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Found a Small Soft Rubber Piece in the Tub? It Is the Door Latch Bumper

▶Glossary6
  1. What the Bumper Is
  2. How to Put It Back on
  3. If It Is Not the Bumper
  4. Related Guides
  5. Common Questions
  6. Still Need Help?

A small, soft rubber piece found loose in the bottom of an Ella walk-in tub is almost always the door latch bumper. It slides onto the door latch and goes back on by hand with no glue. It is not part of the microbubble port, the drain, or any pump or jet. Customers often assume the piece came out of a therapy port because that is the only opening they can see, but the bumper simply works its way off the latch and drops into the tub.

What the Bumper Is

The bumper is a soft rubber sleeve that sits on the door latch and cushions the latch where it meets the door frame, which is why it is soft rather than hard. It is not part of the door gasket and it is not one of the working parts of the therapy system, so identifying it is mostly a relief: nothing inside the tub has come apart, and the piece is not crucial to the operation of the tub.

How to Put It Back on

  1. Open the door and look at the latches on the door edge. Find the latch that is missing its bumper.
  2. Slide the rubber piece onto the bare latch. It is a friction fit and pushes on by hand.
  3. Close the door and check that it latches as usual.

No adhesive is needed and none should be used. Glue can foul the latch and is far harder to clean off than a bumper that occasionally needs to be pushed back on. If you would like to see exactly how the bumper sits, the team can send photos of a bumper on and off the latch, so ask for them when you open a ticket.

If It Is Not the Bumper

If the loose piece is hard rather than soft, round, or metal, it is a different part. The door latch and handle guide covers the other latch and handle parts. For anything found in the crate rather than in the tub, see where a loose screw or small part from the crate goes. When in doubt, photograph the piece next to a ruler and send it to the team with your serial number, and they will identify it.

Common Questions

Is my tub safe to use before the bumper is back on?
The bumper is not part of the drain, the pumps, the jets or the door gasket, and it is not crucial to the operation of the tub. Slide it back onto the latch the next time the door is open. If the door itself is not latching or sealing, that is a separate issue covered in the door latch and handle guide.
Did the rubber piece come out of the microbubble port?
No. The microbubble port and the jets do not contain a loose soft rubber piece. The soft piece that turns up in the bottom of the tub is the door latch bumper, which slid off a latch and dropped into the tub.
Do I need glue to reattach the door latch bumper?
No. The bumper is a friction fit and slides onto the latch by hand. Do not use adhesive, because it can foul the latch mechanism and is difficult to remove.
What if the bumper will not stay on the latch?
Slide it fully onto the latch so it seats all the way on. If it will not stay on because it has torn or stretched, open a ticket with a photo and your serial number and the team will send a replacement.
Can I get a replacement door latch bumper from Ella?
Yes. Send a photo of the latch and your serial number through a support ticket, and replacement parts ship under the parts warranty after the team verifies the request. Fitting the bumper is a hand job that needs no installer.

Still Need Help?

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

Related guides

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