What is a walk-in bathtub and how does it actually work?

A walk-in bathtub is a complete bathtub built around a watertight door, so you walk in through the door and sit on a built-in seat instead of swinging a leg over a tub wall. You close and latch the door, fill the tub, bathe, drain it, and then open the door and step out over a low lip, which is the step-in threshold on a walk-in tub. Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs add grab bars, a fast-fill faucet, gravity drains and optional massage therapies to that basic idea, and every one is assembled and tested to order before it ships.

The Parts That Make a Bathtub a Walk-In Tub

Every Ella walk-in tub is built from the same handful of elements, and each one has a specific job. Together they replace the climb over a tub wall with a short step and a seat.

• A sealed door. The door closes on an integrated gasket with a multi-latch gear and shaft mechanism, so it holds the bath water in while you sit inside. Ella does not offer a lift-up or drop-down door. The door swings open like any other door, and the low threshold itself is the accessibility feature.
• A low threshold. The lip you cross at the door runs roughly 3.5 to 7 inches on Ella tubs, depending on the model and how the drain is set up, compared with the 18 to 22 inch wall you would swing a leg over on a standard bathtub. The Capri, for example, has a 3.5-inch threshold.
• A built-in seat at a comfortable height. The bather sits rather than lowering down to the floor of the tub, and stands up from seat height at the end of the bath.
• Grab bars. Fixed handholds give you something solid to hold while you sit, soak and rise.
• A fast-fill faucet and a gravity dual drain. The two are designed to work together, so the tub fills and empties while you are seated with the door closed.
• Optional therapies. Hydro massage, air massage, a heated seat and chromatherapy can be built in for a therapeutic soak, and most models also come as a soaker with no jets.

Under the bathing surface, the acrylic shell sits on a rustproof stainless steel frame. The door, seal, frame and threshold are engineered together as one unit, which is why Ella's Bubbles sells complete tubs and never adds a door to a tub that was not designed to have one.

How a Bath Works, Step by Step

The sequence is the part most people want to picture before they decide a walk-in tub is right for them. It runs in the opposite order from a standard bath, because the door has to be closed before the water goes in.

1. Open the door and step over the low threshold.
2. Sit down on the built-in seat, using the grab bars for support.
3. Close the door and engage the latches. The gear and shaft mechanism pulls the door tight against its gasket so the seal is watertight.
4. Fill the tub with the fast-fill faucet while you are seated.
5. Bathe. If your tub has hydro massage or air massage, switch it on and enjoy the soak.
6. Drain the tub. The gravity drains empty the water while you stay seated.
7. Open the door and step out over the threshold.

For a bather who uses a wheelchair and bathes with a caregiver's help, the start and end of the sequence change while the bath in the middle stays the same. The Ella HomeCare is the model built for exactly that situation: the bather rolls up to the tub in the wheelchair, transfers into the tub with the caregiver's help, the caregiver moves the wheelchair away and closes and locks the door, and the tub is filled with the fast-fill faucet. Once inside, the bather lies comfortably and enjoys the bath and the hydromassage. Despite the name, Ella's Home Care is a tub model, not a home care agency. On the Transfer models, wheelchair users usually transfer across the seat rather than stepping over the threshold, so the L-shape door opening matters as much as the lip on those tubs.

Where the Threshold Number Comes from

The threshold height is really the height of the tub floor above the finished bathroom floor. The tub sits on adjustable leveling legs, and the drawings on each spec sheet show the factory frame height with the legs at their standard setting. Two things move that number. A recessed drain lets the tub sit lower, and a different leg setting raises or lowers the frame. So the figure on the drawing is the starting point, and your installation decides the final height.

Every Ella walk-in tub has a low threshold, and the published figures vary by model. Drawing values include the Monaco at 3 5/8 inches and the Mobile at about 3 3/4 inches. Team figures put the Transfer32 at about 4 to 4.5 inches, the Big4One and ShaK at about 5 inches, the Ultra at about 6, and the Elite at about 6.5. If a lower step matters to you, talk with your installer before the tub goes in, because thresholds can be reduced to about 3 to 3.5 inches by setting the tub lower with the drain below the subfloor. Cutting the apron or end panel to make that work voids coverage on those altered panels only. After installation, keep an eye on the leveling legs. A leg that loses contact with the floor can warp the frame and throw the door out of alignment, and a door that is out of alignment is the one thing a walk-in tub cannot tolerate.

Where a Walk-In Tub Goes in Your Bathroom

Most Ella walk-in tubs go into the same three-wall opening your current bathtub occupies, which is what an alcove installation for a walk-in tub means. The tub is enclosed on the back and both ends, with only the front apron exposed. Most bathrooms were framed around a 60 inch bathtub, so that is the opening you are usually filling. Tubs that are 60 inches or longer fill the space on their own. The Ultimate is actually 59.5 inches, which is why it needs no extension panel. Most 52 and 55 inch models fill the remaining space with an Ella extension panel that mounts at the end of the tub frame, so the finished installation looks built in. The walls above the deck are then finished with tile or a surround over an aftermarket tile flange so water runs back into the tub.

Ella tubs are not limited to alcoves. The same models can stand against one or two walls with an end panel closing the exposed side. Whatever the layout, ask your installer to add a wall access panel behind the plumbing end so pumps and drain connections can be reached without disturbing tile, and never let the space around the tub be packed with insulation. Because Ella tubs use their own deck-mount faucet packages, your existing tub spout and handles are normally replaced rather than reused, while the room's layout and plumbing locations stay where they are.

What a Walk-In Tub Is Not, and Who Installs It

A walk-in tub is not a modification of the tub you already have. Ella's Bubbles does not cut a walk-through opening or add a door to an existing bathtub, and there is no Ella cut-in kit or conversion product. A purpose-built walk-in tub gives you a sealed low door, a seat and grab bars that were engineered together, rather than an opening in a tub that was never designed to have one.

It is also not something Ella's Bubbles installs. Ella manufactures the tub, and a licensed local contractor does the installation. If you do not have someone in mind, Ella's Bubbles can send your installation lead to a recommended contractor in your area, as explained in getting installer referrals for your walk-in tub. The installer receives your contact information, the tub specifications and the electrical diagrams for your model ahead of time, contacts you directly, visits your home to measure the space and provides you with an estimate for the work. To get started, reach your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your installation address.

Related Guides

• How Does a Walk-In Tub Work From Entering to Filling, Draining and Exiting?
• How to Take a Bath in Your Walk-In Tub: The Sequence From Stepping In to Stepping Out
• Walk-In Tub Versus a Regular Bathtub: Seven Practical Differences in Entry, Seating, Fill and Drain, Water Use, Electrical, Installation and Cleaning

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