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Tub Drains Slowly, Will Not Drain, or Loses Water: What to Check

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. Step 1: Make Sure the Handle Is Open All the Way
  2. Step 2: The House Drain Sets the Speed Limit
  3. Step 3: The Tub Loses Water During the Bath
  4. About the Overflow
  5. Stuck in the Tub with Drains That Will Not Open
  6. When to Order Drain Parts
  7. Related Guides
  8. Common Questions

If your walk-in tub drains slowly, will not drain at all, or loses water while you bathe, the cause is almost always one of three things: a drain handle that is not turned all the way open (or closed), a house drain that cannot carry water away as fast as the tub releases it, or a stopper that is not sealing because its locking nut or height needs adjustment. Ella's Dual Drain Technology is gravity driven, so there is no pump to fail. The field test showed a full drain in 52 seconds, and the published figure for an average tub is about 80 seconds under ideal house-drain conditions. If your tub takes much longer, work through the checks below in order.

Walk-In Tubs with Dual Drain Technology - Easy & Fast Drainage
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Dual Drain System Overview The video introduces the independently operated two-inch drains with large dial openers and adjustable floor drain covers.
  2. 0:23 How Dual Drain Technology Works Ella's dual drain technology uses gravity-driven T-type 4-port dual 2-inch drains with overflow protection and a vent system.
  3. 0:47 Drainage Speed And Factors Field tests show drainage completes in 52 seconds, but actual drainage time depends on home drain conditions and piping.
  4. 1:36 Contact Ella's Bubbles Customers can call Ella's Bubbles or visit the website for more information.

Watch: Walk-In Tubs with Dual Drain Technology - Easy & Fast Drainage with chapters and a full transcript.

The video shows how the system is built. Each independently operated 2 inch drain has a large dial opener with an extender for easier grip and turn, the floor drain covers are height adjustable for optimum sealing and draining, and the dials function as overflow protection and as vents for fast air-pocket relief. Each dial moves a stainless steel cable with a lever that opens or closes its floor drain. The field test completes drainage in 52 seconds; drain time in your home depends on the house piping. How fast does a walk-in tub drain explains the design in more detail.

Hand turning the chrome dual drain control dial on the deck of an Ella walk-in tub
Each drain dial turns a stainless cable that lifts its floor stopper; clockwise opens, counter-clockwise closes.

Step 1: Make Sure the Handle Is Open All the Way

Most of the time a "slow" drain is simply a stopper that is only partly lifted.

  1. Turn each drain handle clockwise to open and counter-clockwise to close, until it stops. If one side drains and the other does not, check the second handle.
  2. On Transfer tubs (Transfer26, 30, 32, 60, and XXL) the drain openers have extension handles. The handle pointing up means the drain is open.
  3. Please never use your foot to push, nudge, or hold a stopper, and step around the stoppers when entering and exiting. Stepping on an open drain puts a lot of stress on the cable, and that is a common way a cable gets broken.

Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60, and Flow tubs use one 2 inch gravity drain with a chain-operated plug and an emergency pull-up chain on the overflow rather than cable dials.

Step 2: The House Drain Sets the Speed Limit

A dual drain moves water only as fast as the house plumbing behind it can accept it. If the handles are fully open and the tub still drains slowly, the answer is usually in the house plumbing, not in the tub.

  • Have a plumber verify that the house drain flows freely. The dual drain cannot fix a house drain that does not function properly.
  • A 2 inch house drain is recommended. The tub can also be connected to an existing 1 1/2 inch drain, but the smaller line will be slower.
  • Fewer turns means faster drainage. A Y fitting is preferred over a T fitting where the drain outlets join the house line.
  • The T-type drain body has four 2 inch ports; unused ports must be closed with the supplied caps.

Our article on plumbing and drain configurations covers the connection options in detail, and connecting the 2 inch drain to 1.5 inch plumbing covers the reducer.

Diagram of the Ella T-type four-port dual drain body under a walk-in tub
The four-port T-type body lets the installer connect from either side; the house line behind it decides the real drain time.

Step 3: The Tub Loses Water During the Bath

If the water level drops while you soak, the stopper is not sealing.

