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Support Center / Therapies & Operation / What Does This Button on My Walk-In Tub Do?

What Does This Button on My Walk-In Tub Do?

If you are wondering what a button on your walk-in tub does, you are in good company, because some Transfer and legacy tubs ship with unlabeled push buttons and that is normal. Here is the quick key: Water is the hydro pump, Air is the three speed air massage, Micro is the microbubble system, Light is the LED chromatherapy, and the button with a flame on it is the heated seat. The plain knob with no label on a hydro tub is the intensity dial that regulates jet pressure. The first thing to check is which therapy package your tub was built with, because a tub only has buttons for the systems it contains, which is why you may have a Water button but no Air button. The full walkthrough lives in push controls versus the digital touchpad.

Likely Causes

  • The tub shipped with unlabeled push buttons, which is normal on Transfer and some legacy models.
  • The tub has only the therapies that were ordered, so a missing Air or Micro button simply means that system is not on the tub.
  • The plain dial is the hydro intensity control, not a switch, so it does nothing until the hydro pump is running.

What to Check, in Order

  1. Fill the tub until the water sits at least 1 inch above the highest jets. Never press a pump button on a dry tub, because a dry run causes permanent damage that is not covered.
  2. Press each button once with the tub filled and watch what responds. Stirring water is Water (hydro), fine bubbles from the small holes is Air, a milky cloud is Micro, a glow inside the tub is Light, and warmth on the seat after 10 to 15 minutes is the flame button.
  3. Learn the air speeds. Press Air once for high, twice for medium, three times for low, and a fourth time to turn it off. Press gently with your palm, since pressing too hard can damage the mechanism. More in hydro massage versus air massage controls.
  4. With the Water button on, turn the plain dial to raise or lower jet pressure.
  5. Master the LED. Press once to cycle colors, keep pressing to lock a solid color, and press and hold to turn it off.
  6. If you have a digital panel, it runs air, LED, back hydro and the heated seat; foot massage and microbubble keep their own separate push buttons. The panel backlight stays on all the time, which is normal.
  7. Match everything to manuals, spec sheets and drawings by model and operating common questions.

The video shows the air button pressed once for high, twice for medium, three times for low and a fourth time for off, hydro started with a single touch and set with the dial, and the touchpad icons held for two seconds to stop.

When to Open a Ticket

If a button does nothing with the tub properly filled, or you cannot tell which package your tub has, send a clear photo of the control cluster and your order details to your Ella dealer or the team at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850. The team confirms the therapy package from your order and identifies every button for you.

Common Questions

How do I turn on the jets and bubbles at the same time?
Fill the tub past the highest jets first. Then press Water once for the hydro jets and Air once for the bubbles; each system runs on its own pump so both can be on together.
Why does my tub have a Water button but no Air button?
A tub only carries buttons for the therapies it was built with. A hydro only tub has Water and a dial but no Air, so nothing is missing; the team can confirm your package from your order.
What do the three dials on the side of my tub do?
On packages with separate seat and foot hydro pumps, each plain dial is the intensity control for one pump. If a dial will not turn, do not force it; send a photo of the control cluster and the team identifies each dial from your package.
What do the changing lights in the tub mean?
That is the LED chromatherapy cycling through its colors, which is normal. Keep pressing the Light button to lock the color you like, and press and hold to turn it off.

Did this solve it?

If not, open a ticket and our team will pick it up from here.

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