Can a Walk-In Tub Be Installed Where My Walk-In Shower Is Now?

Yes. In most homes a walk-in tub goes into the same three-wall alcove that the old bathtub or shower stall occupied, with the plumbing and electrical connections made by a licensed local plumber and electrician you hire. A shower stall footprint is often shorter and narrower than a tub alcove, which is why the compact 52 inch long models such as the Elite, at 30 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches tall, are the usual starting point, and an extension panel closes any gap to the end wall so the finished installation looks built in. You do not give up showering either: the pull-out hand shower, the wall slider bar in Installing the Wall-Mounted Hand Shower Slider Bar and the Extension Coupler So Nothing Leaks Behind the Tub and the shower column kit all work on an Ella tub.

Why a Shower Alcove Usually Works

A walk-in shower normally sits in the same kind of three-wall recess a bathtub uses, so the structure a walk-in tub needs is already in place: two end walls, a back wall and a floor with a drain. The differences are in the dimensions. Shower stalls are often shorter and narrower than a standard tub alcove, which is why the 52 inch long models are the first ones to check. The Elite's actual size is 30 inches wide, 52 inches long and 35 inches tall. When the tub is shorter than the opening, the extension panel closes the gap between the tub and the end wall, so a 52 inch tub finishes out a longer opening without a visible void.

A walk-in tub stands much taller than a shower pan and holds water, and when a therapy package is ordered it carries pumps and other equipment under the deck. The plumber and electrician you hire plan the supply, drain and electrical connections for the tub rather than assuming the shower's connections will serve as they are.

What to Measure Before You Choose a Model

1. Measure the existing shower opening wall to wall at its tightest point. This is the figure the tub's actual length and width are compared against.
2. Measure every doorway and hallway on the route from the delivery point to the bathroom, because the tub is carried in as one piece.
3. Note which side the plumbing wall is on. Door side is one of the choices that appears on the confirmation invoice, so it is worth knowing before you talk to anyone.
4. Share the narrowest figure and the model you like with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. They will help match a model to that space before an order is placed.

Who Does the Work

Ella's Bubbles manufactures and supports the tub rather than installing it. The plumbing, electrical and grab bar work is done by a licensed local plumber and electrician you hire, and Ella can refer installers from its nationwide network if you do not have one. Ella does not send technicians, so removing the old shower, any framing or floor work the opening needs, and the hookup of the tub are all within your contractor's scope. The support team answers questions about the hookup by ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or by phone at (800) 480-6850 while the work is under way.

Every feature you expect on the tub must be on the order placed with Ella. A control button or switch is fitted only when the matching equipment is built into the tub, so if a contractor or dealer describes a heated seat or an LED light, confirm that it appears on the order. My Tub Was Supposed to Have an LED Light or Heated Seat, but There Is No Switch explains how support compares a tub against its order when the two differ.

Keeping a Shower in the New Tub

Many people replacing a shower want to keep the option of a quick rinse. Three Ella items make that work.

• The hand shower. The five-piece fast-fill faucet includes a pull-out hand shower that lives in a receptacle on the deck, and it is the simplest way to shower while seated in a walk-in tub.
• The slider bar. The wall-mounted slider bar parks the hand shower on the wall at any height, with 24 inches of slide travel and a flexible 60 inch stainless steel hose. The kit's coupler and extension line matter more than the bar itself. The coupler screws onto the end of the factory hose, sits in the deck receptacle and seals it with its rubber washer, and the extension line runs from the coupler up to the hand shower. Stretching the factory hose to the wall without the coupler lets every drop that runs down the hose find the open deck hole and pool behind the tub, and the printed instruction sheet says not to attach the hand-held shower to the wall without an extension hose with barrel protection.
• The shower column kit. This is Ella's overhead rain shower option. It installs at the tub deck, is braced to the bathroom wall with adjustable connector rods, and connects to the two-piece or five-piece fast-fill faucet. The video on this page shows the sequence: the existing hand shower is removed, the shower column base attachment goes into the vacant receptacle, the water supply line is replaced, and the new one-half inch supply line is attached to the diverter on the faucet set.

Spray control comes from the four-fold glass shower screen, a tempered glass panel set that folds back against the wall and keeps water inside the tub while the hand shower is in use. It is stocked in limited quantities and goes on backorder from time to time. When it is out of stock at the moment you order, the tub, faucet and in-stock accessories are confirmed and shipped, and the screen is logged as a pre-order and follows separately, so a backordered screen does not hold up the tub, as Four-Fold Shower Screen on Backorder explains. Is the Shower Kit in Stock, and How Long Until It Ships? sorts out which of the three shower items is meant and how each behaves when it is not on hand.

Placing the Order

The shower column kit is settled with your Ella dealer or the team when you order, and the model, door side, options and delivery details all appear on the confirmation invoice for you to review. Ella does not take deposits or partial payments, so the invoice is paid in full before the tub is assembled and tested, but an order can be placed before your funds are available and the invoice answered when the money arrives, as Can I Order a Walk-In Tub Before My Funds Are Available? explains. If one item on the order is back ordered, you can have the whole order held and shipped together, or have the tub ship now and the item follow when it arrives. Timing for a specific order varies by model, options and stock, and the support team confirms it for each order rather than quoting a timeframe.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces
• How do you install a walk-in tub, and who does the work?
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?

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