Does the Tub4Two come in a left or right hand drain version?

Yes. The Tub4Two is built in a left-hand and a right-hand version, like every Ella walk-in tub except the Front Entry, and the hand you order sets both the door side and the drain side at the factory. The door and the drains sit at opposite ends of the tub, so a Tub4Two ordered with a right-side door has its drains on the left, and a left-side door puts the drains on the right, with sides taken as you face the tub. Should My Walk-In Tub Door Be on the Left or Right Side? explains that rule for the whole line, and this page applies it to the two-seat Tub4Two, with the drain hardware your plumber will be connecting.

The Hand Is a Factory Build Choice

Every Ella walk-in tub except the Front Entry is offered in a left-hand and a right-hand build, and the Tub4Two is one of them. The hand is not something an installer adjusts on site. The door opening is part of the shell, the door frame and the 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism are built for that side, and the two drain openings are molded at the opposite end. Once the tub is built, the swing and the drain side stay where they are, and ordering a replacement door or end panel later does not move them. Can My Walk-In Tub Door Be Changed to Swing the Other Way? covers why no Ella door can be reversed in the field, and the same logic applies to the drains, because the two are tied together in the build.

The Tub4Two itself is the outward-swing two-seater in the Ella line. Its actual size on the current spec sheet is 32 inches wide by 60 inches long by 40 inches high, and the presentation video shows it fitting a standard 60 inch bathtub alcove. The door is the U-shape outward-swing door with a tempered frosted glass panel in a white composite frame, held shut by the 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism. Inside are two seats, molded 20 inches and 22 inches wide. If you are still weighing it against the Big4Two, the Companion or the Escape, Common Model Questions sets out how the two-seat models differ in door type and footprint.

Which End the Drains Are on

The rule is simple once you picture yourself standing in the bathroom facing the tub. A right-side door means the drains are at the left end. A left-side door means the drains are at the right end. The door and the drains are never at the same end, because the door opening and the footwell are at one end and the drain and overflow fittings are at the other.

On the Tub4Two the drain package is doubled. The spec sheet lists two 2 inch four-port PVC drains with two end caps included, two overflows, and two stainless-steel operated openers with extended handles in a chrome finish. Both drains are gravity driven, so they do not depend on a pump or on electrical power to empty the tub. The Tub4Two presentation video shows the dual four-port T-type drains and the large easy-turn openers in place. Those openers also double as air vents, which is why the water leaves quickly at the end of a two-person bath.

Connecting the Drains to Your House Plumbing

Each four-port drain body is a T-type fitting with openings on both sides. Your plumber can connect the house drain to all four ports for maximum draining capacity, or connect two ports and cap the unused side with the end caps supplied. Installations are typically set up with individual P-traps on the two drains joined to the main house drain. A 2 inch main drain is recommended for the fastest draining, but a T or Y connection into a 1 1/2 inch house drain is also used. Which ports are used, and from which side, is the installer's call based on where your existing drain line is.

Because the ports face both ways, the house drain does not need to sit directly under the drain end of the tub. There is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame for a 2 inch line, so the drain line can run under the tub toward either side of the alcove. This is the reason the left-hand or right-hand decision should be made for the bather first and the plumbing second. Ella does not send technicians, so the drain connection is made by your local licensed plumber, and the support team can answer questions your plumber has along the way.

Choosing the Hand for Your Bathroom, Step by Step

1. Stand where you will face the finished tub and note which side the existing house drain is on. The door normally goes on the opposite side, so that side becomes the drain end of the Tub4Two.
2. If the bathroom layout would be better with the door on the other side, ask your plumber whether the drain line can be run under the tub to the other end. With a 2 inch line and roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame, this is often possible.
3. Check the floor in front of the door side. The U-shape door swings 165 degrees and needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front of it, so measure to the toilet, vanity or wall on that side.
4. Confirm the plan with your licensed installer, including where the two P-traps and the main connection will go.
5. Talk it through with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with your measurements in hand, and state the hand clearly when you order. Check that the door side written on your order matches what you decided.

Why This Matters Before You Order

A Tub4Two delivered in the wrong hand cannot be corrected by reversing the door or moving the drains, because both are fixed in the build. The door would open toward the wall you wanted clear, and the drain fittings would be at the end farthest from the easiest plumbing route. Getting the hand right at order time is the only way to avoid that. If anyone in your household uses a walker or needs help getting in, think about which side gives the caregiver room to stand while the door is open, since the outward door and its 21 inch swing are on the same side as the seat entry.

Service access is also worth a thought. The spec sheet lists a removable front apron with two access panels, which is how a plumber or electrician reaches the pumps and the drain connections after installation. Keep that apron side open to the room rather than boxed in by cabinetry, whichever hand you choose.

Watch: Presenting the Tub4Two: A Comfortable Two Seat Walk-in Tub | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side
• How Much Floor Space Does the Tub4Two Outward Door Need?

Common Questions