How do I pair a tub filler with a hand shower?

On an Ella walk-in tub there is nothing to pair, because the hand shower is part of the faucet set. Both current Fast-Fill tub filler sets ship with a diverter and a hand shower built in, and the Ella shower column kit adds a column-mounted hand shower and an overhead shower head to the 5-piece set through a supply line that connects under the faucet. Which tub filler faucet fills a large walk-in tub fastest? compares the two sets on fill rate, and this page covers how the hand shower is supplied with each set, how the column kit attaches, and what to do when a hose or bracket needs attention.

The Hand Shower Comes with the Tub Filler

Ella's current tub fillers are sold as sets, and the hand shower and the diverter that feeds it are included rather than bought separately and matched. The 5-piece Fast-Fill set has a diverter lever and a pull-out hand shower with 5 flow settings, with the hot handle marked red and the cold marked blue, and it is designed for 18 GPM at 60 PSI under ideal in-home plumbing. The 2-piece Fast-Fill set puts a push-button diverter under the spout and uses a single lever, left for hot and right for cold, and it is designed for 16 GPM under the same conditions. In each case the diverter is the control that sends water from the spout to the hand shower, so the pairing is already done at the factory, and the spray and the fill share one set of hot and cold supplies. Which set is offered depends on the model, so confirm it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 when you configure the tub. Older Ella tubs were fitted with the Huntington Brass HB9937-C Roman tub filler, which has separate hot and cold lever handles and a deck spout; no hand shower is listed for it, and it is no longer offered on new orders.

Adding a Shower Column to the 5-Piece Set

If you want the hand shower up on a column with an overhead shower head above it, that is the shower column kit, and it attaches to the 5-piece Fast-Fill faucet set rather than replacing it. The first video shows the whole assembly. The column base goes into a pre-drilled hole on the tub deck: the installer removes the screw collar and the metal and rubber washers, runs a thin bead of silicone around the metal collar, seats the rubber washer, adds a second bead of silicone to the outside of the gasket, inserts the base, and fits the metal washer and screw collar from below, tightening by hand. The video recommends 7 inches of clearance from the tub deck to the center of the on-off lever, set before the Allen screw at the base is tightened. An elbow joint goes onto the column base, a supply line runs from the bottom of the column to the underside of the five-piece faucet set, the hand shower extension hose attaches to the elbow, and the multifunction hand shower goes on the end of it. The riser tube then fits onto the column base, the oversized shower head screws onto the upper angle arm, the arm slides into the riser, and the mounting collars are drilled into the wall with mollies as needed.

Two cautions run through the video. Every connection is tightened firmly but not over-torqued, because over-tightening damages the rubber washer and could cause a leak. And the work is plumbing, so it belongs to a local licensed plumber rather than to Ella, which does not send technicians. The video gives your plumber the sequence, and the parts ship with the kit.

The Waterfall Faucet with Its Own Column

The second video presents the Ella waterfall Fast-Fill faucet, which delivers water in a cascade and comes with its own extendable multi-function hand shower. That hand shower has four settings, rests on a shower column, adjusts up and down and side to side, and its attachment is reversible so the hand shower can sit wherever it is wanted. The faucet is available in chrome, brushed nickel and matte black. Here again the hand shower arrives matched to the filler, so there is no separate pairing to work out.

The difference between the rows is where the hand shower lives and how it is switched, not whether you get one. The two Fast-Fill sets keep it at the deck on a pull-out hose, the column kit and the waterfall faucet lift it onto a column with an overhead head, and the discontinued Roman filler is the one case where a hand shower is simply not listed.

Hoses, Brackets and the Thermostatic Valve

A hand shower hose that has split or failed is a part the support team has replaced under the warranty on the strength of a picture of the hose showing the damage and a shipping address, as the examples in Defect or Wear and Tear? Examples of How Support Evaluates Common Part Requests show. Hoses are tested before they are packed. If you also want an accessory that was not part of your original order, such as a wall-mount bracket for the hand shower, mention it on the same ticket through ellasbubbles.com/support and the team will explain how it is supplied. One more thing to know when you specify the faucet: adding a thermostatic control valve to the hot line of either Fast-Fill set may reduce water flow and extend fill time, and Ella lists no figure for that reduction. If the hand shower you are planning is for a shower stall rather than a tub, the bases and walls it pairs with are listed in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

Watch: The Luxurious Walk-In Tub Upgrade You Need - Waterfall Faucet |Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Ella Fast-Fill Faucets: 2-Piece vs 5-Piece, Finishes, and the Waterfall Option
• Installing the Shower Column Kit on Your Walk-in Tub
• Faucet drips or the handle feels stiff: replacing your faucet cartridge step by step

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