How do I open or unplug the drain in my walk-in tub?

On an Ella walk-in tub the drain is opened by turning the drain handle clockwise and closed by turning it counter-clockwise. There is no rubber plug to pull: the handle moves a stainless steel cable that lifts the drain stopper from underneath, and on most models there are two drains and two handles to turn. Draining is the last step of every bath and of the monthly vinegar flush in How to clean and maintain your Ella walk-in tub, month by month, and on a walk-in tub the water must be completely gone before the door is opened.

How the Drain Handle Works

Almost all Ella walk-in tubs use Dual Drain Technology: two 2 inch floor drains that operate independently on stainless steel cables, each with its own ADA compatible extension handle on the deck. The cable runs inside a protective black plastic sleeve from the handle to a small connection box on the drain body. Inside that box an armature is connected to the drain stem, and when you turn the handle the cable moves the armature, which opens or closes the drain through the stem. The drains themselves are dual four-port T-type drains. Because each drain is on its own cable, you may have two handles to turn rather than one, and both need to be open for the tub to empty at full speed.

The Ella Standard is the exception. It ships with one 2 inch gravity floor drain with an overflow and an emergency pull-up chain, so there is a single handle to operate.

Open and Closed Positions

1. To open the drain, turn the handle clockwise. To close it, turn the handle counter-clockwise.
2. On the transfer models, the printed guide shows the handle facing up as the open position, so use the handle's direction as your visual check.
3. If your tub has two handles, turn both. Water that drains slowly from a tub that normally empties quickly is often one drain still closed.
4. Before your next bath, turn the handles back to the closed position and confirm that the tub holds water before you step in.

Two Rules That Always Go with the Drain

First, do not fill the tub above the center of the drain handle. The handle marks the working water level for the deck, and the overflow is there to take the excess rather than to be used as the fill line. Second, never open the door until the tub has drained completely. This applies to every door style, and it is the one habit every new walk-in tub owner has to learn, because on a conventional tub you would step out while the water is still running down.

Also turn the jets off before you open the drain. A pump that runs without water above all of its jets is permanently damaged, and that damage is not covered, as Why Does the Pump Turn On as Soon as the Tub Is Plugged In? explains. Finish the massage, switch the systems off, then drain.

If the Handle Turns but the Drain Stays Shut

When a handle moves freely but the water does not go anywhere, the problem is in the cable or in the connection between the drain stem and the armature rather than in the handle itself. The most common cause of a broken cable is someone stepping on an open drain, which puts tremendous stress on the cable, and that is why a warning sticker is placed on every tub before it ships. Do not force the handle. Have your model and serial number and a photo of the handle and the drain ready, then open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850.

The video on this page shows the full cable replacement so you and your plumber know what is involved. It opens the small service panel on the connection box at the drain, carefully removes the armature and the barrel end of the cable, takes off one drain handle with an Allen wrench, removes the retaining ring nut and the drain vent assembly, and unscrews the old cable from that assembly. The new cable screws in completely, the locking nut is tightened firmly but not over-torqued, a thin bead of silicone goes on the back of the vent assembly before it is set back into the tub, and the cable's barrel head goes back onto the armature with the flat side of the connection facing up. The last check is a positive connection between the drain stem and the armature before the panel goes back on. Ella does not send technicians; the part ships after the team verifies the issue, and a local licensed plumber does the work with Ella's technical support available for that person's questions.

Draining as Part of Your Monthly Routine

The drain finishes the monthly vinegar flush: fill the tub to 1 inch above the highest jets, add 2 cups of white vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water, run the jetted systems for 10 minutes, then open the drains and let the tub empty completely. The same flush is done once before your very first bath. What is ozone sanitation, and is the light humming noise from my tub normal? explains why the flush is monthly rather than after every bath, since the ozone generator sanitizes the water lines whenever the hydro massage runs. While the tub is empty, it is a good moment to turn each handle through its open and closed positions and confirm both move smoothly.

Watch: Drain Cable Replacement with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• My drain will not open or close: replacing the drain cable and adjusting drain height
• Why Won't the Drain Open When I Turn the Handle?
• Drainage and Fill Time

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