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Frame, Base or Front Lip Looks Bent or Out of Line: How Technical Support Evaluates It

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. What Is Usually Harmless
  2. What Needs Attention
  3. How to Submit the Tub for Review
  4. What Ella Does and Does Not Do
  5. Related Guides
  6. Related Videos
  7. Common Questions
  8. Still Need Help?

If the frame, base or front lip of your tub looks bent, twisted or out of line, do not judge it by eye and do not start cutting into the bathroom. Send clear photos to Ella's technical support, and they will tell you whether what you are seeing is cosmetic, a shipping mark, a packaging effect or a real structural problem. Every tub is water-tested and electrically tested before it ships, so many reports turn out to be harmless, but a broken weld or a rusted joint is treated seriously and support will set out the next step in writing.

What Is Usually Harmless

Stretch wrap distorts panels. A tub still in its wrap can look warped or twisted, because the wrap pulls the panels out of shape. Once all the wrap is removed the panels regain their shape, so take the wrap off before photographing anything. A dent in one of the tubular frame bars is usually cosmetic. The structural parts of the frame are the members that support the seat and the floor of the tub. When those show no damage, the tub is fine to install even with a mark on an outer tube. If anything about the frame concerns you, send the picture anyway and let support confirm.

What Needs Attention

A weld that has actually broken, for example the bracket that holds the pressure tank or a frame bar that has separated, needs to be re-welded before the tub goes into service. Support will confirm from the photos and may ask you to find a local welding shop to reattach the bar, then check the nearby fitting for leaks before the installation continues. A frame that is genuinely out of alignment is handled by supplying the parts needed to correct it. Rust at the welds from water exposure in the home, such as a flood or a long leak, weakens the frame over time, and support may advise against reinstalling that tub. Support's written assessment can be forwarded to your insurer if you need documentation.

How to Submit the Tub for Review

  1. Remove all packaging and stretch wrap so the panels sit in their natural shape.
  2. Photograph the area from a distance to show its position on the tub, then close up. Include something for scale where a gap or offset is the concern.
  3. Photograph the serial number label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door, and note whether the carton or crate showed damage on arrival.
  4. If the tub arrived damaged, report it within 48 hours of receipt and keep every piece of packaging. Filing a claim for a cracked shell, door or base covers that path.
  5. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with the photos, your model and serial number, and a short description of what looks wrong and whether the tub has been installed.
  6. Wait for the written answer before installing if the concern is structural. Once the tub is installed it cannot be returned, so a short pause is worth it.

What Ella Does and Does Not Do

Ella does not send technicians. Technical support reviews the photos, decides whether a part ships under the lifetime parts warranty, and guides the work by phone, email or video. Labor is done by your local licensed plumber or a welding shop, depending on what is needed, and any labor coverage comes from your installer rather than from Ella, as explained in what to ask your installer for in writing. Whether a specific finding is covered is a determination support makes after reviewing the tub, so read what the walk-in tub warranty covers and let the ticket run its course rather than assuming either way.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Initial Inspection and Unboxing Each Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub is unboxed, and its surface is inspected for any shipping damage.
  2. 0:22 Rigorous Testing and Quality Checks The assembled tub undergoes extensive testing for leaks, pump function, and the integrity of all mechanical systems, doors, latches, locks, and seals.
  3. 0:43 Final Cleaning and Packaging After passing inspections, the tub is cleaned, dried, and prepared for boxing, with accessories individually wrapped.
  4. 1:17 Re-wrapping and Shipping Preparation The tub is re-wrapped in protective plastic and bubble wrap, and important installation paperwork is attached before secure mounting in its shipping case.
  5. 1:51 Invoice Verification and Shipment The individual invoice is double-checked and copied to ensure accurate records before the Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub is shipped to its destination.

Common Questions

Why does my tub panel look warped inside the crate?
The stretch wrap pulls the panels out of shape while the tub is packaged. Remove all of the wrap and the panels return to their normal shape. Photograph the tub only after the wrap is off.
Can the tub still be installed with a dent in a frame tube?
Usually yes. The structural members are the ones supporting the seat and the floor, and a dent on an outer tubular bar does not affect them. Send photos so support can confirm before your installer proceeds, and report freight damage within 48 hours of receipt.
Will Ella send someone if a weld on the frame has broken?
No. Support confirms the problem from your photos and guides the repair, which is typically a re-weld by a local welding shop, followed by a leak check on any nearby fitting. Replacement parts ship under the parts warranty.
Should I stop the installation while the tub is reviewed?
If the concern is structural, yes. Installed tubs cannot be returned, and a broken weld or misaligned frame is far easier to correct before the tub is set in place. Cosmetic marks do not need to hold up the job once support has confirmed them.
Will Ella replace the whole tub for a frame problem?
That is decided by technical support after reviewing the photos, not in advance. Most frame concerns are corrected with a part or a local repair. Support puts the outcome in writing on your ticket.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

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