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

Yes. Plain Epsom salts can be used in an Ella walk-in tub with air massage, and Ella's guidance is that they will not harm the jetting system as long as they are fully dissolved. The best practice for an air tub is simple: enjoy the air massage first, switch it off, then add the dissolved salts for a still soak, drain right away and rinse the chrome. The full product-by-product list is in Can I use Epsom salts, bath bombs, bubble bath, or oils in my walk-in tub?, and this page looks at the air system specifically, including what to expect when Auto Purge comes on during a salt soak.

How the Air Massage System Handles Water

Knowing how the air system behaves makes the Epsom salt habits easy to remember. Ella air massage is a three-speed system run from a push control or digital control. The first press is high speed, the second press is medium, the third press is low, and a fourth press turns the system off. The air massage video walks through exactly that sequence.

The same video explains what happens next. After the air pump is turned off, some water flows back into the air pipes, and if it were left there it would create mildew and bacteria. That is the job of Auto Purge. It activates automatically 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, turns the air pump back on, and runs for 120 seconds to blow the residual water out of the air lines. It is fully automatic and cannot be stopped. The second video shows the air massage running and describes Auto Purge clearing leftover moisture to prevent mold and mildew and keep the tub fresh.

For bath additives, the takeaway is that whatever is in the bath water goes where the water goes. Everything in the water travels through the jet lines, which is why the first question with any product is whether the jets will be running, and why dissolving salts completely comes before anything else.

The Epsom Salt Routine for an Air Tub

1. Fill the tub and enjoy your air massage first, on whichever of the three speeds you like.
2. Press through to the fourth press so the air system is off.
3. Dissolve the Epsom salts completely in a cup or bowl of warm water. No crystals should be visible.
4. Add the dissolved salts to the bath and enjoy a still soak.
5. Drain the tub when you are finished soaking, and do not let the salt water sit.
6. Rinse the whole tub with the hand shower, paying special attention to jet covers, drain plugs, handles, the faucet and other chrome trim, then wipe down the chrome finishes.

Running the therapy first is best-practice advice, not a prohibition. Fully dissolved Epsom salt will not harm the jetting system, and keeping the salts out of the running pumps is simply the most careful habit. If you have already run the air massage with dissolved salts in the water, there is no cause for worry. Drain, rinse the tub well and carry on enjoying it.

What to Expect If Auto Purge Starts During Your Salt Soak

This is the part that surprises air tub owners. Because the salts go in after the air massage is switched off, a relaxed soak is exactly when the 20 minute mark tends to arrive. The air pump comes back on by itself, runs for 120 seconds, and stops. As the video puts it, this can be surprising, but there is no need to be alarmed. It is just the tub taking care of itself.

• Auto Purge is normal even if it starts while you are still in the tub.
• It cannot be stopped or cancelled, and it ends on its own.
• If you need to exit the tub while Auto Purge is running, drain the water and exit normally.
• Since fully dissolved Epsom salt will not harm the jetting system, there is nothing to correct afterward beyond your usual drain and rinse.

What an Air Tub Cannot Handle

Epsom salt is treated differently from other additives because it dissolves completely and rinses away. The products that cause real trouble in an air tub are the ones that leave oils and solids behind.

• Bath bombs. Their oils, dye, glitter and floral material can clog the jets and can damage the pump system. They are the one product Ella asks you to skip in any jetted tub.
• Bath oils, bath beads and fragrance oils. They can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, which is not a warranty matter. If you choose to use oils anyway, plan on extra vinegar flushes.
• Undissolved crystals and scented or colored bath salts. A crystal that has not dissolved can lodge in a jet, and dyes and fragrance oils can affect the jet system.
• Foaming bubble bath with the air massage on. Air jets whip soap into far more suds than a standard bathtub, and a soap film can stay in the lines. Use a little, watch the foam level, and if the foam gets ahead of you, switch the jets off for a moment and it will settle.

Foam management is covered in Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In Tub, and the reasons oils and bombs are treated differently from soap are in Is Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs or Bath Oil OK in a Jetted Walk-In Tub? What the Jets Can and Cannot Handle. Ordinary body wash, soap and shampoo are fine every day. If your tub is a soaking-only model with no pumps, the rules are much more relaxed.

Protecting the Chrome and Keeping the Air Lines Fresh

The damage owners actually see from Epsom salt is not in the air system at all. It is on the chrome and stainless trim. 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 and not the metal failing, which is why they usually wipe away, and why the drain, rinse and wipe-down steps matter as much as dissolving the salt. Can Epsom Salt Damage a Walk-In Tub, Its Jets or Its Chrome? explains how to reverse marks you already have.

For the air lines themselves, Auto Purge does its work after every air massage, and the routine care is a wipe with a non-abrasive cleaner and the monthly vinegar flush. 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. The same flush is used before first use, and it is the right step if the jets have already seen additives they should not have. Flushing after every bath is not necessary.

Watch: Walk-In Tubs Featuring Three Speed Air Massage & Auto-Purge Technology | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why did my tub turn on by itself? Understanding the Auto-Purge air cleaning cycle
• Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating Element
• How Do I Clean the Air Jet Bubble Lines in My Walk-In Tub?

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