To clean the jet lines on your walk-in tub there is one recipe and one schedule: mix 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub to 1 inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. Do it once before the first bath and then once a month. The first thing to check is that you are following that exact recipe, because a flush with too little vinegar or too short a run is the usual reason it seems not to work. You do not need to flush after every bath: the air and hydro systems are fully plumbed and self clearing, and between flushes Auto Purge and ozone keep the lines fresh. The full routine is in our cleaning and monthly maintenance guide.

Likely Causes

• A flush that does not match the published recipe.
• Hair and debris collecting on the pump inlet cover.
• Bath bombs, oils or beads carried into the jets.
• Long gaps between flushes in a tub that sees heavy use.

What to Check, in Order

1. Fill the tub with water until it sits 1 inch above the highest jets. The published recipe does not call for a particular water temperature, so fill the tub the way you would for a normal bath.
2. Mix 2 cups of plain white vinegar with 2 cups of water and add it to the tub. This is the whole amount for a full tub of any size; the recipe is the same on every Ella model, including microbubble tubs.
3. Run the tub for 10 minutes so the solution circulates through every jet line, then drain completely.
4. Once a month, also clear hair and debris from the pump inlet cover and wipe it with a non-abrasive towel. Wipe the tub surface about twice a month with a non-abrasive cleaner.
5. If flakes or slime still appear after a correct flush, follow the steps in black flakes or slime from the jets and repeat the flush.

The video shows the built-in helpers, ozone whenever the hydro jets run and the two-minute Auto Purge about 20 minutes after the air massage is shut off, then the twice-monthly wipe with a non-abrasive cleaner and the monthly vinegar flush; for the amounts and run time, use the recipe above. More cleaning walkthroughs are collected in our cleaning videos library.

When to Open a Ticket

If a correctly done flush leaves the jets weak, a pump will not run for the full 10 minutes, or debris keeps returning, reach out with your model, how many flushes you have run, and a short video of the jets in action, and send it to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Photos of the pump inlet cover and of anything coming out of the jets help.

Common Questions