Improper installation can void your walk-in tub warranty, and every one of the installation choices that affect coverage is fully in your installer's control on install day. Your Ella walk-in tub carries a Lifetime Limited Warranty for the original purchaser at the original installation address. The short version: level the tub correctly, use a licensed electrician on dedicated GFCI circuits, install the grab bar with all of its washers, do not cut or modify any part, do not pack insulation around the equipment, never run pumps dry, and return the signed warranty activation form. Do those things and your coverage stays intact.

Installation-Related Actions That Void or Limit Coverage

Two related boundaries worth knowing up front: the warranty ships replacement parts free of charge after verification with photos and a problem description, but it never covers labor, installation, or removal, and it does not cover water damage to structures or property for any reason. Promises made by dealers or contractors are their own, not Ella's. The complete list of exclusions, including the ones that arise after installation, is in what voids your warranty.

Leveling: The One That Causes the Most Trouble

The video shows why leveling sits at the top of the table. Many Ella tubs have as many as eight leveling legs to spread the weight evenly. If any foot is off the floor, the frame twists slightly, the door no longer meets the jamb squarely, and the seal leaks. Check that each foot is securely on the ground, adjust each leg as needed, and check level on every side of the tub. An unlevel tub warps the shell and misaligns the door, and leaks caused by misleveling are not covered. The full procedure is in our walk-in tub leveling guide.

The Grab Bar Washer Rule

The deck mount grab bar hardware includes a chrome bar, 2 escutcheons, 4 rubber washers, 2 metal washers, and 2 bolts. The order on each bolt is: metal washer, rubber washer, up through the shell, rubber washer, escutcheon, thread loosely, then tighten with the supplied Allen wrench. The large metal washer under the shell is mandatory. Omitting washers cracks the acrylic shell and voids the warranty, so it is worth a 30 second check before your installer tightens down. See grab bars: what is included and how to install the deck bar.

Electrical and Pumps

Every therapy component runs on its own dedicated GFCI-protected circuit installed by a licensed electrician, with no extension cords and no shared circuits. Electrical damage from an improper connection is not a manufacturing defect. Pumps are never run until water covers every jet, and the pre-installation water test in the manual, which fills the tub 3 inches above the highest jet before any pump is switched on, is the safe way to prove the installation. Circuit counts by package are in electrical requirements by model, and the test itself is in the pre-installation water test.

The Activation Form: 16 Checks That Protect You

The warranty activation form is a 2 page document signed by both the customer and the installer, returned with a copy of the sales receipt, and the installer includes their electrician's license and insurance information. The installer initials 16 items, including: tub level with all legs touching, licensed electrician, dedicated GFCI breaker, frame grounded, door seal cleaned with rubbing alcohol, hot and cold at the temperature control valve, both diverters working, hand shower on all settings, supply-line leak check, stoppers opening and closing with the locking nut tightened on both, a watertight door seal after a 20 minute fill, hydro and air pumps run for 20 minutes with watertight connections, chromatherapy and ozone working, drain fittings checked while draining, and service access retained.

Submit the completed form online at ellasbubbles.com/warranty-activation/, or download the PDF application from that page and return it as the form directs. Our activate your warranty article walks through the form field by field.

What Proper Installation Earns You

The current published warranty covers the shell, frame, door, door seal, and finish, along with the supporting equipment, motors, pumps, fixtures, electronic controls, faucet, waste, overflow, and plated finishes, for the lifetime of the original purchaser at the original address. The temperature control valve carries a 1 year limited warranty and must be protected by an inline filter or mesh that is cleaned periodically. Non-Ella faucets carry their own manufacturer's warranty. If your owner's manual prints a five year term on equipment, that text is outdated; the current published warranty applies, as explained in older manuals say five years.

Door and door seal coverage stays valid as long as alignment was done correctly and the door is never loaded with the bather's weight, since the door holds only its own weight. One more reminder for the service life of the tub: the installer or owner provides code-required access to the plumbing and electrical, so keep those access points reachable.

Common Questions

Still need help? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support and our team will be glad to walk you or your installer through it, or call us at (800) 480-6850.