How Do I Install a Second End Panel on a Freestanding Ella Tub?

To install a second end panel on a freestanding Ella tub, you set the panel against the exposed end that the included panel does not cover and attach it with its two white screws, after the tub has been moved into place, leveled and water tested. The second panel is ordered through your Ella dealer, where you purchased the tub, or the team at (800) 480-6850, because end panels are cut for a specific model and door side. What Is an End Panel on a Walk-In Tub? explains what the panel is; this page walks through the install itself, from ordering to the finished layout.

What the Second End Panel Does, and What It Does Not

Every Ella walk-in tub ships with one reversible end panel that covers whichever short end of the tub is exposed, hiding the shell edge, the plumbing and the frame. In a corner installation that is all you need: the tub in the right corner takes the panel on the left end, and the reverse for a left corner. A second end panel is for the layouts where both short ends are open to the room, which is what happens when the tub sits against a single back wall or stands in the middle of a large bathroom.

• The second end panel is the same reversible part as the first one, so it works on either end.
• It does not add any length to the tub. The part that fills an alcove gap is the extension panel, and the two are often confused; Why Doesn't the Extension Panel Attach on the Faucet Side? sorts out which one you have.
• It does not cover the long back side of the tub. No Ella model has a factory back panel, so wherever the back does not meet an existing wall your contractor frames a knee wall, described in What Is a Knee Wall Behind a Walk-In Tub?.
• The front apron is always finished and always removable, with access panels for the pumps, heater and cords behind it.

Getting the Right Panel Before You Start

End panels are cut for a specific model and door side, so a request for a second panel needs three things: your model, your serial number and which side the door is on. The panel can be included on your original order or requested later through where you purchased the tub. The reverse is also true: if your layout needs no extra end panel, you can opt out of receiving one to reduce plastic waste.

A few models are worth a note. The Front Entry includes two side end panels because its door is at the end of the tub, though its back still goes against a wall or a knee wall. Wider models such as the ShaK include one end panel for the 36 inch side, and an additional panel can be added if the other end will be exposed. The LayDown tubs come with a covered front and one side panel and need at least one wall or a framed enclosure behind them.

When the panel arrives, look for its two white screws before you report them missing: they are often taped to the back of the panel or tucked in the parts box inside the tub. A panel that arrives cracked is freight damage. Photograph it, save all the packaging material, and report it within 48 hours of delivery through ellasbubbles.com/support or by calling (800) 480-6850, and let where you purchased know as well.

Installing the Second End Panel, Step by Step

The video shows the reversible end panel being positioned on either side of the tub to cover the plumbing and the frame, and it ends with the rule that every removable panel comes off before the tub is moved into the house. The sequence below follows that guidance.

1. Remove every removable panel, including the front apron with its access panels, the included end panel, the second end panel and any extension panel, before the tub is moved into the house and into the bathroom. The tub is lifted only by its frame, never by a panel.
2. Set the tub in its final position. It stands on its own stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs and does not depend on any wall for support, so level it with every leg bearing on the floor.
3. Complete the pre-installation water test with the panels open, so every connection under the tub can be seen while the water runs and drains.
4. Place the included reversible panel on one exposed end and the second panel on the other. If one end sits against a wall, that end needs no panel at all.
5. Attach each panel with its two white screws. The panel adds no length to the tub, so it will not change the fit against a wall or knee wall.
6. Refit the front apron and confirm that its access panels can still be opened. Every mechanism is reached through the removable side and apron panels, so nothing may be tiled or built in front of them, and no insulation goes around the equipment.
7. Only then let your contractor close the knee wall or finish work. Finish the knee wall and any tiled side with a tile flange and silicone at every joint, and photograph the framing and the shut-off locations before the wall closes.

Checking the Finished Layout

Before any of this, sketch the room and mark each side of the tub that will be open: left end, right end, front and back. Then count panels against the sketch. A three-wall alcove may need no end panel. A corner with two walls uses the included panel on the one exposed end. A single back wall with both ends open uses the included panel plus the second one. A tub in the middle of the room uses both end panels plus a contractor-built knee wall behind it. Can My Walk-In Tub Sit Freestanding With the Sides Exposed? works through each of these placements, and Can the Tub Be Freestanding? Exposed Ends, Second End Panels, and Knee Walls covers what ships with the tub and what can be added.

If you want confirmation for your layout, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model, serial number, door side and a sketch or photo of the room showing which sides will be open. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm what is included and what to add.

Related Guides

• How to Add a Second End Panel to Your Walk-In Tub Order or Buy One Later
• End Panels, Extension Panels, and Aprons: Getting the Right Replacement Panel
• Missing or Broken End Panel Clips and Mounting Blocks: How to Get Replacements

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