When none of the buttons work but the tub has power, look at the blue control box behind the front access panel, because every deck button and every pump passes through it. The box has a small green power LED beside its power inlet. If the outlet is live and that light is dark, the box or its cord is not passing power. If the light is lit and nothing responds, the box has likely lost its configuration, and the control box reset usually brings everything back at once. The first thing to check is whether that green light is on.

Likely Causes

• The control box cord or a pump cord not seated all the way in at the box.
• A control box that is receiving power but needs its configuration re-learned.
• A control box damaged by water, corrosion at a connector, or an electrical surge.
• A tripped GFCI outlet under the tub even though the panel breaker never moved.

What to Check, in Order

1. Remove the front access panel and find the box. Ella boxes show a green LED when power is flowing in, so a dark light with a live outlet is your first clue. The control box no power guide covers this diagnosis in detail.
2. Press the reset button on the GFCI outlet serving the tub. A GFCI can trip without the panel breaker moving. If it will not hold, leave power off and have an electrician correct it.
3. Check that the box's power cord and every pump cord are pushed all the way in and undamaged. Which cord plugs where identifies each one.
4. Unplug one pump from the box and plug it straight into the same outlet with water above the highest jets. If the pump runs, power is fine and the box is not passing it through.
5. If the green LED is lit, run the control box reset before anything else, then reconnect the labeled lines and test each function.
6. If the tub went dark after weather or an outage, follow nothing works after a storm or power outage for the breaker and GFCI sequence.

The video walks around the master control box port by port: the heater pad, air pump, water pump and power connectors, the air nipples for the water, air and LED push buttons, the display port for the digital keypad, the LED connector, the config switch, and the green power LED.

When to Open a Ticket

If the green LED stays dark with a live outlet, a pump runs from the wall but not from the box, or the box shows water damage, corrosion or scorching, please leave power off and open a ticket with your serial number, a photo of the box showing its ports and LED, a close-up of any damaged connector, and whether your tub has push buttons or the digital pad, and reach your Ella dealer or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850. A replacement control box is a covered part under the Lifetime Limited Warranty on supporting equipment; it ships tested and configured with a return label for the old box.

Common Questions