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Replacing a Broken Front Apron or Its Plastic Mounting Brackets on a Walk-In Tub

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. How the Apron Is Attached
  2. Broken Brackets
  3. Replacing the Whole Apron
  4. Have the Installer Call from the Job Site
  5. Moving the Push Button to the New Apron
  6. Related Guides
  7. Common Questions
  8. Still Need Help?

Yes, both the front apron and the small plastic brackets that hold it can be replaced. If a few brackets snapped during a tight installation, count how many broke and send a photo, and the team sends replacements. If the apron itself is cracked, the whole panel is replaceable after you send photos of the damage and of the tub label, and it ships by UPS to the address you give. The apron is held by only three screws along the bottom and slides out from under the door frame, so swapping it is a straightforward job for your installer.

How the Apron Is Attached

The front apron is one continuous acrylic face that runs the full width of the tub, including the magnetic access panel area. Its top edge tucks under a lip around the door frame and the tub rim, and three screws along the bottom edge lock it in place. Each screw sits under a white plastic cap. The plastic brackets on the frame guide and support the apron so it sits flush. If your apron is popping loose rather than broken, start with why the front panel keeps popping off, and if it will not sit flush see adjusting the apron gap and brackets.

Broken Brackets

Brackets can break when the tub is pushed sideways in a tight alcove or when the apron is forced on at an angle. A broken bracket or two will not stop the apron from mounting, but the panel may rattle or bow, so replace them.

  1. Count the broken brackets and photograph them, ideally with the apron off so the frame is visible.
  2. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with the photo, the count and your serial number, or call (800) 480-6850.
  3. When the new brackets arrive, snap them onto the frame in the same positions as the originals.
  4. Refit the apron exactly the way it was originally screwed. Put every original screw back in its original hole, because the apron is designed to be attached with its screws, not by the brackets alone.

Replacing the Whole Apron

A cracked or broken apron is most often the result of lifting or dragging the tub by its face during installation. The shell and the plumbing are usually unharmed, and only the face needs to change.

  1. Photograph the entire front of the tub, a close-up of the damage and the serial label on the back or behind the access panel.
  2. Note any controls mounted in the apron, such as a heater button in the top corner, so the replacement matches your tub's configuration.
  3. Open a ticket with the photos. The team confirms the correct apron for your model and the shipping cost, and the panel ships by UPS.
  4. To remove the old apron, pop off the three white caps along the bottom, take out the three screws and slide the panel down and out from under the door frame.
  5. Slide the new apron up under the frame, refit the three screws and press the caps back on.

Damage caused during installation or by moving the tub is not a manufacturing defect, so the installer or homeowner purchases the replacement apron. If the caps are what went missing, those are supplied separately, see white screw caps and trim for the front panel.

Have the Installer Call from the Job Site

When a contractor is on site, it is best for the contractor or the homeowner to call the support line directly rather than relaying through a third party. The team can look at the tub over a video call, confirm the part and add the notes to your ticket, which avoids repeat visits. Ella does not send technicians, so the fitting is done by your installer with free technical support from the team.

Moving the Push Button to the New Apron

The replacement apron arrives as a bare panel. The jet push button from your original apron has to be moved over, so slide the old panel out slowly, because that button is still connected to the tub by its air hose.

Disconnect the air hose from the back of the push button and set the button aside. If your tub has an in-line heater, its button sits on the apron too and comes off the same way.

Fit the button or buttons into the cutouts on the new panel and reconnect the hose before you slide the new apron up under the door frame. The jet button is not electrical. Pressing it sends a puff of air down a small hose to a switch at the pump, and that hose is what has to be reconnected. There is no sensor behind the panel.

If a new apron was fitted and the jets will not start, the missing button or a disconnected hose is the reason. Your plumber can move the button across from the old panel.

Because aprons differ by model and by the controls cut into them, include a photo of the entire front of the tub with your ticket so the button cutouts and the access panel are visible, not just a close-up of the crack.

If your apron is bowed or pulled away on a newly delivered tub but nothing is cracked or snapped, it is most likely flexing from the shipping wrap rather than damage, see why a new tub's front apron looks bowed after unwrapping and how to reseat it.

Common Questions

Do I need to put the screws back after installation?
Yes. The apron is meant to be reattached exactly the way it was originally screwed, with all three bottom screws in place under their white caps. The plastic brackets guide the panel but are not a substitute for the screws.
Can the replacement apron ship to an address other than my home?
Yes, the replacement front apron can ship to an address other than your home. When you open a support ticket, you can specify your preferred shipping address, whether it's your home, the job site where the walk-in tub is being installed, or your installer's shop. Once the replacement apron ships via UPS, tracking information will be emailed to you.
Is a cracked apron covered by the warranty?
The parts warranty covers manufacturing defects, not damage from lifting, dragging or forcing the tub during installation. In those cases the apron is purchased and the team confirms the cost with your photos. If you believe the crack is a defect, say so in the ticket and the team will review it.
Does removing the apron disturb the door or the tub?
No, removing the front apron does not disturb the walk-in tub's door or the tub itself. The door, its frame, and the top deck of the tub remain in place during the apron replacement process. Only the lower acrylic face of the apron slides out, and no components of the door need to be removed to replace the apron.
How many brackets do I need to replace?
You need to replace every plastic mounting bracket that is cracked or snapped. Count the broken brackets and send a photo of them, ideally with the apron off so the tub frame is visible, when you open a support ticket. The Ella's Bubbles team will then send you the exact number of replacement brackets you need, as reusing broken brackets can cause the front apron to bow or rattle.
Does the replacement apron come with the push button already installed?
No, the replacement ships as a bare panel. Your installer removes the push button from the old apron, fits it into the cutout on the new one, and reconnects the small air hose that runs to the pump switch. Tubs with an in-line heater have a heater button that moves over the same way.
Why will my jets not start after the new apron went on?
The push button was almost certainly left off the new panel or its air hose was not reconnected. There is nothing behind the panel that senses a press; the button itself sends air down a hose to the pump switch. Have your installer transfer the original button and reconnect the hose.
Is the small panel next to the door the same part as the front apron?
No. That is the magnetic access panel, which sits within the larger front apron and covers the serial label. If only the access panel is damaged, request that part on its own rather than the whole apron. See how to get a replacement access panel.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

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