Ordering a Replacement Air, Hydro or Microbubble Pump: What to Send So the Right One Ships

A failed air blower, hydro pump or microbubble pump is replaced as a part, and the quickest way to get the right one is to send photos of the pump and its label together with your tub model and serial number. Ella has upgraded several pumps over the years, so the team matches the replacement to what is physically under your tub rather than to the model name alone. Verified warranty parts ship at no charge for the part to the original owner's address, or to the dealer doing the service, and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the swap.

Step 1: Confirm the Pump Has Really Failed

Many pump complaints turn out to be a push control, a tube or a fitting. For an air blower that whines or will not start, run the checks in air pump whines or stopped working. For a water pump that will not push water, see how a replacement water pump is matched and shipped. If you are not sure where to start, the symptom index points to the first check. Patterns the team sees often:

• An air pump that ran a few times and then stalled, with the push button already replaced and the hydro side working normally, is replaced as a part.
• A hydro pump stuck running continuously, even with the vacuum hose off the air switch, is an internal failure and the pump is replaced.
• A microbubble pump that will not start may only need its reset screw, which works on newer pumps that need a jump start. An older pump that has seized is replaced. Sometimes the fault is a brass fitting on the pump rather than the motor, and the fitting alone can be sent and installed on the existing pump.

Step 2: What to Send

1. Your tub model and the serial number from the label behind the magnetic access panel.
2. Photos of the pump assembly from the access opening, including the rating label on the motor and the fittings on both ends.
3. A short description of the symptom and what has already been tested.
4. Who will do the work, the homeowner's plumber or a dealer service team, and the address the part should ship to or be held for.

Step 3: Matching and Shipping

The team compares your photos to the current and previous pump versions and selects the matching unit, along with the unions and fittings needed when the pump generation has changed. This article shows how to confirm a blower is the right one. Once the part is ready you receive carrier tracking by email, or the part is held for pickup by the dealer. This article explains what to keep and whether the old pump goes back. If the tub is outside the warranty terms, for example a second owner or a relocated tub, the same pump can still be purchased through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

What the Swap Involves

Ella does not send technicians. The pump is replaced by your plumber or the dealer's service crew, with free lifetime technical support by phone and video for whoever is doing the work, including a short video of a step when that helps. As a guide, a hydro or microbubble pump on a Capri comes out by unthreading the two unions on the lines coming off the elbows. If the existing unions cannot be reached, the lines can be cut and the supplied unions installed with heavy-duty clear PVC cement. The ground wire is then removed and the pump lifted out, and installation is the reverse. Parts, labor and free tech support are explained here.

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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.