Which Ella Walk-In Tubs Have Dual Drains, and Does It Combine With Hydrotherapy?

Ella's Dual Drain system, two oversized 2 inch drains connected to dual four-port T-type drains by stainless steel cables, is built into most seated Ella walk-in tubs: the stainless inward-swing family, the Ultra, the outward-swing family other than the Front Entry, the Transfer family and the two-seat tubs. The exceptions with a single drain are the Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow, the two LayDown tubs and the Front Entry. Dual drains combine with hydrotherapy as a matter of course, because the drain arrangement comes with the shell of the model you choose rather than with the therapy package; the 60-inch inward-swing tub, for example, has dual drains and ships with hydro, air and independent foot massage. What Is the Overflow on a Walk-In Tub? explains the opening at each drain handle; this page lists the models and answers the ordering question.

Which Models Have Dual Drains and Which Have One

The table lists each family as the published guides describe it, with the therapy systems named in those same guides. Where a guide does not state a figure, the cell says not listed.

What the table means in practice: if dual drains matter to you, choose a seated tub from the inward-swing, outward-swing, Ultra, Transfer or two-seat families, and the therapy package you want goes into that same shell. If you are drawn to the Standard for its hydro-only value or to a LayDown for bathing at full length, you are choosing a single oversized 2 inch drain, which is still larger than the 1 1/2 inch single drain the two videos describe as the industry standard.

Why a Lie-Down Tub or a Standard Has One Drain

Owners comparing a seated tub with a lie-down tub often notice the difference at the deck. On the Dual Drain tubs each of the two deck dials is connected to a floor drain by a stainless steel cable, the opening around each dial is plumbed to its own drain as the overflow, and the easy-turn handles double as air vents. The LayDown60 30x60 is built differently: a flat floor with no seat, and a single cable-operated opener driving an oversized 2 inch threaded brass drain with a copper overflow. Its large, easy-to-turn control is designed for fast draining, the connection direction is optional, and the owner's manual notes that fewer turns drain faster and that the house drain should be verified first. Because this is brass hardware rather than a dual drain kit, mention that the tub is a LayDown whenever you order drain parts.

The Standard 30x52 and Standard60 are single-drain seated tubs. Each has one 2 inch gravity drain with an overflow and an emergency pull-up chain, and the T-type body under the tub has multiple ports so the installer can connect from either side, with unused ports capped. The Standard60 can be ordered with the drain on the left or the right. Neither tub is offered with a second drain, and neither is offered as a soaker or with air massage, so the configuration you see is the one that ships.

Can I Order Dual Drains and Hydrotherapy on the Same Tub?

Yes, and you do not order them as two options. Every Ella therapy package is built into the shell at the factory, and everything structural, including the dual 2 inch drains, is the same on a jetted tub as on the soaker version of the same model. What Is a Soaker Tub and How Does It Differ From a Jetted Tub? spells that out: adding hydro massage adds jets, a pump, plumbing and the in-line heater under the tub, and changes nothing about the drains. So a Dual Drain model with hydro massage, air massage, independent foot massage or microbubble keeps both drains, and the 60-inch inward-swing tub can even be special ordered with all four systems on board. The reverse is also true: the Standard pairs 18 hydro jets with a single drain, so the drain count has nothing to do with whether a tub has hydrotherapy. Pick the model for its drains, then pick the therapy package the model accepts, and confirm the combination with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you finalize.

How the Dual Drain Works and What the Videos Show

Both videos on this page demonstrate the system. The two 2 inch drains feed dual four-port T-type drains under the tub, and the installer can connect the house drain to all four ports for maximum draining capacity or seal off the ports not being used on either the left or the right side. The second video shows a live demonstration of water flowing from all four ports, with a house connection on the left side of one tub and on the right side of another, and notes that your installer determines which side suits your home's drain configuration. Ella recommends a 2 inch house drain. The handles also act as dual air vents, doubling the venting that eliminates air pockets and maximizes outflow. The system is gravity driven with no powered pump, so a pump or power failure cannot slow the drain and leave you waiting to exit. The second video states an average drain time of approximately 80 seconds under ideal conditions for a typical Ella tub.

What to Know as an Owner of a Dual Drain Tub

• Fill to just below the center of the drain handles at most; water that rises above the overflow opening runs out through the drain.
• A single-pump hydro system needs the water only 1 to 2 inches above the highest jets, and no pump should run before the jets are covered.
• If water disappears during a bath, make sure both drains are fully closed and the locking nuts on both drain stoppers are tight. A partly open drain is far more common than an overflow fault.
• The overflow is listed as covered supporting equipment under the Lifetime Limited Warranty. If a dial or its opening is damaged, photograph it and open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number.
• Installation often calls for floor modifications to accommodate the oversized 2 inch drains, so share the drain drawing with your plumber early.

Watch: The Best Dual Drain Technology for Walk-In Tubs | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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• What Is Dual Drain Technology on a Walk-In Tub?
• How does the Ella dual drain speed up draining a walk-in tub?
• Drainage and Fill Time

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