Which Ella walk-in tubs offer quick fill, auto heat and programmable cycles?

Quick fill, heat that holds while you bathe, and automatic cycles are all part of the Ella walk-in tub line, but they belong to the faucet set and the therapy package rather than to one particular model. Every Ella fast-fill faucet set fills the tub from your home water supply, every hydro massage package includes an in-line water heater that maintains the bath temperature while the jets run, and the air massage system has one fully automatic cycle, Auto Purge, that clears the air lines after the bath. The controls for each system are explained in Hydro massage vs air massage: what each system does and how to use the controls, and the sections below match each feature to the packages that carry it.

Quick Fill Comes from the Faucet Set, Not the Tub

An Ella walk-in tub does not store or heat its own water. It fills fresh for every bath through a deck-mounted fast-fill faucet and drains completely afterward, so there is nothing to sanitize, balance or test between baths. On the Transfer family the faucet choices are a 5-piece or a 2-piece fast-fill set, each with an extendable multi-function hand shower, and the fast-fill approach is the same across the line. Because the water comes from your home water heater, the starting temperature and the pace of the fill depend on that heater's capacity and recovery, which is why water heater sizing matters far more with a walk-in tub than with a hot tub. Our comparison in How Does a Walk-In Tub Compare to a Hot Tub? explains why the fill-and-drain design means no chemicals, no filter cartridge and no standing water.

Emptying is part of the same routine. The Transfer models use Dual Drain Technology with dual 4-port 2-inch drains that connect directly to the home drain for fast, gravity-driven draining, and the gravity Dual Drain on other models empties the tub the same way once the bath is over.

Auto Heat Means the In-Line Water Heater, and It Works One Way

The in-line water heater is the feature people mean when they ask about auto heat, and it helps to know exactly what it is designed to do. It maintains the temperature of the hot water you filled with; it does not heat a cold fill and it cannot raise a lukewarm one. It has no switch of its own and comes on automatically whenever the hydro pump runs, so during a hydro massage the water circulating through the jets is held steady. With the hydro off, the water cools like any other bath. The heater comes with every hydro package and is not on soaking or air-only tubs; it cannot be added to those configurations. On Hydro plus Hydro Foot builds the heater sits in the foot loop, so the foot pump must be running for the heater to be powered.

If you want the water to stay warm during a daily soak, the routine is simple:

1. Fill hot from the faucet, because the heater only maintains what you give it.
2. Run the hydro massage, since the heater comes on only with the hydro pump.
3. On a Hydro plus Hydro Foot tub, run the foot massage, because the seat jets alone will not warm the water.
4. If the water still drops noticeably during a hydro session, check that the heater cord is on the correct port of the control box. A heater plugged into the wrong port never runs.

The full checklist, including the green LED on the control box and the GFCI, is in Why Doesn't the Water Stay Hot and Why Do the Jets Blow Cold?.

Automatic Cycles: What Runs on Its Own and What You Switch on

Ella therapy systems are designed around the bath itself. The hydro pump, the air blower and the in-line heater operate only when you switch them on during the bath, unlike a hot tub whose pump and heater cycle around the clock. Two things happen without a button press. The ozone sterilization system runs whenever the hydro pump is on, sanitizing the water moving through the lines, and it makes a light humming noise when it runs by itself. The air system's Auto Purge activates automatically 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It cannot be stopped, and it is normal even if it begins while you are still in the tub. The video shows the three-speed air massage with Auto Purge and explains that the purge clears leftover moisture from the system to prevent mold and mildew.

Everything else is under your control. The three-speed air massage is set by a push button: the first press is high speed, the second is medium, the third is low, and a fourth press turns the system off. Tubs are available with digital or Easy Touch push button controls. On the two-seat full package shared by the Companion, Escape, Tub4Two and Big4Two, a single digital controller switches the air massage and the seat hydro massage on and off, each foot pump has its own button and intensity dial, and each side has its own heat keypad for the heated seat and backrest. That layout is drawn out in What the Two-Seat Full Package Schematic Shows.

What this means for a daily routine: none of these features is a timer you set in advance. You fill, switch on the therapies you want, and everything runs while you are in the tub. The only scheduled event is Auto Purge, and it takes care of itself after you get out. If holding the water temperature during the bath matters to you, choose a package that includes hydro massage, because that is the only place the in-line heater lives. Then pick the model by fit and confirm the exact package with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Building a Daily Routine Around These Features

A few habits get the most out of the systems. Turn on the hydro massage only after the water level is 2 inches above the highest jets, because running a water pump without enough water can permanently damage it. If your tub has independent foot massage, you do not need a full bath at all: fill the foot well to just below the seat and just above the calf jets, touch the foot massage button, and enjoy a hydro foot massage on any day. Once a month, and before first use, combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. Flushing after every bath is not necessary because the air and hydro systems are fully plumbed. The Transfer series, which pairs three-speed air massage with Auto Purge, hydro massage with an in-line heater and intensity control, and optional heated seat and backrest, is a good example of how these features stack in one tub; see Wheelchair Transfer Tubs Compared.

Watch: Walk-In Tubs Featuring Three Speed Air Massage & Auto-Purge Technology | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Does the in-line water heater warm up my bath? What it does and does not do
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?
• How fast will my walk-in tub fill? Fast-fill faucet expectations and operation

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