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.

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.

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.

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

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.