A drain cable is the stainless steel cable, running inside a protective black plastic sleeve, that links the chrome drain handle on the tub deck to the armature inside the drain connection box under the tub, raising and lowering the drain stopper when you turn the handle. It is a replaceable part serviced from the deck and the front access panel without any special plumbing work.

How It Works

Turning the chrome handle pulls the cable, the cable moves an armature inside the connection box on the drain, and the armature raises or lowers the stopper through the drain stem. With the handle straight up and down, one position is open and the other closed, and on Transfer models the openers have extension handles, with handle up meaning open. On Dual Drain tubs there are two cables, one for each 2 inch floor drain. Replacement is straightforward: the handle comes off the deck with an Allen wrench, the old cable is unscrewed from the drain vent assembly and the new one screwed in and tightened firmly without over-torquing, and the cable barrel goes back on the armature with the flat side facing up. Drain cable replacement and adjustment walks through every step on video, and drain plugs, stems, gaskets and hair catchers covers the parts at the stopper end.

Which Ella Models Have It

Drain cables are used on every Dual Drain tub, from the stainless inward-swing family and the Ultra to the outward-swing, Transfer and two-seat families, as well as on the Front Entry with its single 2 inch drain and the LayDown tubs with their brass drain and copper overflow. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow use a chain-operated drain plug with an emergency pull-up chain and have no cable at all.

What to Know as an Owner

Stepping on an open drain puts tremendous stress on the cable and can break it, which is why warning stickers are placed on every tub before it ships. Step around the stoppers, and never push a stopper closed with your foot. A cable broken by stepping on the drain is treated as wear rather than a defect. If the tub drains slowly, check that the handle is fully open and the house drain flows freely before suspecting the cable; tub drains slowly or not at all has the checklist. For a ticket, have your model, serial number and a short video of the handle turning ready; how to order replacement parts explains the process.

Common Questions