Rusty or brown water coming out of your walk-in tub is almost never created by the tub itself. The tub's own water path is short, about five feet of stainless steel supply line, and stainless steel does not rust. Discolored water comes from the house side, most often an aging water heater or the water coming into the home. Compare with another fixture first, then have a licensed plumber check the heater and the supply.

Why the Tub Does Not Make Rusty Water

Water reaches an Ella walk-in tub through two supply lines that connect at the shut-off valves and run to the faucet. Those lines are stainless steel and only about five feet long, so there is very little inside the tub for water to pass through before it reaches the spout. Nothing in that short stainless path corrodes and tints the water. For a look at what is under the tub, see what the supply lines are and water supply lines and shut-off valves.

Where the Color Usually Comes from

The most common source is the water heater. What is inside the tank, and how old the heater is, decides how much sediment and corrosion the hot water carries with it. Because the tub draws a large volume of hot water at once, it can pull more of that material than a sink ever would. The second source is the water coming into the house. If the supply itself carries rust or iron, every fixture will show it, and the tub simply makes it easier to see because the water sits in a large white basin.

How to Pin Down the Source

1. Run hot water at a bathroom sink into a white basin. If it is also discolored, the tub is not involved.
2. Run cold water only at the tub. Rusty hot water with clear cold water points at the water heater.
3. If cold water is discolored as well, the problem is in the supply. Contact your water utility, or have your well water checked.
4. Have a licensed plumber inspect the water heater and review its age and condition. Ella does not send technicians, and the heater is part of the home, not the tub.

Cleaning Up Afterward

Once the source is fixed, run the tub through its normal monthly cleaning. 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 and drain. The full routine is in what the vinegar flush is. If the discolored water left marks on the stainless threshold or drain, see rust spots on the tub's stainless threshold or drain. If what you are seeing is flakes or slime from the jets rather than tinted water, that is a different issue covered in black flakes or brown slime coming from the jets.

Related Guides

• Why Is There No Hot Water at the Tub When the Sinks Have Hot Water?
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?
• Why Does My Hot Water Run Out Before the Tub Is Full?

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

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