This page is the second half of installing an Ella two-seat walk-in tub, picking up once the tub is level and the door seals: the two 2 inch drains, the two-piece faucet and its cut-outs, the electrical lines a fully equipped two-seat tub needs, the deck-mount grab bar, the first fill and door check, and finishing the walls. It comes from the Ella Two-Seat Walk-In Bathtubs Owner's Manual (28 pages, dated 6/15/23), with printed values from the Big4Two and Tub4Two spec sheets, the two-seat therapy schematic with digital controller, and the two-seat brochure. Part 1 covers delivery, carrying, the water test and leveling.

Dual 2 Inch 4-Port Drains on Every Two-Seat Model

Every model in this family ships with two independent 2 inch floor drains. The spec sheets describe them identically: two 2 inch 4-port PVC drains with two end caps included, two overflows, and two stainless steel operated openers with extended chrome handles. The manual calls the assembly the Ella 2 inch T-Type Dual Port Floor Drain.

1. Confirm the house drain flows freely first. The manual warns that a dual drain does not guarantee fast drainage if the house drain does not function properly.
2. Above the floor, the dual drain can connect to all four 2 inch ports. If only two are used, close the others with the included caps.
3. Join the two outlets into the house drain with a Y fitting rather than a T fitting. Fewer turns means less resistance and faster draining.
4. If the drain must sit below the floor, the legs allow the tub to be lowered, but the apron, end panel and drain will hit the floor. That means cutting subfloor access and trimming the bottom of the apron or end panel with masking tape and the right tools. The manual states this custom installation voids warranty coverage on the damaged or altered parts.

Both drains open clockwise and close counter-clockwise. Never fill above the center of the drain handle, and never open the door until the tub is completely drained. Port layouts are in plumbing and drain configurations.

Two-Piece Faucet and the Dual Spout

The faucet highlighted in this manual is the two-piece fast-fill faucet: lift the lever for on, left for hot, right for cold, press the diverter button under the spout for the pull-out hand shower, which has five flow settings. The Big4Two diagram labels a dual spout beside the pull-out adjustable hand mixer and the two drain openers. The spec sheets print these values.

One manual warning applies here: do not mount the hand shower to the wall unless you have an extension hose with barrel protection, or water can drip into the hand shower base and leak behind the tub. The full procedure is in installing the fast-fill faucets.

Electrical: Why a Fully Loaded Two-Seat Tub Needs Three Dedicated Lines

The spec sheets require dedicated GFCI-protected lines for 115 V 60 Hz equipment, with every fixture on a dedicated GFCI outlet or GFCI breaker. The two-seat schematic (Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble + Heated Seat and Back with Digital Controller, revised 01-16-26, available on Companion, Escape, Tub4Two and Big4Two) shows why a full package needs more than a single-seat tub. It prints three wall outlets, numbered 1, 2 and 3, each reading GFCI protected, dedicated line, 20 amp, 120 volts. The air pump alone is listed at 110 to 120 V, 4.5 A. The schematic shows a seat hydro pump, foot hydro pumps, an in-line heater, the air pump and the optional equipment, so the load is split across three circuits.

1. Have the electrician install the dedicated 20 amp, 120 V GFCI-protected lines shown on the schematic for your therapy package, checking amperage against the spec sheet.
2. Test every connection, including GFCI test and reset. A failed reset means power stays off; it may indicate ground current.
3. Do not insulate around the equipment. The frame is engineered for ventilation, and blocking it can overheat pumps and electronics.
4. Leave code-required service access to the pumps and control boxes; the manual makes the installer and owner responsible for it.

Circuit counts for every family are in electrical requirements by model. Because the schematic gives each side its own foot pump and heated seat box, a fault on one seat usually sits on that side's hardware; see two-seat tub: only one side massages.

Deck-Mount Grab Bar Washers

The kit contains one chrome grab bar, two escutcheons, four rubber washers, two metal washers, two bolts and an Allen wrench.

1. Slide a metal washer and then a rubber washer onto a bolt.
2. Feed the bolt up through the shell from underneath.
3. Add a rubber washer and an escutcheon on top and thread the grab bar on loosely.
4. Repeat for the second bolt, then tighten both with the Allen wrench.

The large metal washer under the shell is mandatory. Tightening without the washers cracks the acrylic shell and voids the warranty. See grab bars: what is included.

No Extension Kit: These Tubs Are Full Length

Unlike the single-seat manuals, this manual has no reversible extension kit section. Every model is already 60, 72 or 80 inches long, so there is no filler panel. Each tub includes one reversible end panel and a removable front apron with two access panels.

Door Check and First Fill (outward vs Inward Door)

1. If the seal stuck or flattened in shipping, squeeze it with your fingertips and pull it away from the door frame with the door open.
2. On a Tub4Two or Big4Two, close the outward U-shape door and engage the 3-latch mechanism fully. On a Companion or Escape, swing the inward stainless door closed against its frame. Handle care is in outward U-shape door operation and stainless steel inward door operation.
3. Fill the tub and watch the seal and both drains.
4. Run the hydro pumps only once water covers every jet. The in-line heater and ozone sterilizer switch on and off automatically with the hydro pump.
5. Drain completely before opening the door, and keep the door open when the tub is not in use to extend seal life.

Wall Finishing

A tile flange is not included. Glue a strip of any thin, rustproof, waterproof material, 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch thick and about 5 inches tall, to the tub edge with 100 percent silicone before pushing the tub to the wall, overlapping the edge by about 2 inches. Tile or wall panel then overlaps the flange and the flat deck, and every joint is caulked with silicone-based caulk. The cross-section is in tile flange and wall finishing.

Download the official document: Ella Two-Seat Walk-In Bathtubs Owner's Manual

Common Questions