Which tub filler faucet fills a large walk-in tub fastest?

The fastest-filling faucet Ella offers is the 5-piece Fast-Fill set, designed for 18 GPM at 60 PSI under ideal in-home plumbing; the 2-piece Fast-Fill set is designed for 16 GPM under the same conditions. Either one fills a large tub only as fast as your home's water pressure, supply lines and water heater allow, which is why real-world fill times run 7 to 15 minutes across the lineup. How fast will my walk-in tub fill? Fast-fill faucet expectations and operation covers daily operation; this page compares the faucets side by side and shows what to check when the tub you want is a big one.

The Faucets Compared

The two current sets differ by 2 GPM on paper, and both include a hand shower, so for a large tub the 5-piece set is the faster choice while the 2-piece set gives up little. The older Huntington Brass filler has no Ella-published flow rate, and adding a thermostatic valve to either set is the one change that can make a fast faucet fill slower. Which set is offered depends on the model, so confirm it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 when you configure the tub.

Why a Large Tub Depends on the Home, Not Just the Faucet

Fill time is water capacity divided by real-world flow. The faucet sets the ceiling, and your home decides how close you get to it. The rated flow assumes 60 PSI, so lower household pressure means a slower fill, and Ella publishes no flow curve for lower pressures. Capacity is the other half of the equation, and it varies widely by model. A few unoccupied and occupied figures from the spec sheets:

• Standard: 65 gallons unoccupied, 30 to 50 gallons occupied.
• Elite: 75 gallons unoccupied, 35 to 55 gallons occupied.
• Capri: 85 gallons unoccupied, 45 to 65 gallons occupied.
• Standard60: 106 gallons unoccupied, 70 to 90 gallons occupied.
• Shak: 145 gallons unoccupied, 80 to 120 gallons occupied.

Because you fill a walk-in tub while seated inside it, the occupied figure is the practical one, and it is why fill times are shorter than the unoccupied capacity suggests. Two neighbors with the same faucet can still see different fill times if one owns a Standard and the other a Shak. Your model's figures are on its spec sheet under the Downloads tab of the product page.

What to Check Before You Order a Large Tub

1. Find the occupied capacity of the model you want on its spec sheet, since that is the volume you will actually fill.
2. Confirm 3/4 inch water lines to the tub location. Both Fast-Fill sets include two 3/4 inch by 5 foot braided supply lines, and Ella recommends 3/4 inch lines with easily accessible shut-off valves near the tub. Shut-off valves are not included.
3. Size the water heater. Ella recommends the maximum capacity water heater available for your house, and anything less than 75 gallons is not recommended. A tankless heater should be rated 11 GPM or higher.
4. Decide on a thermostatic control valve knowing it may reduce flow and extend fill time.
5. Plan the drains with the same care. On the stainless-door family, two 2 inch T-type dual port floor drains give four 2 inch ports; connecting all four and joining the outlets with a Y fitting rather than a T gives the fastest drainage, and dual drains cannot speed up a slow house line. The plumbing sequence is in Installing the Stainless Steel Inward-Swing Family, Part 2.

A local licensed plumber handles these connections. Ella's technical support answers questions by phone or email while the work is done.

How the Two Fast-Fill Sets Operate

The owner's manual documents both. On the 2-piece set you lift the lever to turn the water on, turn it left for hot and right for cold, and push the diverter button under the spout to switch between the spout and the hand shower; push the lever down to turn off. On the 5-piece set the hot handle is marked red and the cold handle blue; turn the middle diverter lever toward OFF and push the faucet lever down to send water to the pull-out hand shower, which has 5 flow settings on its dial. Do not wall-mount the hand shower without an extension hose with barrel protection. Both sets also accept the shower column kit, which adds an overhead rain shower that adjusts to a maximum of approximately 90 inches with 14 inches of adjustment down to approximately 76 inches, as described in What Is the Best Walk-In Tub and Shower Combo?. The column changes how you rinse, not the faucet's fill rate.

If Your Tub Has an Older Huntington Brass Filler

For a number of years older Ella tubs shipped with Huntington Brass faucets, including the HB9937-C Roman tub filler with separate hot and cold lever handles and a deck spout, and a Huntington Brass two-piece faucet. Those faucets have since been discontinued at Ella, and current tubs ship with the Ella Fast-Fill sets. Ella did not carry alternative handle styles or replacement cartridges for the Huntington Brass filler, so cartridges, stems and handle styles come from Huntington Brass directly, quoting the faucet model. The Huntington Brass two-piece faucet was replaced by the Ella two-piece faucet, and because the connections are different a hose for one will not fit the other. Some older tubs also carry a substituted smaller spout fitted at assembly because the original reached too far into the tub. Handles, Cartridges and Hoses for the Huntington Brass Faucet on Older Ella Tubs explains what to photograph so support can confirm which faucet you have before anything is ordered.

Related Guides

• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?
• Installing the 2-Piece and 5-Piece Fast-Fill Faucets and Hand Shower
• Faucet drips or the handle feels stiff: replacing your faucet cartridge step by step

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