Can I Replace My 2-Piece Ella Faucet With the 5-Piece Set?

Yes. The 5-Piece Fast Fill faucet is the set Ella supplies when an earlier faucet set is replaced, and it is supplied in the version sized for your existing deck plate, so it goes onto the tub you already have rather than needing a new deck. The swap is plumbing work on the deck and under it, and Replacing Your Walk-In Tub Faucet Set, Valves or Hand Mixer covers the parts and the supply-line change involved. Before you order, contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with your model, serial number and a photo of the faucet on the deck so the right version is matched to your plate.

What Changes on the Deck

Both Ella fast-fill sets are deck-mounted, both include the same style of pull-out hand shower, and both connect to the supply lines the same way. The differences are in how you control the water, which hose fits, and the size of the supply lines. The table lists only what the published guides state for each set, and What Is a Hand Shower Diverter on a Walk-In Tub? shows the layout of each.

In practice, the day-to-day difference you will notice is the diverter. On the 5-piece you have separate hot and cold handles with the diverter lever between them, instead of a single lever and a button under the spout. Everything you do with the wand stays the same, because both sets ship with the same extendable multi-function hand shower. The changes that matter for the plumber are below the deck, in the supply lines and the check valves, and those are the points to settle before the new set is ordered.

The Two Plumbing Points to Plan for

The 5-Piece Fast Fill set looks very similar on the deck and connects the same way as the set it replaces, with two things to plan for.

1. Supply line size. The new set uses 3/4-inch supply lines, while older faucets usually have 1/2-inch lines. If the check valves under your tub have 1/2-inch connections, your plumber fits a 3/4-inch to 1/2-inch NPT adapter, which is a standard plumbing part.
2. You do not have to replace everything. You can leave the existing spout and hand sprayer in place and switch out only the handles and valves, adapting the spout supply line from 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch NPT.

Two more details from the published guidance help the job go smoothly. The team supplies the version of the 5-piece sized for your existing deck plate, because the valves on the newest version of the faucet are too large to fit a replacement plate, so the photo of your deck is not a formality. And the 5-Piece Fast Fill set does not use the thermostatic temperature control piece with the built-in filter that some older faucets had, which is one reason the team recommends it as the replacement set. As on a new installation, the faucet is assembled on the deck but only works once the supply lines are connected under the deck, so plan for a local licensed plumber to do that connection and test it. Ella ships the parts; it does not send technicians.

Before You Order: What the Team Will Ask

The team will ask three things: what the faucet is doing wrong, what faucet is on the tub, and whether you have the original invoice. The invoice names the faucet model. If you cannot find it, a clear photo of the faucet on the deck is enough for the team to identify it. From there they will tell you whether you need the valves, the spout, the hand mixer line, or a complete set.

• Have your model and serial number ready, or the original order name if the tub was bought years ago, so the team can look up the set that shipped with it.
• Photograph the whole faucet on the deck, and the hose fitting at the faucet end if you also need a hose, because hoses are matched to the faucet set and the ends differ between styles.
• Say whether you want the whole 5-piece set or only the handles and valves with your existing spout and sprayer kept in place.

Order through your Ella dealer, where you purchased, or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850.

Check Whether You Need the Upgrade at All

Many owners consider the 5-piece because their 2-piece is misbehaving, and in many cases only one piece needs to change. Dripping or a stiff handle usually means a worn cartridge rather than a new faucet. A leaking or kinked hand shower hose is replaced on its own as the hand mixer line, as described in How Do I Replace a Cracked, Leaking Hand Shower Hose?. Worn valves or a broken handle can be replaced without touching the spout or sprayer.

The most common 2-piece complaint is a diverter button that stays stuck after the water is turned off. That is an air lock, not a broken part. The first video shows the fix: unscrew the hose from the handset, remove the plastic restrictor, and the button snaps back, then screw the hose back on. If water comes out of both the spout and the hand shower, or the diverter refuses to switch back, the first fix is turning the water off and on again with the handle. Hard water can make an older 2-piece diverter stick, and removing the valve and soaking it in rubbing alcohol or a descaler often frees it. When a valve has truly failed, the complete valve is supplied. A head that sprays out the side is usually the washer or the blue check valve inside the threads, and Which Handheld Shower Head Is Best for an Ella Walk-In Tub? explains why just the wand is replaced in that case.

Adding a Shower Column Does Not Require the 5-Piece

If the reason for the upgrade is a more traditional shower feel, you do not need to change the faucet first. The second video shows the shower column kit going onto the tub deck: the existing hand shower is removed, the column base attachment is installed into the vacant receptacle, the water supply line is replaced, and the new 1/2 inch supply line is attached to the diverter on either a 2-piece or a 5-piece fast fill faucet set. The column then has its own ON/OFF diverter that selects one head at a time. If you keep the hand shower instead, How Do I Use the Hand Shower in My Ella Walk-In Tub? walks through the diverter on each set, and a hand shower that is wall mounted needs the leak elimination kit with its 5 foot extension hose and stainless barrel connector so the deck hole does not drip behind the tub.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | 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
• Buying a Fast-Fill Faucet Set or Valve Body on Its Own: Specs, Finishes and Deck Hole Size
• 5-Piece Faucet: Water Keeps Flowing With the Valve Off, Low Pressure, Handle Replacements and Finish Options

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