The outward-swing U-shape door on the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak, and Big4One walk-in tubs, and on the Big4Two two-seat tub, closes with a gentle push and locks with a full 180 degree turn of the handle. The door is made of industrial-strength white PVC composite with a tempered glass cover, and behind the glass sits our proprietary 3-latch gear and shaft locking mechanism: rotating the handle drives tapered locking pins into the door jamb, pulling the door onto its seal with even pressure. The door is sealed just as tightly when the tub is full as when it is empty.

How the Locking Mechanism Works

Think of it like a vault door. As you operate the handle, gears inside the door send robust, oversized pins into the jamb of the bathtub. The pins are tapered, so they start with a very gentle amount of pressure and put increasing pressure on the seal as they seat. That means you only need light effort to get the door started; as you continue rotating the handle through its full 180 degrees, the tapered pins do all the sealing work for you. The design was made deliberately easy for bathers with limited strength in their fingers or wrists.

Using the Door

1. Rotate the handle to unlock and swing the door outward. Give the door room: the Capri, Monaco, and Mobile drawings show a 165 degree swing, and our door overview video notes 21 inches of clearance for the U-shape outward door. Planning that space is covered in planning floor space for the outward-swing door.
2. Step in over the low threshold using the grab bars. Outward doors need no knee clearance, which makes entry especially easy.
3. Remain standing, pull the door closed with gentle pressure, and rotate the handle fully. Closing while seated is much more difficult.
4. Handle position is your visual check: the handle faces away from the hinges when unlocked and toward the hinges when locked.
5. After your bath, drain the tub completely before unlocking. Do not open the door unless the tub is completely drained; see why the door will not open until the tub drains.

Fitting or Refitting the Handle Correctly

Proper handle placement is vital to correct door alignment and a waterproof seal. If a handle is ever removed and refitted, follow the sequence from the video:

1. Line up the tabs on the handle with the latch mechanism.
2. Place the handle onto the latch mechanism in the correct orientation: facing away from the hinges in the unlocked position.
3. Insert and hand tighten the locking bolt.
4. Secure the bolt firmly with a socket wrench.
5. Attach the chrome cover and hand tighten it.

An incorrectly oriented handle will result in improper door closure and potential leaks, so this five-minute check is worth doing any time the handle has been off. Loose, broken or worn latch parts are covered in the door latch and handle guide.

Removing the Door for Delivery Clearance

If the tub needs to pass through a narrow doorway on its way to the bathroom, the door can be lifted off:

1. Using a 3/16" Allen wrench, loosen and remove the six bolts on the door side of the hinge.
2. With an assistant, simply lift the door away from the tub.
3. To refit the door, line up the bolt holes on the door with the holes on the hinge and tighten the bolts firmly.

Protecting the Door

Keep the door open when the tub is not in use so the gasket stays relaxed, and never lean on the open door; it is designed to hold its own weight only, and the door and door seal warranty depends on the door's alignment not being changed by a bather's weight. If the door ever rubs the frame, the cause is almost always a leveling leg off the floor; see fixing a door that rubs the frame. Seal cleaning and the ajar rule are in caring for your door seal.

The Door and Seat in Context

This overview video presents the outward-swing U-shaped walk-in tub with its built-in seat. It is offered as a visual introduction only; the door, handle, and threshold steps written above are the instructions to follow.

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model or serial number, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850, and please attach photos so the team can help you quickly.