Air massage jets are the small brass jets set into the seat, the base of the seat and the footwell floor of an Ella walk-in tub. Fed by a three-speed blower, they deliver a gentle, effervescent full-body bubble massage. You will also hear them called air jets or bubble jets; together they make up the air massage system, the softer counterpart to hydro massage.

How It Works

Pressing the Air button sends a puff of air to the control box, which starts the blower. Press once for high speed, twice for medium, three times for low, and a fourth time to turn the system off. The blower pushes air through lines under the tub and out through three groups of jets: upper jets in the seat and backrest, bidet jets at the base of the seat, and lower jets in the footwell floor. About 20 minutes after you use the air pump, Auto Purge starts on its own and blows the lines dry for 120 seconds so no water lingers in them. It cannot be stopped and is completely normal; see Auto Purge explained.

Which Ella Models Have It

Air massage is offered as part of a therapy package on most Ella families, including the stainless-door, outward-swing, Transfer, two-seat and LayDown tubs. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow are hydro-only platforms and do not carry air jets. The Deluxe ships with a fixed Air + Hydro package, and the Shak and Big4One ship with digital air massage alongside their dual hydro pumps. The typical air pump is a 4.5A 500W three-speed blower; the Elite uses 6.4A. Because the jets and lines are built into the shell at the factory, air massage cannot be added later. Bidet jets and air jet positions shows where the jets sit on each family.

What to Know as an Owner

Every air jet must be under water before you start the blower, which on most tubs means a full fill. The jets are brass because you sit and stand on them, but jets on the underside of the shell can break off if the tub is set down on them, so the tub is always lifted by the frame. If a cover or jet face is damaged, the air jet parts article lists what can be replaced.

If the speeds feel out of order, count presses from off: the first press is always high and the fourth press always turns the system off. For a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, note your therapy package, how the button responds to each press, whether the Auto Purge fires after a bath, and your model and serial number.

Common Questions