Which current Ella model replaces a discontinued Chi, Malibu or other tub?

If your tub is a Malibu, you can stay with the same tub: the Malibu was renamed the Capri, so the Capri is the same tub under a new name and the Capri documents are the ones to go by. The Chi OAC3252 has been discontinued and no single current model has been published as its direct replacement, while the discontinued bariatric wide-seat air massage tub, coded 5502 or 355502 on older paperwork, was succeeded by the TransferXXL 36x55. The printed facts for each retired line are collected in Legacy Ella Models: Chi OAC3252, Malibu OA3052, Tramo WT5932 and the Gel Coat Wheelchair-Access Line; this page is about what replaces each one when you need a current tub for the same space.

Which Retired Models Map to a Current Tub

The table shows why there is no single answer to the question. One retired name is simply a current tub with a new label, one has a named successor, and the rest are matched case by case. For a Malibu owner nothing changes except the name on the paperwork. For a Chi owner the job is a fit check against the 32 by 52 inch footprint the Chi occupied. For a bariatric transfer tub there is a specific current model to look at first. In every case the serial number on your tub, not the model name alone, tells the team which generation you have and what will fit.

Malibu Owners: The Capri Is Your Tub

The Malibu OA3052 was a hydro massage walk-in tub sold in left-drain (OA3052-L) and right-drain (OA3052-R) versions. Its sheet lists an actual size of 29 1/2 by 52 by 43 inches, a 4 inch step-in threshold, a seat 22 1/2 inches wide and 17 inches high, two front and one side access panels, and a hydro system of 9 adjustable and 4 fixed jets on a 7 amp pump with a 650 watt in-line heater. Because the Capri is that same tub renamed, you do not need to shop for a replacement to get current documents or parts. Quote the serial number from the label behind the access panel next to the door and ask for the Capri manual and spec sheet. If an older invoice shows a number or code you do not recognize, Reading Your Invoice and Label: Model Names, SKU Suffixes, Legacy Model Numbers and Common Part Codes Explained shows how the team decodes legacy model numbers back to a tub name.

Chi Owners: Matching a Current Tub to a 32 by 52 Inch Space

The Chi OAC3252 was an outward-swing acrylic walk-in tub with an actual size of 32 by 52 by 42 inches and a shipping size of 34 by 54 by 50 inches. Its sheets list a 7 inch step-in threshold that could be lowered to 4 inches with a below-the-floor drain installation, a seat 23 inches wide, 17 inches high and 14 1/4 inches long, three front and one end access panels, an extension panel for a 60 inch opening, two 2 inch floor drains, and one dedicated 120 volt line with a 20 amp GFCI outlet. Dual models carried 16 air jets on a 4.5 amp pump and 9 adjustable plus 4 fixed hydro jets on a 5 amp pump with a 650 watt in-line heater.

Ella's Bubbles has not published a current model as the Chi's direct replacement, so the route is a fit check rather than a name swap. Send the team:

• The model and serial number from the label behind the access panel next to the door, or a photo of the whole label.
• The measurements of the space the Chi occupies, and whether the opening was finished to 60 inches with the extension panel.
• Which side the door and the drains sit on as you face the tub, and where the house drain is.
• The therapy package you have now (soaking, hydro, air, dual, microbubble or heated seat) and whether you want the same again.
• Whether the Chi was installed with the below-the-floor drain option.

With those details the team can name the current model that fits the footprint and the door swing, and send its spec sheet so your contractor can confirm it before anything is ordered.

Bariatric and Transfer Tubs: The TransferXXL 36x55

The bariatric air massage wide-seat tub shown as 5502 or 355502 on older paperwork is discontinued, and the TransferXXL 36x55 is the current bariatric transfer door option that took its place. The correct name is TransferXXL; there is no XXXL model in the Ella's Bubbles lineup, and an XXXL entry on an older schematic is a misprint. The video on this page shows how the Transfer family's outward-swinging L-shaped door works: it locks with a two-pin system, swings open a full 180 degrees, and there is no sidewall next to the seat, so a bather can wheel up beside the tub and transfer onto the seat, sit on the edge and swing the feet in, or step in and sit down. If you are replacing a Tramo WT5932 wheelchair transfer tub or another gel coat wheelchair-access model, the Transfer family is where the team will look first, but confirm with your serial number rather than assuming a size.

What to Send so the Team Can Name the Replacement

1. Photograph the serial label behind the access panel next to the door. If the label is gone, the team can find the order from the purchaser's name, email or shipping address.
2. Photograph the outside of the tub showing the door and the faucet. The door family identifies the tub even when the name has worn off, as explained in Is My Tub an Ella? Identifying the Brand and Model From Labels, Doors and Faucets Before Ordering Parts.
3. Note roughly when the tub was installed, whether you are the original owner, and where it was purchased.
4. Measure the space: width, length and the height available, plus the clear floor in front of the door side.
5. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with the photos and measurements, and say the tub is a retired model.

The team can send the older manual and spec sheet for your model, identify the closest current model, and send its spec sheet for your contractor's fit check.

Staying with the Tub You Have

A discontinued model does not have to be replaced. Technical support continues for the life of the tub, and parts for retired models are handled case by case; for a tub 6 or more years old some parts may no longer be stocked, and the team confirms a current equivalent or a substitute, as described in Are Parts Still Available for My Older Ella Tub?. Where an original faucet is no longer offered, the 5-Piece Fast Fill faucet is the replacement, supplied in the version sized for your existing deck plate. Legacy thermostatic valves, doors, drains and controllers are covered in Parts and Support for Older or Discontinued Ella Tubs: Legacy TCVs, Faucets, Doors, Drains and Controllers. If the tub still holds water and the pumps run, a replacement part is usually the smaller job.

Watch: Wheelchair Transfer Walk-In Tubs Designed for Easy Access | Voted Safest/Best 2020 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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