How fast will a walk-in tub fill? In real homes, walk-in tub fill time ranges from 7 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the tub and the configuration of your water supply lines. Ella's fast-fill faucets are designed to fill your tub as quickly as your home's plumbing allows: the 2-piece set is designed for 16 GPM and the 5-piece set for 18 GPM, both measured at 60 PSI under ideal in-home plumbing conditions. The faucet sets the ceiling, and your home's water pressure, supply lines, and water heater determine how close you get to it.

What Fill Time to Expect

Fill time is simply water capacity divided by real world flow. Capacities vary widely by model, which is why two neighbors with the same faucet can see different fill times. A few examples from the spec sheets, unoccupied and occupied:

Since you fill the tub while seated in it, the occupied figure is the practical one, and it is why fill times are shorter than the unoccupied capacity might suggest. Your exact model's numbers are on its spec sheet under the Downloads tab of the product page, and our water capacity by model guide lists every tub.

What Affects Your Actual Fill Speed

• Home water pressure. The rated flow assumes 60 PSI. Lower household pressure means a slower fill, and Ella publishes no flow curve for lower pressures.
• Supply lines. Both faucet sets include two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided supply lines. We recommend 3/4 inch water lines with easily accessible shut off valves near the tub. Shut off valves are not included. See water supply lines, shut-off valves and pipe size for the planning detail.
• Hot water capacity. We recommend the maximum capacity water heater available for your house, and anything less than 75 gallons is not recommended. Tankless heaters should be rated 11 GPM or higher. Our water heater sizing article and the video below walk through it.
• Added valves. A thermostatic control valve added to the hot line may reduce water flow and extend fill time.

This clip shows the fast-fill faucet sets doing what they are designed for, filling a tub at full flow so you spend as little time as possible waiting to bathe.

Operating Your Fast-Fill Faucet

2-piece set:

1. Lift the lever to turn the water on. Move it left for hot and right for cold.
2. Press the diverter button under the spout to switch between the faucet and the hand shower.
3. Push the lever down to turn the water off.

5-piece set:

1. The red handle is hot and the blue handle is cold. Open both and adjust to a comfortable temperature, taking care not to scald yourself.
2. The middle selector handle chooses the outlet: facing right for the tub spout, turned to the left for the pull out hand shower. When using the hand shower, point it away from you at first while you adjust the temperature.

Both sets include an extendable multi function hand shower with 5 flow settings on the dial and a 5 foot retractable stainless braided hose. The hand shower is limited to 1.9 GPM, which is a plumbing code requirement for hand showers, so it will always flow far slower than the fill spout. That is normal and not a sign of a pressure problem. To compare the two sets and their finishes, see 2-piece vs 5-piece fast-fill faucets.

Staying Warm While the Tub Fills

Once the hydro massage is running, the in-line water heater maintains the temperature you set at the faucet. It does not raise the temperature of cool water, so fill at the temperature you want. Our in-line water heater article explains what it does and does not do.

The Other Half of Fast: The Drain

Fast filling pairs with fast draining. Ella's gravity driven dual drain system empties an average size tub in about 80 seconds under ideal house drain conditions, so you are never sitting in cooling water waiting to open the door. While you wait for the fill, the optional heated seat and backrest keeps you comfortable.

Common Questions

Still need help? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and our team will be glad to walk through it with you.