Can I Stop the Air Blower Turning On After My Bath?

No. The blast of air that starts on its own after a bath is the Auto Purge, and it cannot be stopped, skipped or delayed: it begins automatically about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off, runs for 120 seconds to blow the residual water out of the air lines, and then shuts off by itself. It is normal even when it starts while the bather is still in the tub, and it only points to a problem when the blower keeps running past that or comes on twice in the same hour, which Why Won't My Tub Stop Purging? covers.

Why the Blower Turns on by Itself

The air massage system uses a separate three speed air blower to push air through many small jets in the seat and floor. Water stays in those air lines after the bath, so the Auto Purge clears the moisture from the air jet system to prevent mold and mildew. It is fully automatic: there is no button to start it and no setting to hold it back, and it needs nothing from you. The only thing that sets its timing is the moment the air pump is turned off, which is when the 20 minute countdown begins.

Planning the Bath so the Purge Is Not a Surprise

• Know what starts the clock. The purge follows the air pump shutoff by about 20 minutes, so a bath that ends soon after the air massage is turned off usually places the purge after the bather is out of the tub. If the air massage is switched off early and the soak continues, expect the burst about 20 minutes later while the bather is still seated, and know that it lasts about two minutes and then stops.
• Turn the air off deliberately. On the on/off push controls, the first press of the air button gives high speed, the second medium, the third low, and the fourth press shuts the air off. On the digital touchpad, hold the air bubble icon down for two seconds to turn it off. The video below shows both control types in use, and Hydro massage vs air massage: what each system does and how to use the controls explains what each system does.
• Say what is coming. For a bather who is frightened by the noise, the calmest approach is the one caregivers use for any predictable step: tell the person before it happens, keep the same order of steps each bath, and treat the purge as part of the routine. Dementia and the Walk-In Tub: Building a Calm, Predictable Bathing Routine names the Auto Purge and the ozone hum as the two sounds most likely to startle someone, and both are normal.
• Do not mistake the ozone hum for a fault. A light humming with nothing switched on is the ozone generator running by itself on a hydro massage tub, and it is normal too.

When the Noise Is Not the Purge

Time it. One burst roughly 20 minutes after the air massage was turned off, lasting about two minutes, is normal. A blower that keeps running past that, or a purge that repeats within the hour, is the control box failing to shut the air pump off, and the safe first step is to switch the tub off at the breaker so the blower stops. Behind the access panel, the air pump should be plugged into the outlet on top of the blue control box; a pump plugged straight into the wall outlet runs continuously by design. The reset and the control box swap are in the purging article above, and Troubleshooting Start Here: Match Your Symptom to the First Check and the Right Article lists this symptom alongside the other sounds a tub makes. A control box that will not reset is a warranty part. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your model, serial number, a photo of the control box showing the LED, and whether the tub has chrome push buttons or the digital keypad.

Watch: Walk-In Tub with Push Controls & Digital Touchpad for Easy, Effortless Bathing | Ellau2019s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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