How fast does a walk-in tub drain after a bath?
Updated November 2026
An Ella walk-in tub with Dual Drain Technology typically empties in two minutes or less once it is connected to a proper 2-inch drain line, and an average-size tub can be empty in about 80 seconds under ideal house-drain conditions. The system is gravity driven through two oversized 2 inch floor drains, so there is no pump to wait on and no motor that can fail while you are seated in a full tub. What Is Dual Drain Technology on a Walk-In Tub? explains the hardware; this page is about the time you will actually spend on the seat while the water leaves, and what changes it.
Why Drain Speed Is a Comfort Feature in a Walk-In Tub
A walk-in tub is used in a fixed order: open the door, step over the low threshold, sit on the built-in seat, close the door, and only then fill. When the bath is over you open the drains, wait for the water to leave, and then open the door and step out. The door is part of the tub wall and has to stay closed while there is water inside, so every second of draining is time spent on the seat. That is why Ella treats drain speed as a comfort feature rather than a plumbing detail, and why the fill side is handled with fast-fill faucets, a glossy acrylic shell that acts like an insulator, and optional heated seats on models that offer them. The full sequence is in How Do You Use a Walk-In Bathtub Step by Step?.
Shower water leaves the same way. If you rinse from the seat with the hand shower or add a shower column, the water runs out through the same 2-inch gravity drains, which is covered in Can you take a shower in a walk-in tub?.
The Drain Times Printed in Ella's Sources
Ella publishes several drain times, and they are not contradictory. Each describes a different tub size or a different set of house-drain conditions.
| Situation | Drain time in the sources | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Field test in Ella's Dual Drain Technology video | Complete in 52 seconds | The fastest published result; the video notes your own time depends on the drain conditions and piping of the house |
| Average-size Ella tub, ideal house-drain conditions | About 80 seconds | The figure Ella gives for a typical standard-footprint tub with both drains fully connected |
| Any Ella tub connected to a proper 2-inch drain line | Two minutes or less | The everyday expectation for most installations |
| Big4Two, 145 gallon two-seat tub | About 3 minutes 30 seconds | More water takes longer even with two drains |
| HomeCare Transfer Bathtub, 80 gallon internal tank | About 150 seconds | A caregiver-supervised design with its own fill and drain cycle |
The spread between 52 seconds and two minutes is explained almost entirely by what happens after the water leaves the tub body. The tub side is the same on every Dual Drain model: two independent 2 inch openings, each on its own T-type PVC body. The house side is different in every bathroom, from the number of ports your installer connected to the size and condition of the drain line in the wall. The Big4Two and HomeCare figures show the other variable, which is how many gallons have to leave. Most standard-size Ella walk-in tubs hold 65 to 107 gallons unoccupied, and you will typically use 30 to 75 gallons per bath once you are seated, so the time you wait is for the occupied volume, not the printed capacity.
What Sets the Speed in Your Bathroom
Because the drains are gravity driven, the speed comes down to how freely water can fall out of the tub and into the house line. These are the points that matter, in the order you and your installer control them.
- Open both handles completely. Each 2 inch drain has its own deck handle, a large dial opener with an extender for easier grip and turn, connected by a stainless steel cable and lever to the floor drain. Both must be fully open for full speed, and both fully closed to hold water.
- Use all the ports you can. Under the tub each drain ends in a 4-port T-type body with 2 inch ports. Your installer can connect the house drain on the left, on the right, or to all four ports for maximum flow, capping unused ports with the included end caps.
- Prefer a Y fitting over a T. Fewer sharp turns move water faster, so a Y fitting beats a T at the connection to the house line.
- Run a 2 inch house drain where possible. The industry-standard bathtub drain is a single 1.5 inch opening. Two 2 inch tub drains feeding a restricted line cannot drain faster than that line allows.
- Keep the house line clear. If the tub seems slow, have a plumber confirm the house drain flows freely. Two drains cannot fix a restricted house line.
The dual drain also works as a vent system, allowing fast air pocket relief as the water falls, and the floor drain covers are height adjustable for optimum sealing and draining. The video on this page shows the dial openers, the cable and lever, and the 52 second field test.
Which Ella Tubs Have Two Drains and Which Have One
Dual Drain Technology is standard on the stainless-door, Ultra, outward-swing, two-seat and Transfer families: the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe, Ultimate, Ultra, Capri, Monaco, Mobile, Lounger, ShaK, Big4One, Tub4Two, Companion, Escape, Big4Two, Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL. Not every Ella tub uses it. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow have one 2 inch gravity drain with an emergency pull-up chain, the Front Entry has a single 2 inch 2-port drain, and the LayDown tubs use a single brass drain. A single 2 inch gravity drain is still larger than the industry-standard 1.5 inch opening, but if a fast exit from the tub is a priority for you, the Dual Drain model list is the place to start, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the drain configuration on the model you are considering.
Filling, for the Full Picture
Draining is the quicker half of the bath. Filling takes longer because the water has to come from your home's supply. Ella's fast-fill faucets are rated 16 GPM on the 2-piece set and 18 GPM on the 5-piece set at ideal home plumbing, so a tub with a capacity of around 60 gallons fills quickly rather than leaving you waiting. Your house pressure, pipe size, the distance from the water heater and hot water being used elsewhere all change the real-world rate, and the general guidance from the team is a 75 gallon or larger water heater for the average walk-in tub. The HomeCare Transfer Bathtub is the exception on both counts: its 80 gallon tank pre-heats water so the tub fills in about 90 seconds after the bather is seated, drains in about 150 seconds, and refills the tank in about 11 minutes for the next bath. All of the fill variables are in How long does it take to fill a walk-in tub?, and the drain and fill figures are summarized together in Drainage and Fill Time.
Chapters in this video
- 0:00 Dual Drain System Overview The video introduces the independently operated two-inch drains with large dial openers and adjustable floor drain covers.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.
Related Videos
Chapters in this video
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 0:00 Ella's Walk-In Tub Benefits This video highlights the safety, speed drain, and spa options available with Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs.
- 0:20 Safety Features Explained The video demonstrates how Ella's walk-in tubs provide a safe and accessible bathing experience for homeowners.
- 0:37 Spa Options and Comfort Various spa options, including hydro massage and MicroBubble therapy, are showcased for enhanced relaxation.
Common Questions
Does an Ella walk-in tub use a pump to drain the water?
Why does my walk-in tub take longer than two minutes to drain?
Do I have to stay seated in the tub while it drains?
How long does the Big4Two take to drain after a bath?
Do the Standard and Zen tubs drain as fast as Dual Drain models?
What do the drain dials do besides opening the drains?
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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