Can the Ella Front Entry 32x40 fit a standard 60 inch alcove?

The Ella Front Entry can be set into a 60 inch alcove, but it will not fill one the way a 52 inch Ella tub does. The Front Entry measures 32 inches wide by 40 inches long, it ships with no extension panel and has no longer version, and its outward door sits on the end of the tub rather than the side, so in a three-wall alcove the door has to face the open side of the room and your installer frames and finishes the space the tub leaves behind. Ella Front Entry 32x40: The Compact End-Door Tub covers the tub itself; this page is about what happens when that compact tub meets a full-size opening.

What the Front Entry Ships with, and What It Does Not

The Front Entry is the shortest walk-in tub in the Ella line: actual size 32 x 40 x 40 inches, a 25 inch seat on the spec sheet, 200 lbs net and 280 lbs shipping in a 35 x 43 x 43 inch crate. It holds 70 gallons unoccupied and 25 to 55 gallons occupied. The door is a plastic composite and tempered glass outward-swing U-shape door with a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism, and because it faces you from the front, the Front Entry is the one Ella model that is not ordered as left-hand or right-hand. It was designed for narrow spaces where a conventional tub or shower will not go, and the Ella product video shows the two removable side panels that let it be placed anywhere in the bathroom.

• Included: two removable access side panels for corner or single-wall placement, a single 2 inch 2-port PVC drain with one end cap, two overflows and two chrome cable openers, and an emergency pull chain.
• Not included: a back panel, an extension panel, or a left-hand and right-hand choice. There is also no LED chromatherapy light with any Front Entry package and no Hydro + Foot option.

How a 60 Inch Alcove Is Normally Filled

Most Ella tubs shorter than 60 inches ship with an extension panel, the trimmable filler that rests on adjustable stainless steel shelf brackets built into the frame and closes the gap between a 52 or 55 inch tub and a standard 60 inch three-wall opening. The installer sets and levels the tub first, measures the gap at the top and bottom, trims the panel to the wall and seals the seams with silicone. The Ella installation video for the Standard shows exactly this: a 30 x 52 tub with an end panel on the faucet side and a 7 inch extension panel on the other side, slid into a 60 inch alcove for a snug fit. What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub? explains the kit, and the table below shows which models rely on it.

What the table means: every 52 and 55 inch Ella tub has a factory answer for the last few inches of a 60 inch opening, and the full-length tubs need none. The Front Entry and the Mobile are the two compact tubs with no factory answer at all, so with either of them the space that is left is your installer's to close.

Setting the Front Entry in a 60 Inch Opening

1. Orient the door toward the room. The Front Entry is entered from its end, and the guidance is to choose it when you can walk up to the tub from its end. In a three-wall alcove that means the back of the tub, which has no panel, sits against the back wall and the door faces out into the bathroom, with the 40 inch length running toward you.
2. Expect open space beside the tub. A 32 inch wide tub in a 60 inch opening leaves a gap along one or both sides. The extension panel guidance is direct about gaps wider than any panel covers: your installer frames and finishes the remaining space. The removable side panels stay on the exposed sides.
3. Plan the single drain. The Front Entry uses one 2 inch 2-port drain rather than the dual drains on most Ella tubs. The house drain can connect to either port, a cap goes on the unused port, and reducers can adapt smaller pipes; PVC connections are not included.
4. Plan the faucet and power. The 2-piece fast-fill faucet, up to 16 GPM, comes with two 3/4 inch by 5 foot supply lines and a pull-out hand shower. Dedicated GFCI 110/120V 60Hz lines are required: one for Hydro or Air + Hydro, two for Hydro + Microbubble or the heated seat.
5. Share the spec sheet with your installer so the drain position, the door swing and the finishing work are settled before delivery, and keep the crate size in mind on the carry-in route.

If you already own a tub that shipped with an extension panel and it will not attach on the faucet end, that is a different problem from the Front Entry's, and Why Doesn't the Extension Panel Attach on the Faucet Side? explains the bracket rule behind it.

When the Front Entry Is Still the Right Choice

The Front Entry earns its place when the tight dimension is length, not width. It slides into a space only 40 inches long, it passes the narrow doorways common in manufactured housing, and Ella's team recommends it alongside the Mobile for single-wide mobile homes, as Are walk-in tubs a good option for mobile homes? explains. Its 25 inch seat also gives a larger bather more room than most compact tubs. If the tight dimension is width instead, the Mobile at 26 x 45 inches is the narrower tub, and Ella Front Entry vs Mobile: which compact tub fits a tiny bathroom? sets the two side by side. If you have a true 60 inch alcove and no reason to shorten the tub, a 52 inch model with its extension panel, or a full-length 60 inch tub, will give you a finished fit without extra framing.

What to Send the Team

Before you order, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with a sketch of the alcove marked in inches, a note of where the house drain sits, a photo of the space, and the doorway widths on the carry-in route. Your Ella dealer or the team can confirm whether the Front Entry, a 52 inch tub with an extension panel, or a full-length tub is the better match for that opening.

Related Guides

• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces
• What Is an End Panel on a Walk-In Tub?

Related Videos

Common Questions