Touchpad or push button controls not responding: checks, repair, and replacement

When the touchpad or push button controls are not responding on your Ella walk-in tub, the fix is usually simple. Ella tubs come with either on and off push controls or a digital touchpad on the deck. Push buttons work on air pressure, so a loose air tube or a small air lock is the most common cause, and a digital touchpad that has failed can be replaced as a part without replacing any pumps. Both procedures are shown below, along with the checks that tell you whether the control, the control box or the power supply is the real problem.

First, Confirm What Is Normal

• Air massage buttons cycle speeds: one press for high, a second for medium, a third for low, and a fourth press turns the air off.
• The chromatherapy light cycles colors with one press, repeated presses select a specific color, and holding the button for about two seconds turns the light off.
• About 20 minutes after you turn the air massage pump off, the Auto Purge starts automatically and runs for 120 seconds to blow leftover water out of the air lines. It cannot be interrupted, stops on its own, and is normal even if it starts while you are still in the tub.
• Some models ship with unlabeled push controls. Identify them by function: Water is hydro massage, Air is the air massage, Micro is microbubble, Light is the LED.
• Press gently. A palm press is enough; pressing too hard or too deep can damage the mechanism.

The full operating guide for both control styles is in push button controls versus the digital touchpad.

Push Button Controls: How They Work and What to Check

Push button controls work with pneumatic pressure. Pushing the button creates air pressure in a small red tube, which activates the relay switch inside the control box that powers the pump or light. Watch: Push Button Control Issues and Repair with chapters and a full transcript.

1. Make sure the red tube is securely connected to the control box.
2. Make sure there is a tight connection at the push button itself, secured with the locking nut. On Standard and Zen tubs this air pipe connection through the shell with its back nut is a known loose point from installation, so check it first.
3. If a button is stuck in the down position, that is an air lock. Disconnect the red tube from the control box and the button will pop up. Reconnect the tube at the control box.
4. When you push the button you should hear an audible clicking sound inside the control box. That click is the relay being activated. A click with no pump points to the pump or its cord; see pump or massage system not working.

If a button housing has come loose from the deck, it can be resealed: remove the button collar carefully with a flat edge so you do not scratch the tub surface, remove the collar and the button, place a thin bead of silicone caulk around the rubber gasket and smooth it for complete coverage, replace the button, snap the collar back on, and clean any excess with denatured alcohol. Replacement buttons and the ports each hose belongs on are covered in push-button air hoses, ports and replacement.

Replacing a Digital Touchpad

Before ordering a pad, confirm the control box has power: the green LED on the box should be lit, and if the whole pad is dark with the LED off, the problem is the outlet, GFCI or box rather than the pad. Replacement touchpads are matched to your tub, so please order with your serial number through a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Then: Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Digital Touchpad Replacement with chapters and a full transcript.

1. Disconnect power to the tub and protect the surface of your tub before working.
2. Carefully cut the silicone seal around the edges of the old pad, taking care not to cut the surface of the tub.
3. With a straight edge, carefully work your way around the pad, prying it away from the tub. This may take several tries because the pad is siliconed into the tub.
4. Lift the old pad out and disconnect the plug.
5. Take the new pad and reconnect the plug. Push firmly for a good connection.
6. Before seating the pad, temporarily reconnect the power to the tub to make sure the new pad is functioning correctly.
7. Remove the backing of the two-sided tape already attached to the new unit to expose the adhesive, set the new unit into place, and press firmly.
8. Seal all of the edges with white silicone and smooth the edges. Your new touchpad is now good to go.

Still Nothing at All?

If no control responds, verify that your dedicated GFCI breaker has not tripped and reset it. If the GFCI will not reset or fails its test, turn the power off and do not use the tub until an electrician corrects it, since that indicates a ground current condition. If power is confirmed and several functions still misbehave, follow the control box reset guide, and if the green LED on the box never lights, see control box has no power light.

Related Guides

• Control Box Configure Button: How Many Blinks, the One-Blink Reset, and the In-Line Heater Box
• Ordering a Replacement Electronic Keypad for Your Walk-In Tub
• How Do I Replace a Broken Push Button and Its Air Hose?
• Why Won't My Ella Digital Touchpad Respond When I Press a Button?

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model or serial number, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850. The team is glad to walk you through it, including by live video.