How Do You Clean the Air Bubble Lines in a Jetted Walk-In Tub?

You clean the air bubble lines in an Ella jetted walk-in tub with a simple white vinegar flush, and the tub handles much of the day-to-day work by itself. Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. The same flush is done once before the first bath and about once a month after that, as shown in Before Your First Bath: The Initial Vinegar Flush and First-Use Checklist.

What the Tub Already Does for the Air Lines by Itself

A jetted Ella tub has two built-in cleaning helpers, and knowing what each one does tells you how much manual cleaning is really left for you.

The first is Auto Purge, which looks after the air bubble lines. About 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, the air system starts by itself and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It is fully automatic and cannot be stopped. If you enjoy a long soak and switched the air massage off early, Auto Purge can start while you are still in the tub, and that is perfectly normal. A short burst of air from an empty tub after your bath is the same thing: the tub is clearing its own air lines.

The second helper is the ozone generator. It runs whenever the hydro jets are on and sanitizes the water lines while you bathe. Between the two, the air lines are blown clear after each bath and the hydro lines are treated every time you use them. Because the air and hydro systems are fully plumbed, the vinegar flush is not something you repeat after every bath. About once a month is the routine, and the whole job takes about fifteen minutes from start to finish.

The Monthly Vinegar Flush, Step by Step

The flush circulates a gentle vinegar solution through every jet and hose so that residue is carried out with the drain water. It uses ordinary white vinegar and nothing else.

1. Mix 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
2. Fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets. Do not start any system until the water covers the highest jets.
3. Add the vinegar and water mixture to the tub.
4. Turn on the jetted systems and run the tub for 10 minutes so the solution circulates through all of them. Press the push buttons gently with your palm.
5. Drain the tub completely.

If you are not sure how to start each system, the controls video on this page shows it. On the on/off push controls, one press of the air button starts the air massage at high speed, a second press is medium, a third is low, and a fourth press shuts it off. The hydro massage starts with one touch of the water button. On the digital touchpad, you touch the air bubble icon once to start the air massage and hold it for two seconds to turn it off, and the hydro button starts and stops the hydro massage. For the flush, the first press on the air button is all you need, since it starts the air system at its highest speed.

When the 10 minutes are up, switch the systems off and drain fully. About 20 minutes after the air pump goes off, Auto Purge will run its 120 seconds and blow the remaining water out of the air lines, which is exactly what you want after a cleaning.

Small Habits After Each Bath That Keep the Lines Clean

What goes into the bath water travels through the tub. A jetted Ella tub draws bath water in through the intake, pushes it through the pump and the in-line heater, and sends it back out through the jets. A few quick habits keep that path clean between monthly flushes.

• Rinse after soap. Soaps, shampoos and body wash are fine for everyday use, even with the jets on. After the bath, rinse the tub and run the hand shower over the jets so soap film does not dry inside them. The guide to bubble bath and shampoo with the jets running explains how to manage the extra foam the jets create.
• Dissolve Epsom salt first. Plain Epsom salt is fine for the jetting system when it is fully dissolved in warm water before it goes in. An undissolved crystal can lodge in a jet. Drain when you finish soaking, then rinse the tub and every chrome fitting, because salt residue that dries on chrome can leave spots. The details are in Can Epsom Salt Damage a Walk-In Tub, Its Jets or Its Chrome?
• Wipe the tub down. Ella's cleaning and maintenance video recommends wiping the tub about twice a month with a non-abrasive cleaner, including the area around the intake screen.

Products That Make the Lines Harder to Clean

The easiest way to keep air and jet lines clean is to keep oily and solid products out of them. Bath bombs leave oils, dye, glitter and floral material that can clog the jets and affect the tub mechanics. Scented or colored bath salts carry dyes and fragrance oils that can affect the jet system. Bath oils coat the inside of the pumps and lines, where they are hard to flush back out. Ella's guidance also notes that bath oils, bath beads and fragrance oils can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, which is not a warranty matter.

If you have already used one of these products, there is no need to worry. Rinse thoroughly, and plan on an extra vinegar flush using the same recipe above. The product-by-product rundown is in Is Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs or Bath Oil OK in a Jetted Walk-In Tub? If you have a soaking-only tub with no pumps, the rules are much more relaxed, because there are no lines for residue to travel into.

When One Flush Is Not Enough

A tub that is used regularly and flushed monthly usually runs clear on the first pass. A tub that has sat for a while is different. Residue and mineral deposits can be left in the jet lines, and it can take a second flush to run clear, which is normal. If you see dark flakes come out of the jets during that first cleaning, repeat the same recipe and the same 10 minute run. Do not reach for a stronger cleaner. The full restart checklist, including the GFCI, the green LED on the blue control box and the door seal, is in How Do I Start Using a Walk-In Tub That Sat Unused for Years?

Two things that show up during a flush are not cleaning problems at all:

• The bubble jet button does nothing. The usual reason is a push button air hose that has worked loose. Confirm the air hose from each push button is seated firmly at the button and at the control box nipple.
• The pump shuts off and restarts by itself during the flush. That points to the control box, not to the cleaning, so more vinegar will not help.

If either of those continues, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your serial number and a short description of what the tub is doing. Parts ship under the warranty, and a local licensed plumber or electrician handles any labor.

Watch: Walk-In Tub with Push Controls & Digital Touchpad for Easy, Effortless Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why did my tub turn on by itself? Understanding the Auto-Purge air cleaning cycle
• Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating Element
• Black Flakes, Brown Slime, or Debris Coming From the Jets: Cleaning Steps That Work

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