How Do I Replace the Air Massage Line on My Walk-In Tub?

Replacing an air massage line on an Ella walk-in tub is a simple job for your original installer or a local licensed plumber. You identify which line is damaged, decide whether to splice the bad spot or swap the whole run, and fit the tubing and connectors that Ella ships under the lifetime parts warranty. If the tube has one hole and is otherwise sound, you only need to cut out the hole and rejoin the ends, as Air Line Leaking Under the Tub: Cut Out the Hole and Rejoin With a Coupling explains. If the tubing has turned brittle or is damaged in more than one place, replace that run instead.

Start by Identifying the Line

Several kinds of tubing run under an Ella walk-in tub, and they are not interchangeable. The white corrugated line feeds the air jets, smaller rubber air lines branch off the air manifold, flexible hoses belong to the hydro massage system, and very thin hoses run to the push button controls. Before you order anything, work out which one you are looking at.

• Follow the tube. An air line runs from a port on the manifold, the distribution block fed by the blower, out to a group of air jets. The manifold has more ports than your jet layout uses, and the two short crimped stubs on it are factory plugs, not broken lines. Why Are There Two Crimped Pieces of Tubing on the Air Manifold Under My Tub? shows how to tell a plug from a problem.
• Record a short video. Run the air system so the leak is visible and film the spot. Air lines carry bath water as well as air, because water backs into the jets during a soak and the auto purge blows it out about 20 minutes after the pump is switched off. A pinhole therefore shows up as water bubbling or spraying from the tube during a bath or a purge, even though the tube belongs to the air system and not the water supply.
• Send the video with your model and serial number through ellasbubbles.com/support. Support identifies the line from the video, confirms the coupling or tubing size for that line, and ships the parts you need.

If the leaking tube turns out to be a hydro hose, the parts are different, and support will say so. The thin control hoses to the buttons are also a separate part, so mention them specifically if that is what has come loose.

Splice the Line or Replace the Whole Run?

The decision rests on the condition of the tubing, not on how big the hole is.

• Splice when the tube has a single hole or worn spot and the rest of the run is still flexible. Cut the tube on each side of the damage and push a coupling that matches the tube onto both ends.
• Replace the run when the tube cracks as you handle it, you find a second hole, or the line has been chewed by pests. Older lines can go brittle and crack in more than one place, and adding couplings to a brittle line only moves the next leak a little further along. Ella supplies the tubing and connectors for a full run.
• Look at the check valve when water is spraying from a small hose under the tub or the air line behind the tub has come apart. The check valve sits on the back of the tub between the black tee and the white air generator, and when it fails, bath water travels back down the line and out underneath. Replacing the Air Check Valve and the Hoses and Pipes That Connect to It covers that repair, including rebuilding the manifold with a replacement if one is sent.

Replacing the Line, Step by Step

1. Switch off the tub's dedicated GFCI breakers at the panel and drain the tub. The tub runs on its own circuits, so nothing else in the house goes dark.
2. Dry the tube and find the hole or the brittle section you saw in the video.
3. Cut the tube on each side of the damage so the bad section comes out. For a full replacement, free the old run at both of its connections.
4. Push the coupling or the new tubing onto the connections. Air hose is a tight fit and will not slide onto a fitting at room temperature. Heat the end of the hose until it is pliable, then push it on. If it starts to stick part way, warm it again. Needle nose pliers give a better grip than fingers, and the team can send a photo of a correctly seated hose to compare against.
5. Where a joint is glued, such as the check valve on the manifold, use the extra strength PVC cement supplied, keep cement out of the valve opening so it cannot block the air path, and let it cure as directed on the label before you run the system.
6. Restore power, run the air system and watch the new joint or run for a few minutes.
7. Let a purge cycle run and check again. The video on this page shows the three speed air massage system and the Auto Purge that clears leftover moisture out of the lines after the tub is turned off.

What to Leave Exactly as It Is

Ella tubs are assembled and tested to order, and the plugged manifold ports are part of that tested configuration. Leave the two crimped stubs in place, do not cut them off, and do not reroute a working line into a plugged port. A crimped plug should be silent when the air system runs. A hiss from a working line, a kink in the middle of a run, or a hole worn into a tube are the things that call for a repair.

If you need to stop the air system in a hurry at any point, remember that the push button steps down through high, medium and low, and the fourth press turns it off. How Do I Turn the Jets Off in an Emergency? covers every control and the breaker option. Once the repair is done and power is back on, an air massage tub still runs its two minute Auto Purge about 20 minutes after the air was switched off, so do not mistake that for a fault in the new line.

Who Does the Work and What Ella Sends

Ella does not send technicians. Replacing tubing is simple and straightforward for your original installer or a local licensed plumber, and the parts come from Ella. Once support has confirmed the problem from your video and serial number, the tubing, couplings, connectors, a check valve or manifold if needed, and PVC cement can ship under the lifetime parts warranty, with photos or instructions in the package so the person doing the work knows what seats where. Keep your model and serial number handy, and if anything under the tub does not look like a simple air line, send a picture with your ticket before anyone starts cutting.

Related Guides

• Air Jets Leaking Under the Tub: What a Local Plumber Can Fix and Which Parts Ella Sends
• Replacing a Leaking Door Seal: Torn Seal or Door Alignment, Warranty Coverage, and How the Seal Ships
• Damaged Hydro Jet Hoses, PVC Lines and Jet Fittings: What Can Be Replaced

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