  1. Turn each handle fully counter-clockwise so the stopper is completely closed.
  2. Check that the locking nut is tightened on both stoppers. This is an item on the installer's warranty activation checklist, and a nut that was left loose at installation is a common reason a stopper will not hold.
  3. The floor drain covers are height adjustable. If a stopper closes but still weeps, its height can be adjusted so the cover seats properly. See our drain cable replacement and adjustment article for the steps.
  4. Do not fill the tub above the center of the drain handle. Water above that line leaves through the overflow function, which is working as designed.

About the Overflow

On dual-drain tubs the drain dials themselves function as the overflow protection and the vents, which is why the practical rule is simply never to fill above the center of the drain handle. LayDown tubs are different: they use a single 2 inch threaded brass drain with a copper overflow and a cable opener. If an overflow on a LayDown does not appear to function, please open a ticket with your model and serial number so the team can look at that specific assembly.

Stuck in the Tub with Drains That Will Not Open

The door is designed to stay closed until the tub is completely drained, so a drain that will not open is urgent. Turn each handle fully clockwise (extension handle up on Transfer tubs), try the second drain, and if neither stopper moves, call (800) 480-6850 so the team can talk you through it. A handle that turns freely while the stopper stays put usually means the cable has detached or broken. The cable is a replaceable part, and a detached cable can often be reached through the access panel. The technical team can tell you from your model whether it is reachable without moving the tub. Why the door will not open with water in the tub is explained in why the door will not open until the tub drains.

When to Order Drain Parts

  • Handle spins or turns but the stopper does not move: drain cable.
  • Stopper or its guide piece is cracked or has disintegrated: stopper or drain assembly.
  • Stopper stem unscrewed and went down the drain, or the gasket is missing: plug stem or drain gasket, covered in drain plugs, stems, gaskets and hair catchers.

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your serial number, a photo of the part, and a short description. The serial number tells the team whether your tub uses dual cable-operated drains, the single chain-operated drain, or the LayDown brass drain, so the correct part is matched the first time.

Common Questions

Why does my dual-drain tub take close to an hour to drain?
Check that both handles are turned fully clockwise (extension handle up on a Transfer tub), then have a plumber verify the house drain. There is no separate air vent to open; the drain dials are the vents. A drain that slow points to a stopper that is not fully open or a restriction in the house plumbing.
The drains are stuck closed and I am stuck in the tub. What do I do?
If your walk-in tub drains are stuck closed and you are stuck in the tub, turn each drain handle fully clockwise. On Transfer tubs (Transfer26, 30, 32, 60, and XXL), this means the extension handle should be pointing up. Try both drains, and if neither stopper moves, call (800) 480-6850 right away for assistance.
The tub drained fine two months ago and now it will not drain at all.
A stopper that was pushed closed by hand or foot can jam and a cable can detach. Turn the handle fully clockwise and listen for the cable; if the handle moves freely with no stopper movement, the cable needs reattaching or replacing.
The tub loses water during the bath.
If your walk-in tub loses water during the bath, close each drain handle fully counter-clockwise to ensure the stopper is completely closed. Confirm that the locking nut is tightened on both stoppers, as a loose nut is a common reason a stopper will not hold. If the stopper closes but still weeps, its height can be adjusted so the cover seats properly; refer to the drain cable replacement and adjustment article for the steps. Additionally, do not fill the tub above the center of the drain handle, as water above that line will leave through the overflow function, which is working as designed.
The overflow does not seem to work.
On dual-drain tubs the drain dials are the overflow and the vents, and the fill limit is the center of the handle. LayDown tubs have a copper overflow on a single brass drain, so please send your model and serial number.
How long should draining take?
The field test completed in 52 seconds, and the published average for a typical tub is about 80 seconds under ideal conditions. The Big4Two takes longer because of its size. Real drain time depends on your tub's capacity and the house drain.
Does hair cause problems with the walk-in tub drain?
Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub drains are designed to handle typical amounts of hair without causing problems. If you are concerned about hair accumulation, a simple hair strainer from a hardware store is fine to use. Ella's Bubbles does not sell its own hair strainers.
Is a drain cable covered, and does the tub have to come out to replace it?
Drain parts, including the drain cable, are considered supporting equipment and are covered under the Lifetime Limited Warranty for the original owner. The drain cable is normally reached through the front access panels of the tub. The Drain Cable Replacement video demonstrates the process for swapping the cable.

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 help.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

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