Can the Infusion Microbubble Universal Kit go on a cast iron or steel tub?

Ella's Bubbles has not published a yes or no for cast iron or steel tubs. What it has published is that the Infusion Microbubble Therapy Universal Installation Kit is designed for standard conventional tubs, that it can be installed in most standard home bathtubs, ideally ones with access to the back, and that a licensed contractor installs it. In practice the deciding factor is the space behind or beneath the tub where the pump, pressure tank and plumbing mount, not the shell material on its own, so the team asks for photos of your tub and the installation space before confirming. Adding Infusion Microbubble Therapy to a Conventional Bathtub covers the kit itself; this page covers what decides fit on a tub you already own, and who services the kit afterward.

What the Published Fit Criteria Actually Say

The kit is described as a microbubble retrofit kit designed for standard conventional tubs with a small installation footprint. The pump, pressure tank and plumbing mount behind or beneath the tub, so the installer needs access to that space, and the kit page says it can be installed in most standard home bathtubs, ideally ones with access to the back. The installation manual that ships with it is written for tub manufacturers and qualified service personnel only, and Ella's site says a licensed contractor installs the kit on a GFCI protected circuit.

Nothing in that list names the shell material, and Ella has not published anything specific about cast iron or steel shells. So the question for your bathroom is less about what the tub is made of and more about two practical points. First, can a contractor reach the back or the underside of the tub to mount the pump, the pressure tank and the plumbing. Second, the kit releases its bubbles through a single wall fitting in the tub, so the contractor has to be able to make and plumb that fitting in your particular tub wall. Those are questions a contractor answers on site and the team answers from photos, which is why neither this page nor the kit page can give a blanket yes for every cast iron or steel tub.

How to Get a Fit Answer for Your Own Tub

1. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and say you are asking about the universal kit on a conventional bathtub.
2. Attach photos of the tub itself, including the wall where a fitting would go.
3. Attach photos of the space behind or beneath the tub that a contractor can reach, since that is where the pump, pressure tank and plumbing have to live.
4. Mention the shell material, so the team can look at it alongside the access question.
5. Have a licensed contractor ready to do the work on a GFCI protected circuit once the team confirms the tub will work.

What the Kit Puts into Your Bath

The kit uses a US patented thin-film device that raises the oxygen saturation of the bath water up to 70 percent above regular tap water and releases billions of tiny 10 to 50 micron bubbles into the tub through a single wall fitting. Once installed, you press the on/off button, the water turns milky, and the bath is quiet and non-turbulent, quite unlike a jetted or air bath. Ella notes that microbubble bathing softens and moisturizes skin, exfoliates, and makes and keeps the body warm. The video on this page shows the result: one touch of the micro button, billions of microbubbles from a single port, water turning from clear to cloudy, and one more touch to switch the system off. The system shown is the same technology packaged in the universal kit, and What Is Infusion Microbubble Therapy on a Walk-In Tub? explains how it feels on the walk-in line.

Kit on Your Tub Versus a Factory-Built Microbubble Tub

The difference for you is where the uncertainty sits. With the kit, the open question is your existing tub: whether its back or underside is reachable and whether the wall fitting can be made, and that is settled by photos and a contractor's visit rather than by a published rule. With the Fiji and Solo microbubble alcove tubs the shell question disappears, because the acrylic tub arrives with the system already built in. Neither is a walk-in tub: both have no door, no seat and no threshold, and you step over the side as with any alcove tub.

Who Services the Kit and What Warranty Covers It

The kit is meant to be installed and serviced by qualified service personnel, typically a licensed contractor. Ella does not send technicians; a contractor does the labor, and the support team is available to that contractor through a support ticket while the work is done. The kit's own manual and warranty are published together with the kit, and that document is the place to read the exact warranty terms, since they are written for the kit rather than for a walk-in tub. Once the team sees your details they can confirm the coverage that applies to your kit.

If you need a part or the system misbehaves, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and say that yours is the universal kit fitted to a conventional bathtub, so the correct part ships. Have your model and serial number, a photo of the installation space or the part, and a short description of what the system is doing. Replacement parts ship by parcel carrier from the Chicago warehouse and the tracking number is emailed when the label is created, often with a how-to video, as Where Is My Replacement Part? explains.

Watch: MicroBubble Therapy Infusion: Top Voted Walk-In Tub 2020 | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Common Questions