Is My Tub an Ella? Identifying the Brand and Model From Labels, Doors and Faucets Before Ordering Parts

Is my tub an Ella? One photo of the outside of the tub showing the door and faucet usually answers it, and the serial label behind the access panel next to the door settles it. Ella's Bubbles replacement parts are made for Ella walk-in tubs, so the first thing Technical Support does on any parts request is confirm that the tub is an Ella and learn where it was purchased. That check takes one photo and one or two questions, and it saves everyone from shipping a part that will not fit. This article explains what the team looks at, what the numbers on your label mean, and what to do when the tub or the faucet turns out to be another maker's product.

Ella Parts Are for Ella Tubs

Walk-in tubs from different manufacturers can look alike from across the bathroom, and the team regularly receives requests for tubs that are not Ella products. A door lever request, for example, turned out to be for a tub Ella does not make, and an air blower a caregiver asked about was the style used by a different manufacturer. In those cases the team says so plainly and points you toward that manufacturer or a plumbing supplier, because Ella parts will not fit and the team has no way to source another company's components. Seals, hoses, jets, pumps and manuals differ between makers, so a Safe Step door seal, an American Standard shower hose, an Aston or Jacuzzi walk-in gasket, Premier Care air jets or a Meditub pump manual all come from those companies. The same applies to accessories: the 4-fold shower screen and the shower column kit are designed and tested on Ella tubs and Ella deck faucets, so fit on another brand cannot be guaranteed. If your tub came through a retailer, the team will also ask which one, since that shapes how a warranty request is handled; support for retailer-purchased tubs and showers explains how the team confirms a listing or box model number.

What the Team Can Tell from a Photo

If you do not know the model name, send a picture of the outside of the tub showing the door, and the team can usually identify it. The door family is the biggest clue:

• An inward-swinging brushed stainless steel door with frosted glass points to the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe or Ultimate, or the two-seat Companion and Escape.
• An outward-swinging white composite U-shape door with a tempered glass panel and three latches points to the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak or Big4One, or the two-seat Tub4Two and Big4Two.
• An L-shape outward door with the handle on the front and two latches points to the Transfer family.
• An inward acrylic S-shape door points to the Standard, Zen or Flow.
• An inward brushed aluminum door with frosted glass points to the Ultra, and a glass door on a low, long tub points to a LayDown.

The deck controls (chrome push buttons or a digital keypad), the faucet set (a 2-piece single lever, a 5-piece set with red and blue handles, or the thermostatic set on a chrome deck plate) and the drain handles fill in the rest of the picture. If the door matches none of these and there is no M serial label, the tub is most likely not an Ella. The article on which door your tub has goes through each family in detail.

Watch: The Five Ella Door Styles

Watch: Pick the Perfect Walk-In Tub Door: 5 Elegant Door Options with chapters and a full transcript.

This video shows the five door styles side by side: the inward U-shape stainless door, the outward U-shape door, the outward L-shape Transfer door, the Ultra's inward aluminum door and the Standard's S-shape inward door. It points out the details that help you identify yours: outward doors use a three-latch (U) or two-latch (L) gear-and-shaft lock and need swing clearance in front, the inward stainless and Ultra doors lift off for cleaning, and the L-door fits over a standard toilet. If your door matches none of these, the tub is most likely not an Ella.

Where the Serial Label Is

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Serial Number Location with a full transcript.

The video shows the label on the inside of one of the removable panels and explains that it tells the team when the tub was made, who made it and which replacement parts are compatible. The label sits behind the magnetic access panel next to the door, and some tubs also carry a sticker with the model number and serial on the reverse of the large access panel. Photograph the whole label rather than copying one number, because the team reads more than the serial from it. Your model name, SKU or UPC is on your proposal or order paperwork. Step-by-step directions are in where to find your model and serial numbers.

Serial Number or Model Number?

Owners sometimes send a serial number when the team asks for a model, or the reverse. They are different things. The serial number identifies your individual tub, usually begins with the letter M, and is what the team uses to look up its build and order history. The model number identifies the product. On a Deluxe, for example, the model number is in a 93xxx or 03xxx format, which does not look like a serial. A model number in a completely different style, or a part number the team does not recognize, is often the first sign that the tub is another maker's. If all you have is the serial, send it; the team can work from it. If you have an original invoice, a photo of it answers both questions at once, including which faucet was ordered. Older model names can also confuse the picture: the Malibu OA3052 is the earlier name of the Capri, and the Chi and Tramo are retired models, all covered in legacy Ella models.

When the Faucet Is Not an Ella Faucet

Some older Ella tubs were fitted with faucets made by other companies, most commonly Huntington Brass 5-piece fast-fill sets and Jandon 8209 series Roman tub faucets. Those faucets are supported by their makers: Huntington Brass handles warranty and replacement parts for its own faucets, and the published Ella warranty states that non-Ella brand faucets are covered under the manufacturer's original warranty rather than the Ella Walk-In Bath Warranty. The team can still confirm which faucet you have from a photo and tell you where the parts come from. Details are in parts and support for older Ella tubs and warranty exceptions: the TCV and non-Ella faucets.

Are Ella Walk-In Tub Parts Universal Across Models and Years?

No, and this is the reason the team asks for photos. A few examples of parts that differ by tub and by year:

• Diverter valves on the thermostatic faucet fit either a 1 1/4 inch or a 1 3/4 inch deck hole.
• Older thermostatic control valves may have 1/2 inch supply connections; the current valve uses 3/4 inch, so adapters are needed when replacing one, as explained in replacing an older TCV.
• Push-button air hose on some older tubs is a smaller-diameter tube than the red hose used today, and the team confirms the size from a photo.
• Doors are specific to their family, and a replacement for an older door style may not be a perfect color match.

Related Guides

• Ordering a Replacement Part by Order Form or Phone
• A Jet Nozzle Broke Off: Why Some Jets Are Directional and Others Fixed, and How to Get the Right Replacement
• How to Order a Replacement Part for Your Ella Walk-In Tub
• Replacement Parts for Discontinued Ella Sliding Shower Doors Sold Through Retailers
• Handles, Cartridges and Hoses for the Huntington Brass Faucet on Older Ella Tubs
• Installing the Ella Fast-Fill Faucet on a Tub That Is Not an Ella

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model, serial number or faucet set, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the Ella's Bubbles team will confirm the exact part.