Why Do My Hydro Jets Change From Low to High on Their Own?

Ella hydro jets do not have low, medium and high settings. The hydro pump turns on with one press and off with the next, and the strength you feel comes from the intensity dial, which mixes air into the water stream. A hydro system that seems to climb from low to high on its own usually points somewhere else, most often to the three-speed air massage and its automatic Auto-Purge cycle, which Why did my tub turn on by itself? explains, or to an air hose that has slipped off the pump behind the access panel. Ella has no published cause for hydro jets that swing in intensity by themselves, so work through the checks below and then open a ticket with what you found.

How Hydro Intensity Is Really Controlled

Three things set what you feel from a hydro jet. The first is the pump, which is simply on or off: the caregiver bath-time checklist notes that hydro is one press on and one press off. The second is the intensity dial. It works by mixing air into the hydro stream, so turning it up gives a stronger flow and turning it down a gentler one. The third is each jet's own nozzle, which is a small valve you can open or close by hand, as the video on this page shows. On tubs with the hydro package the pump also runs through an in-line water heater, which the Lounger product video describes alongside the intensity dial.

None of these three has a timer or a speed sequence, so the hydro system has no built-in way to step itself from low to high. When a bather describes exactly that, the first things to rule out are the air system, which does change speed, and the dial's air connection, which decides whether the dial does anything at all.

Rule Out the Air System First

The air massage is the only Ella system with speeds, and it is the one that starts and changes on its own. On the push control, the first press is high, the second is medium, the third is low and a fourth press shuts it off, so a bather who leans on the button or taps it more than once will feel the air surge change strength. The buttons also want a gentle push. Pressing too hard or too deep may damage the internal mechanism, and a gentle push with the palm of the hand works well for anyone with arthritis or limited mobility.

Then there is Auto-Purge. About 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off, the air system starts on its own and runs for 120 seconds, blowing air through every air line to clear the water that flows back into the piping. It cannot be stopped, it ends on its own, and it happens even if you are still in the water. If the surge you notice arrives about 20 minutes after you switched the air off and fades after about two minutes, that is Auto-Purge, not the hydro jets. Air jets also sit in three groups, upper jets in the seat and backrest, bidet jets at the base of the seat and lower jets in the footwell, and What Are Bidet Jets on a Walk-In Tub? notes that the bidet jets run at whatever speed you have chosen with no switch of their own. Bubbling at the base of the seat that you cannot adjust separately is air, and it is working as designed.

If the Dial Changes Nothing

When the hydro pump runs normally but turning the intensity dial makes no difference at all, the usual cause is the air hose to the pump having come off behind the access panel. The dial depends on that air supply, so with the hose off there is nothing for it to mix into the stream. Have your installer or a local licensed plumber open the access panel, find the hose, and reconnect it firmly. If the dial is still unresponsive after that, open a ticket with your serial number and the team will take it from there. Before any pump runs, also confirm the water level: the caregiver checklist requires water covering every jet before a pump is switched on.

Adjusting a Single Jet That Is Too Strong or Too Soft

If one jet, often a foot jet, is harder or weaker than the rest, you can adjust that jet on its own, and the video shows how. The center nozzle of the jet is a valve: turn it one way to open and the other to close, which raises or lowers the pressure from that jet. If the nozzle is too stiff to turn, the butterfly handles on the jet can be loosened with a pair of pliers, which frees the center nozzle so it turns left or right. To confirm a valve is fully open, remove the jet and look at the half-cut opening inside it, line that open side up with the hole inside where the water comes out, then tighten the jet's nut so the nozzle stays put. Once a jet is set the way you like it, tighten it so it does not drift.

What to Send with Your Ticket

If the hydro flow still rises and falls on its own after you have ruled out the air system and checked the dial hose, the team needs to see it, because there is no published cause for that symptom. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with:

• Your model and serial number.
• Whether the change happens only when the air massage has recently been on, and roughly how long after you turned it off.
• Whether the intensity dial changes the flow at all, and what was found when the air hose was checked.
• A short video of the jets while the pump runs, with the dial turned from one end to the other.
• The therapy package on your order, since that decides which pumps and controls your tub has.

Ella does not send out technicians. The team works with you and your installer by phone, email or video, and if a part turns out to be at fault, the replacement ships under the warranty for a local licensed plumber or electrician to fit.

Watch: How to Adjust to Hydro Jets in Your Walk-In Tub? | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• My walk-in tub turned on by itself: the air massage Auto-Purge is normal
• Hydro massage vs air massage: what each system does and how to use the controls
• Control Box Has Power but Nothing Turns On: Where the Air Tube Connects

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