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What are the disadvantages and common problems with walk-in tubs?

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. You Are in the Tub While It Fills and Drains
  2. Drain Speed Depends on Your House Plumbing
  3. Water Showing Up Behind the Tub
  4. Nobody Drives Out to Fix It
  5. Keeping the Jet System Clean
  6. Related Guides
  7. Related Videos
  8. Common Questions

The real disadvantages of a walk-in tub come from its design: you sit inside while it fills and drains, drain speed depends on your home's plumbing, and repairs are done by a local plumber or electrician rather than a factory technician. Most of the problems owners actually report have simple causes, such as a drain handle that is not turned all the way open or a hand shower mounted on the wall without the leak kit. Here is a candid look at each one, starting with how service works in Who Services an Installed Ella Tub?.

You Are in the Tub While It Fills and Drains

Because the door is part of the tub wall, you get in first, close the door, and then fill, and you wait for the water to drain before you open the door. The question Ella hears most often is whether you will get cold during that time, and the video below answers it. The fast-fill faucet fills at about 16 gallons per minute, so a tub holding around 60 gallons fills quickly. The glossy acrylic interior acts like an insulator, an in-line water heater keeps the bath water warm on hydro tubs, and an optional heated seat warms up at the push of a button and switches itself off after 20 minutes. On the way out, the dual oversized 2 inch drains empty an average tub in approximately 80 seconds under ideal conditions. Fill and drain figures are explained in Drainage and Fill Time.

Drain Speed Depends on Your House Plumbing

Ella's drains are gravity driven, so there is no pump to fail, but the tub can only release water as fast as the house drain line carries it away. The field test completed a full drain in 52 seconds, and a properly connected 2 inch drain line typically empties the tub in two minutes or less. When a tub drains slowly, the cause is almost always one of three things: a handle that is not turned fully open, a house drain that cannot keep up, or a floor stopper whose locking nut or height needs adjusting. Turn each handle clockwise until it stops, and on Transfer tubs a handle pointing up means the drain is open. Never use your foot to push or hold a stopper. The full checklist is in Tub Drains Slowly, Will Not Drain, or Loses Water.

Water Showing Up Behind the Tub

A common surprise is water under or behind the tub near the deck-mounted hand shower. It usually means the pull-out hand shower was moved to a wall mount without the barrel extension hose. Without that kit, water drips into the hand shower base and travels through the deck hole to the space behind the tub where you cannot see it. The kit is a 5 foot extension hose with a stainless steel barrel that plugs the hole, and it takes five steps to install. Read What Is a Barrel Extension Hose (Leak Elimination Kit)? before mounting a handset on the wall.

Nobody Drives Out to Fix It

Ella does not send technicians into the field, and some buyers see that as a drawback. What you get instead is free lifetime technical support by phone, photos and live video, and once a defect is verified the part ships to the original customer's address at no charge under the lifetime parts warranty. Labor, removal, plumbing and electrical connections, and water damage to the home are not covered, so a licensed local plumber, electrician or handyman does the work while the team guides them through it. Installers provide their own labor warranties, so ask yours what is covered. If your installer or dealer is no longer reachable, the team helps you find someone.

Keeping the Jet System Clean

Hidden lines are a frequent worry with any jetted tub. Ella tubs equipped with ozone sterilization use ozone, a proven water disinfectant, to eliminate mold and bacteria from the water system and prevent mildew and odor, and the second video shows how it sanitizes the system every time the tub is turned on.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Staying Warm While Filling The video addresses concerns about getting cold while filling and draining a walk-in tub.
  2. 0:37 Heated Seats for Added Warmth The video explains how to use the optional heated seats for extra comfort.
  3. 0:54 Fastest Gravity-Driven Drains The video highlights the quick draining capabilities of Ella Tubs with dual oversized drains.

Watch: Answering Your Most Common Question about Walk-In Tubs | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Watch: Introducing Ozone Sterilization for Walk-In Tubs for Safe & Hygienic Bathing | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Ella's Dual Drain Technology Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs feature exclusive dual drain technology with oversized two-inch drains for efficient water removal.
  2. 0:17 How Dual Drains Work The video explains how Ella's dual two-inch drains connect to a house drain, offering maximum draining capacity.
  3. 0:47 Connecting to Your House Drain The video demonstrates connecting the tub's dual four-port t-type drains to a house drain on either the left or right side.
  4. 1:14 Dual Air Vents and Gravity Easy-turn drain handles double as air vents, eliminating air pockets and maximizing water outflow through a gravity-driven system.
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Dual Drain Technology Overview The video introduces Ella's Bubbles dual 2-inch, four-port drain system and its connection to a house drain.
  2. 0:20 Live Drain Demonstration A live demonstration shows water flowing through the dual 2-inch, four-port drains.
  3. 0:39 Drain Setup Images Actual images display a drain setup before and after the installation of the dual drain system.
  4. 1:01 House Drain Connection Options The video explains recommended house drain connections and how installers determine the best setup.
  5. 1:27 Easy Turn Drain Handles The easy turn drain handles are shown, which also function as dual air vents to maximize water outflow.
  6. 1:40 Single Drain and Gravity Driven System Some tubs feature an oversized single drain with emergency pull chain, and the gravity-driven system is highlighted.

Common Questions

Will I get cold while the walk-in tub fills or drains?
This is the question Ella is asked most, and the answer is that the fast-fill faucet and gravity drains keep the wait short. The acrylic interior insulates the bath, an in-line heater keeps the water warm on hydro tubs, and an optional heated seat can be warmed before you sit down. An average tub drains in approximately 80 seconds under ideal conditions.
Why does my walk-in tub drain so slowly?
Most often the drain handle is only partly open, so turn each handle clockwise until it stops. If both handles are fully open, the house drain line may not carry water away as fast as the tub releases it, or a floor stopper needs its locking nut or height adjusted. The tub itself uses gravity, so there is no drain pump to fail.
Does Ella send a technician when something breaks?
No, Ella does not send technicians. The support team diagnoses the problem with you by phone, photos and live video, and ships the verified part under the lifetime parts warranty. A licensed local plumber or electrician performs the labor, guided by the team.
Why is there water behind my walk-in tub?
The classic cause is a pull-out hand shower that was wall-mounted without the barrel extension hose. Water drips into the hand shower base and runs through the deck hole to the space behind the tub. Installing the 5 foot extension hose with its stainless steel barrel plugs that hole.
Do the jets in a walk-in tub get moldy?
Tubs with ozone sterilization use ozone to eliminate mold and bacteria from the water system and to prevent mildew and odor. The system sanitizes the water every time the tub is turned on. It works in the background without any action from you.
What if my installer is no longer in business?
Lifetime technical support stays with the tub, so open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850. The team confirms the defect from photos, ships the part under the warranty, and helps you find a licensed local plumber or electrician to do the labor. Any licensed professional can be guided through the repair by phone or video.

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