The stainless steel inward-swing door on the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe, and Ultimate walk-in tubs opens inward toward the seat, closes with a chrome locking handle on the inside of the tub, and is held shut by the water itself once the tub fills. The same inward-swing design, in a brushed aluminum frame with frosted tempered glass, is used on the Ultra, and the Companion and Escape two-seat tubs use an inward stainless door as well. You step in, close the door while standing, sit, and fill; water pressure presses the door into its seal for a firm, watertight closure. The door is also removable, which makes cleaning the tub easy and helps with tight doorways on delivery day.

Opening, Closing, and Bathing

1. Open the door inward, toward the seat.
2. Hold the deck or wall grab bar and step over the low threshold.
3. Remain standing and close the door with the interior chrome handle until it locks firmly. Closing the door from a seated position is much harder, so latch it first.
4. Sit down and fill the tub. As the water level rises, water pressure adds to the latch and holds the door tightly against the gasket.
5. After bathing, open both drain openers and let the tub drain completely. Do not open the door unless the tub is completely drained.

If the door feels firmly shut right after your bath, that is the design working as intended: the remaining water is holding it closed. It opens freely once the tub is empty. Our article on why the door will not open until the tub is drained explains this in more detail, along with options for households where accidental opening is a concern.

Tour of the Inward-Swing Stainless Door Tubs

This dealer walkthrough explains what makes the inward door different: an integrated stainless steel jamb and seal with no wood in the construction, welded hinges, a door of roughly 30 pounds that lifts straight off its hinges, and a long handle that clicks when the door is sealed. If you hear that click, the door is home.

Adjusting the Chrome Handle Tension

If your chrome door handle ever feels too loose or too stiff, the tension is adjustable. Here is how it is done:

1. Remove the front apron to get access to the back of the handle mechanism.
2. Locate the protective cap and remove it.
3. Loosening the locking nut creates less tension on the handle; tightening it creates more tension.
4. Adjust as needed, replace the cap, and reattach the apron.

If someone has leaned on the door and the hinge side now needs attention too, see our video guide to the handle lock nut and hinge adjustment.

Can the Handle or the Door Be Removed?

If the door handle came factory-fitted on the tub, the handle itself is not removable. When you need to reduce the tub's width, for example to fit it through a doorway during delivery, the more effective option is to remove the whole door from its hinges, then reinstall it once the tub is in place. Lift-off removal is also how you reach every corner of the door frame when cleaning. Our doorway measurement guide covers the actual widths to compare against your door openings.

Two Habits That Protect Your Door

• Keep the door open when the tub is not in use, so the silicone gasket is not compressed around the clock. Our door seal care guide covers cleaning and reseating the gasket.
• The door is engineered to carry its own weight only. Please never lean, sit, or press on it when entering or exiting; use the grab bars instead. Correct door alignment, unchanged by a bather's weight on the door, is also a condition of the door and door seal warranty.

If water ever appears at the door, leveling is the first thing to check, because a tub with any leveling leg off the floor will not let the door meet its seal squarely. See water at the door: what to check first.

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Our team is always happy to walk you through it. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number, or call (800) 480-6850, and we will take it from there.

This closing video presents the walk-in tub with the inward swing door and stainless steel design. Watch it as a visual companion to this page; the written steps above remain the instructions to follow for opening, closing, and draining.