What Happens If I Ordered the Wrong Door Side on My Walk-In Tub?

The hand of an Ella walk-in tub is set at the factory and cannot be reversed after delivery, so what happens next depends on whether the tub is still uninstalled and in its original packaging. Before anything else, confirm the side really is wrong, because sides are named as you face the tub, and a tub that looks like the wrong side is sometimes exactly what the room needs once your installer looks at the plumbing. If it truly does not suit your bathroom, an uninstalled tub can be returned within the published 30 day window unless your invoice says otherwise, following the same steps laid out in The Wrong Drain Side Was Shipped. How Do I Return It?.

First, Confirm the Side Really Is Wrong

Left and right on an Ella tub are always described as you face the tub, ready to step in. On a left-hand tub the door and seat are on your left, and the drains and the factory-drilled faucet deck are at the right end. A right-hand tub is the mirror image, with the door on the right and the drains on the left. The hand shows at the end of the SKU, for example HC3260L for a left-hand HomeCare and HC3260R for the right-hand version, and the item description on your final invoice states it as well. Left and right tubs share the same measurements mirrored, so only the swing side changes, never the footprint. Can I Order a Left-Side Door With Right-Side Plumbing? explains the naming in full.

1. Stand where you will approach the tub, in the spot where you would step in, and note which side the door and seat are on.
2. Find the yellow model tag on the back of the unit. It lists the model code and configuration, and left or right orientation is one of the most common things to compare.
3. Compare the tag with the model and hand listed on your invoice or order confirmation. If they match, the tub was built as ordered, and the question becomes whether it can still work in the room.
4. If the tag does not match the invoice, the tub was not built as ordered, and the team confirms that from photos and arranges the correction with you or your dealer.

If You Notice Before the Tub Ships

Ella builds every tub to the order it received, so the best moment to catch a wrong hand is when you read the item description on the final invoice, before you approve it. If you approved the order and then realized the hand is wrong, contact where you purchased or the team at (800) 480-6850 right away with your order or invoice number so the order can be reviewed. The team looks up the order by name, order number or invoice number and reads it line by line. Ella also confirms a valid, working phone number on every order before the tub is released to ship, as described in Why Ella Needs a Working Phone Number Before Your Walk-In Tub Ships, so keep that number answered while your order is being looked at.

When a dealer or remodeling company placed the order on your behalf, the tub is built to the order Ella received, which can differ from the quote the dealer gave you. The team checks what was actually ordered and tells you, and the dealer resolves any difference with you. If the person who placed the order is not the person receiving the tub, the team contacts the person who ordered it to confirm what was chosen.

If the Tub Has Arrived, Ask Whether It Can Still Work

Many wrong-side worries start with the house drain, and the house drain does not have to dictate the hand. Plumbing can run under the tub in either direction, with roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame for a 2 inch PVC line, and the four-port drain bodies connect from the left or the right with the unused ports capped. Installers often move the supply and drain lines to the side that gives the best access and the right door swing for the room. Ask your licensed installer to look at the tub as delivered before anyone decides it has to go back.

• In a three-wall alcove, favor the drain side that keeps the connections reachable through the front of the tub, since the side walls are closed off once the tub is in.
• Check the floor in front of the door side against the door style that comes with your tub. The door swing is the one thing plumbing cannot change, so this is where a wrong hand shows up most.
• Leave the tub uninstalled and in its original packaging while you decide. Installed products cannot be returned or exchanged, so the decision has to be made before the tub is set in place.

Returning an Uninstalled Tub

A brand new, uninstalled tub in its original packaging can be returned within the published 30 day window unless your invoice stipulates otherwise. The return always begins with authorization, never with a shipment.

1. Check your invoice for the return terms, since the invoice can change the window.
2. Request authorization before shipping anything back. Start with where you purchased, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your order number and the reason.
3. Once authorized, pack the tub with every insert and piece of hardware, photograph the packed crate, and ship it as instructed.

The customer is responsible for the cost of shipping the return, and the published policy states: "The restocking fee is 25% of the original order amount, less taxes and shipping costs." With the return authorized, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can help with your order for the correct hand, and this time read the hand on the invoice item description before approving it.

What to Have Ready When You Contact the Team

Photos settle a side question quickly. Take a picture of the yellow model tag on the back of the unit, open the magnetic access panel beside the door and photograph the serial number label, and photograph the tub deck from where you would step in so the door and seat side are obvious. Add your invoice number and open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, or call (800) 480-6850. The same steps apply when the model or an option looks different from what you ordered, which The Tub That Arrived Is a Different Model or Is Missing an Option I Ordered covers in detail.

Related Guides

• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side

Common Questions