Auto Purge is the self-cleaning cycle on Ella air massage systems. About 20 minutes after you turn the air massage off, the air pump starts on its own and runs for 120 seconds to blow leftover water out of the air lines. Owners sometimes call it the auto-purge cycle, the self-purge, the air dry cycle or "the tub turning on by itself," and it is completely normal.

How It Works

After an air bath, a little water flows back into the air piping and the jets on the floor and seat. If it sat there, it could grow mold and mildew. So the system waits about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off, then runs the blower for 120 seconds to push that water out through the jets. The cycle cannot be interrupted and stops on its own. If it starts while you are still in the tub, there is no need to get out; if you would like to leave while it runs, just drain and exit normally. Some printed manuals say the purge fires after the pump is turned on, which is a known wording error; the correct trigger is the pump being turned off. The plain-language version is in Why Did My Tub Turn On by Itself and The Air Massage Auto-Purge Is Normal, and the button sequence for the air speeds is in Hydro Massage vs Air Massage Controls.

Which Ella Models Have It

Any Ella tub ordered with the three-speed air massage has Auto Purge, whether the air system came alone, as Hydro plus Air, or in a triple package. That covers air packages on the stainless-door, Ultra, outward-swing, two-seat, Transfer and LayDown families. Hydro-only and soaking tubs have no air blower and therefore no purge cycle, which includes the Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow. The package-by-package list is in What Comes With Each Therapy Package.

What to Know as an Owner

Expect a burst of air through the jets roughly 20 minutes after every air bath and let it finish. Auto Purge clears the air lines, ozone sanitizes the hydro lines, and neither replaces the monthly vinegar flush: 2 cups white vinegar and 2 cups water, tub filled to 1 inch above the highest jets, jets run for 10 minutes, then drained. Because the cycle can run after the tub has drained, it is one of the sounds covered in The Sounds an Ella Walk-In Tub Makes. If the blower runs continuously instead of stopping after 120 seconds, switch the tub off at the breaker and open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support; a stuck relay or the control box is the usual cause. If the purge never seems to happen after an air bath, the team can check the air pump control with you. For a ticket, have your model, serial number, which therapy package you have, how long after the bath the air started and how long it ran.

Common Questions