This page is the second half of installing an Ella LayDown walk-in tub: connecting the single 2 inch drain, which faucet applies to the size you ordered, the dedicated electrical line for each therapy system, the therapy controls, finishing the walls and fitting the optional glass shower screen. It comes from the Ella Lay-Down Walk-In Tubs 30" x 60" and 32" x 72" Owner's Manual (23 pages, dated 6/15/23), with printed values from the LayDown60 spec sheet, the brochure and the Lay-Down schematics. Part 1 covers delivery, carrying, the water test, leveling and the glass door.

One Drain, Not Two: How the LayDown Drain Connects

The LayDown is the one Ella family that does not use the dual drain. The manual's drain page shows a single 2 inch drain opener, the spec sheet lists a 2 inch brass drain with overflow, and the brochure describes a 2 inch threaded brass drain with a copper overflow and a drain opener cable. If you ever need drain parts, tell your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 that the tub is a LayDown so the brass drain parts are matched, not a dual-drain kit.

1. Verify the house drain flows freely before connecting the tub. The manual warns that a tub drain cannot guarantee fast drainage if the house drain does not function properly.
2. Connect the 2 inch drain directly to the house drain. The manual says the drain "can be connected right to the drain or the direction is optional."
3. Keep the run as straight as possible: the less turns in the drainage system, the less resistance and the faster the drainage time.
4. Connect the overflow, then check both during the first fill and the first full drain.

The 72 spec drawing prints a 2 3/4 inch diameter drain hole in the shell. Fittings are in plumbing and drain configurations.

Faucet Depends on the Size You Ordered

The manual includes pages for both the two-piece and five-piece fast-fill faucets, but which page applies depends on the size and configuration on your order.

• LayDown60 (30" x 60"): does not come with a faucet and has no faucet option. The spec sheet states that a pre-existing or new wall-mounted faucet must be used. Skip the manual's deck faucet pages and plan the plumbing around the faucet you supply.
• LayDown72 (32" x 72"): comes faucet-ready. An Ella two-piece or five-piece deck-mount fast-fill faucet can be added as an option when the tub is ordered. If your 72 shipped without one, the SKU on your order shows an NF suffix and you will supply your own faucet.

Two-piece operation: lift the lever for on, left for hot, right for cold, and press the diverter button under the spout for the hand shower. Five-piece operation: red handle hot, blue handle cold, middle diverter lever toward OFF for the hand shower. Deck cut-outs and mounting are in installing the fast-fill faucets.

The Barrel Extension Hose Rule Applies Only to the 32x72 Hand Mixer Option

The manual warns never to attach the hand shower to the wall unless you have an extension hose with barrel protection, because water can otherwise leak behind the tub, and states that this warning only applies to the lay-down with hand mixer option 32" x 72". If you have that configuration and want a wall-mounted hand shower:

1. Unscrew the shower head mixer from the hose.
2. Screw the stainless steel barrel onto the end of the hose.
3. Screw the extension hose to the opposite side of the barrel.
4. Place the barrel in the shower base to plug the hole.
5. Screw the shower head mixer onto the other end of the extension hose.

Electrical: One Dedicated 20A Line per Therapy System

The Lay-Down schematics print the requirement plainly. The air massage schematic (revised 10-16-23) shows one wall outlet, GFCI protected, dedicated line, 20 amp, 120 volts, feeding a control box and an air pump rated 110 to 120 V, 4.5 A. The Lay-Down microbubble schematic (revised 7-13-23) shows the same single dedicated 20 amp, 120 volt GFCI-protected outlet for its pump and pressure vessel. Each schematic carries its own dedicated line, and both documents add: please view the specifications for amperage, voltage and wattage.

1. Have a licensed electrician install and test the dedicated GFCI-protected line for each therapy system on your order, including the GFCI test and reset. A failed reset means the power stays off until the problem is corrected.
2. Never operate a pump before water covers the jets.
3. Do not insulate around the equipment; the frame is engineered for ventilation.
4. Leave service access to the pump and control box as local code requires.

The family-by-family list is in electrical requirements by model.

Soaking Models Have No Therapy Controls

The therapy options on a LayDown are Air, Hydro and Micro. The manual lists these as the "Lay down tub Models with this option," then notes that soaking tubs do not apply, printing "Soaking Tubs are not Equipted with these Controls." A soaking LayDown has no push button, dial, pump or control box to wire. On jetted models the deck cluster is a Micro Infusion on/off button, an Air Massage on/off button, a Hydro Massage on/off button and a hydro intensity dial. On a hydro model the in-line heater and ozone sterilizer switch on and off automatically with the pump. On an air model the system self-purges for 120 seconds about 20 minutes after the air pump is used, which is automatic and normal; see the Auto-Purge cycle.

Wall Finishing for the Lay-Down Shell

The manual's finishing page is worded for the Lay-Down bathtub and uses the same tile flange method as the rest of the line. A tile flange is not included; glue a strip of any thin, rustproof, waterproof material, 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch thick and about 5 inches tall, to the tub edge with 100 percent silicone before pushing the tub to the wall, leaving about a 2 inch overlap as the water barrier. Tile or wall panel then overlaps the flange and the flat deck, and every joint gets silicone-based caulk. See tile flange and wall finishing for the cross-section.

Optional Glass Shower Screen: Install After the Tub Is Set

The optional glass shower screen and door for LayDown tubs has its own installation sheet, and it goes in only after the tub is level and against the wall, because the screen must align with the tub's glass door. The sheet warns: "The glass shower screen needs to align with the glass door to prevent leaks. Do not center the glass with the side of the Laydown tub." The glass gasket points inward toward the tub, and the sheet calls for waiting 24 hours for the silicone to cure before use. The ten-step sequence and packing list are in installing glass shower screens.

Download the official document: Ella Lay-Down Walk-In Tubs 30x60 and 32x72 Owner's Manual

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