Are Walk-In Tub Spec Sheets Mirrored for Left-Hand Door and Drains?

Yes, in effect. Ella does not publish a second set of figures for the left-hand version of a tub, because every current model except the Front Entry is built in a left-hand (LH) and a right-hand (RH) version that share the same measurements, mirrored. The spec sheet for your model is the spec sheet for both hands, and you read its drawing flipped for the hand you order, as What Is Door Side (Left-Hand vs Right-Hand) on a Walk-In Tub? explains.

What the Spec Sheet Records, and What the Hand Changes

An Ella spec sheet carries two sizes. The actual size is what the shell measures, often to the eighth of an inch, and it is the figure for framing the alcove, fitting the tile flange and planning an extension panel. The shipping size is the crated dimension, used to plan the delivery path, since the crate can be opened outside and the tub carried in by its frame. The imperial figures are the authoritative ones. Several sheets carry metric misprints, so work in inches and pounds and leave the conversions aside. What Is Nominal Size vs Actual Size on a Walk-In Tub? covers how the rounded name in the brochure relates to the measured size on the sheet.

None of those figures change with the hand. Left and right tubs share the same measurements mirrored, so only the swing side changes, never the footprint. The door and the molded seat sit at one end of the tub, and the drains and the factory-drilled faucet deck sit at the opposite end. On a right-hand tub the door and seat are on your right and the drains and faucet are at the left end. On a left-hand tub the door and seat are on your left and the drains and faucet are at the right end. Left and right are always taken as you face the tub, ready to step in. The hand shows at the end of the SKU: HC3260L is a left-hand HomeCare and HC3260R is the right-hand version.

How to Read One Drawing for Either Hand

Because the two versions are mirror images, a drawing laid out for one hand is read as its reflection for the other. Everything you would measure stays the same: overall width, length and height, the position of the door opening along the length of the tub, and the distance of the drains from the end of the tub. What swaps is which end those features land on. If the sheet in front of you is drawn with the door on the right and you are ordering a left-hand tub, picture the drawing reflected left to right. The door and seat move to the left end, and the drains and faucet deck move to the right end, carrying their figures with them.

Ella uses the same convention on its showers. The Liberty three-piece low-threshold shower comes in a left-seat version and a right-seat version that are identical except that the layout is mirrored, so one spec sheet covers both with the drawing flipped. The drain center on that sheet, located by its distance from the back wall and the side wall, mirrors with the layout, and the standing area moves to the opposite side of the seat. Can the Liberty three-piece shower seat be on the left or right side? walks through that example, and a tub sheet is read exactly the same way.

What the table means for your bathroom is that the hand is a layout decision, not a size decision. The alcove you frame, the doorway the tub must pass and the extension panel you plan are the same whichever hand you choose. What the hand decides is which end of the alcove the drain connections sit at, which way the door swings and where the seat lands in relation to the toilet and vanity. Those are the questions to settle with the mirrored drawing in hand.

Planning the Drain from a Mirrored Sheet

The practical reason to read the drawing for your hand is the house drain. The rule reads: if the house drain is located on the left side of the alcove, select the tub with the right-side drain, which places the door and seat on the left. Note where your house drain sits, decide which side you want the seat on, and check that an outward-swing door will clear the toilet and vanity. The house drain does not have to dictate the side, though. There is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame, enough for a 2 inch PVC line, and the four-port drain bodies connect from the left or the right with the unused ports capped. Installers often move the supply and drain lines to the side that gives the best access and the right door swing for the room. In a three-wall alcove, choose the drain side that keeps the drain connections reachable through the front of the tub, since the side walls are closed off once the tub is in. Can I Order a Left-Side Door With Right-Side Plumbing? walks through that decision, and your licensed installer should confirm the connection plan.

Before the Order Is Placed

The hand is set at the factory and cannot be reversed after delivery, so get it right before your order is placed. Read the item description on the final invoice before you approve it, because it states the hand of the tub. Share the spec sheet with your installer so the drain positions are known before delivery, and tell them which hand you ordered so they read the drawing the right way round. For the delivery route, measure against the shipping size. For the doorways and hallways the tub itself must pass, use the actual width, which can be narrower than the crate: the Elite ships at 32 x 54 x 50 inches, yet the tub itself is 30 inches wide. Can a 32 Inch Walk-In Tub Fit Through a 32 Inch Doorway? explains how to measure the whole path at its tightest point.

When you talk to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, have the model name, the hand stated plainly, such as a left-side door with right-side drains, the actual size from the spec sheet and your own measurements of the opening. That removes the guesswork on both sides and makes sure the drawing you are reading and the tub that arrives are mirror images of each other in the way you expect.

Related Guides

• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side
• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub

Common Questions