Lift Your Walk-In Tub by the Frame, Never by the Grab Bars

The grab bars on an Ella walk-in tub are there for the bather, not for moving the tub. When your installers lift, carry, tilt, or reposition the tub, they should grip the tubular frame beneath the shell and never the grab bars or handles. Lifting by the bars puts the full weight of the tub on fittings that were designed to steady a person, and it can damage the bars, their mounting points, and the acrylic deck around them.

Why the Grab Bars Are Not Lifting Points

A grab bar is anchored through the deck of the tub so a bather can hold it while stepping in, sitting down, and standing up. That is a very different job from carrying a fully assembled tub, complete with its frame, pump, and plumbing, through a doorway. Prying on the bars can loosen the mounting, crack the acrylic around the mounting holes, or bend the bar itself. A quick word with your installers before the tub comes off the pallet avoids all of that.

Where to Grip Instead

Every Ella walk-in tub is built on a rustproof stainless steel frame that carries the weight of the shell and its equipment. That tubular frame is the correct place to grab, lift, and carry. Your installers will find it beneath the shell, and it takes the load without putting stress on the bathing surfaces, the door, or the fixtures. The same rule applies to every bar and handle on the tub, including a deck-mount grab bar.

Moving the Tub into Position

1. Save all packaging material in case a freight claim is needed.
2. Before lifting, remove any loose accessories from inside the tub so nothing shifts during the carry.
3. Have enough helpers on hand for the weight of your model, and agree on where each person will hold the frame.
4. Lift and carry by the tubular frame only. Never use the grab bars, the faucet, the door, or the deck edge as a handle.
5. Set the tub down on its frame and level it before connecting any plumbing.

If a Grab Bar Was Damaged During Delivery or Installation

Inspect the tub as soon as it arrives, both visually and by checking that everything works, and report any freight damage within 48 hours of receipt through ellasbubbles.com/support. If a bar was bent or loosened during handling in your home, open a ticket with photos and your serial number and the support team will explain your replacement options. Replacement bars need to match the hole spacing on your tub, which is explained in replacement interior grab bar hole spacing. A bar that arrived in the wrong size or was missing from the box is a different situation, covered in grab bar is the wrong size.

Who Does the Lifting

Ella's Bubbles does not send installers or technicians. A local licensed plumber or contractor handles moving the tub into the room, leveling, and hookup, and Ella's tech support team is available by phone to answer your contractor's questions. Once the tub is in place, the bars go back to doing what they were made for. For a look at how they help a bather every day, see bathing someone with limited mobility in a walk-in tub.

Related Guides

• How Ella Tubs Are Built: Acrylic Shell, Fiberglass Reinforcement, and Stainless Frame
• Installation choices that affect your warranty and how to keep coverage intact

Related Videos

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.