The overflow on a walk-in tub is the opening at the drain opener that sets the maximum water level: water that rises above that line simply flows out through the drain, so the tub cannot be overfilled. On Ella Dual Drain tubs the deck dials that open and close the floor drains double as the overflow and as air vents, which is why the guidance is to fill to just below the center of the drain handles at most.

How It Works

Each deck opener is connected to a floor drain by a stainless steel cable, and the opening around the dial is plumbed to that same drain, so water that reaches the overflow drains away instead of climbing higher. The easy-turn drain handles also act as dual air vents, eliminating air pockets and maximizing outflow. The overflow is also the reference point for soaking depth: the distance from the top of the seat to the center of the overflow is one of the three factors, with interior length and seat length, that set how deep you sit in the water. The Elite, for example, has 15 1/2 inches from seat to overflow and the Big4One has 22 inches. The full table is in interior dimensions and soaking depth by model, and Dual Drain Technology explains the drain system it belongs to.

Which Ella Models Have It

Every Ella walk-in tub has an overflow, but the form differs by family. Dual Drain tubs, which include the stainless inward-swing family, the Ultra, the outward-swing family other than the Front Entry, the Transfer family and the two-seat tubs, have two overflows and two cable openers. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow have one 2 inch drain with one overflow and an emergency pull-up chain. The LayDown tubs use a single threaded brass drain with a copper overflow and a cable opener, and the Front Entry uses a single 2 inch drain with a cable opener. Seat sizes and soaking depth shows how the overflow height fits into choosing a tub.

What to Know as an Owner

Fill to just below the center of the drain handles; a single-pump hydro system needs the water only 1 to 2 inches above the highest jets. If water disappears during a bath, make sure both drains are fully closed and the locking nuts are tight; a partly open drain is far more common than an overflow fault. Never run a pump before the jets are covered. The overflow is listed as covered supporting equipment under the Lifetime Limited Warranty, so if a dial or its opening is damaged, photograph it and open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number. Related parts are covered in drain plugs, stems, gaskets and hair catchers.

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