with the hydro system to sanitize the water lines. Neither helper replaces the rinse of the chrome, because the residue that spots the trim sits on the surface of the tub rather than inside the lines.

Keeping the Chrome and the Lines Clean

The damage owners actually report from Epsom salt is on the chrome and stainless trim, not the air system. Salt water that dries on the drain, threshold, jet covers or faucet leaves spots that look like rust, and prolonged use may discolor or spot chrome finishes. These are surface deposits rather than the metal failing, which is why they usually wipe away. What the salt can and cannot harm, and how to reverse marks you already have, is covered in Can Epsom Salt Damage a Walk-In Tub, Its Jets or Its Chrome?.

Once a month, run the vinegar flush from the cleaning guide: combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. Flushing after every bath is not necessary. The monthly flush clears anything additives leave behind, so if the tub has already seen scented salts, bombs or oils before you read this, run it now and then return to the monthly schedule.

What Not to Pair with the Air Massage

• Foaming bubble bath with the air on. The air system churns the water constantly, so a normal capful produces far more foam than a standard tub and can leave a soap film in the lines. Use a fraction of the usual amount, switch the jets off for a moment if the foam gets ahead of you, and rinse afterward. Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In Tub covers the foam question in detail.
• Scented or colored bath salts. Dyes and fragrance oils can affect the jet system. If you use them anyway, use them sparingly, dissolve them fully and rinse thoroughly. Plain Epsom salt is the version that earns a yes.
• Bath bombs. Leave them out of any jetted Ella tub. Their oils, dye, glitter and floral material lodge in the jets and can damage the pump system.
• Bath oils, bath beads and fragrance beads. They can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, and damage caused that way falls outside the warranty. If you choose to use them, plan on more frequent vinegar flushes.
• Everyday soap, shampoo and body wash. Fine every day, with the air massage on or off. Rinse so nothing dries in the jets.

Related Guides

• Can You Use a Bath Bomb in a Jetted Walk-In Tub?
• How Do I Clean the Air Jet Bubble Lines in My Walk-In Tub?

Related Videos

Common Questions