Soaking Walk-In Tub vs Jetted Tub: Which Is Easier to Maintain?

A soaking walk-in tub is the easiest Ella tub to care for. It has no jets, pumps or therapy lines, so there is no monthly vinegar flush, and bath salts and oils simply rinse away with the drain. A jetted tub adds hydro and air lines that need regular flushing. The full definition of the soaker configuration is in What Is a Soaking Walk-In Tub?.

What Is Different Under the Tub

Every Ella therapy system is built into the shell at the factory. A soaker is molded without jet openings and nothing is installed under the tub, so it keeps the same door, seat, faucet, hand shower and drain hardware as the jetted version of the model, with a smooth interior and nothing to switch on. The in-line water heater, ozone sterilization and Auto Purge all belong to the hydro and air systems, so a soaker has none of them and holds the water at the temperature you fill it. The dimensions, door, seat, faucet and crate size match the jetted version exactly.

Upkeep on a Soaker

• No monthly vinegar flush, because there are no jet lines to clean.
• Bath salts and oils rinse away with the drain rather than collecting in plumbing lines.
• Clean the acrylic with approved non-abrasive cleaners.
• Keep the door open when the tub is not in use to protect the seal.

Care comes down to the acrylic, the door seal and the drain.

Upkeep on a Jetted Tub

The monthly vinegar flush described for Ella tubs cleans the air and hydro lines. A jetted tub also has pumps, an in-line heater and ozone or Auto Purge equipment under the tub, and those systems need a dedicated electrical supply. The trade-off is massage, which many bathers want, so decide before you order. Jets cannot be added later, and a jetted tub cannot be turned into a soaker, because the package is part of the shell.

Electrical Needs

A plain soaking tub needs no dedicated electrical circuit because its drains work by gravity and there are no pumps. The one electrical item a soaker can have is the optional heated seat and backrest, which runs on its own keypad and needs a 15A 120V GFCI-protected line.

Which Models Offer a Soaker

Most models can be ordered as a soaker, including the Elite, Petite and Royal, the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile and Lounger, the whole Transfer family and both LayDown sizes. The Ultimate, Deluxe, Ultra, Big4One, ShaK, Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60, Flow and the two-seat tubs always include at least one massage system. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm a specific model.

Related Guides

• Is Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs or Bath Oil OK in a Jetted Walk-In Tub? What the Jets Can and Cannot Handle
• How Do I Clean the Jet Lines on My Walk-In Tub?
• Electrical requirements by model: dedicated GFCI circuits for your walk-in tub

Common Questions

Does a soaking walk-in tub need a vinegar flush? No. The vinegar flush cleans the air and hydro lines, and a soaker has none. Care comes down to the acrylic, the door seal and the drain.

Can I use bath salts and oils in a soaker? Yes. With no jet lines for them to collect in, salts and oils rinse away with the drain.

Does a soaker need an electrical outlet? No. Its drains work by gravity and it has no pumps. If you add the optional heated seat and backrest, that heater needs its own 15A 120V GFCI-protected line.

Can I convert my jetted tub into a soaker to simplify cleaning? No. The therapy package is built into the shell at the factory, so neither direction of conversion is possible. Choose the package when you order.

Is a soaker smaller than the jetted version? No. The dimensions, door, seat, faucet and crate size match exactly. Only the equipment under the tub and the jet openings differ.