Which side is a left drain? Stand facing the tub as if you were about to step in: a left drain walk-in tub has its drains, faucet and water supply at the end on your left, and because Ella builds the door and seat at the opposite end from the drains, a left drain tub is the same thing as a right-hand door tub. If you get confused, remember one rule: the door and the drains are always on opposite sides. A right-side door means left-side drains, and a left-side door means right-side drains, with left and right as you face the tub.

Likely Causes

• Naming the tub by its drain side and by its door side at the same time, when the two are always opposite.
• Product photos show one configuration only, even though every model except the Front Entry is built in left-hand and right-hand versions.
• Reading the side from the hinges rather than from the door and seat position.
• An older video that describes the door and drains on the same side; current product pages and drawings place them at opposite ends.

What to Check, in Order

1. Stand where you will approach the tub, facing it and ready to step in. All left and right naming uses this view.
2. Decide which side the door and seat should be on. Think about grab-bar reach and check the swing of an outward door against your toilet and vanity.
3. Place the drains at the other end. The faucet holes are drilled at the factory at the drain end, opposite the seat, so a right-hand door tub has its drains and faucet on the left. Our guide to choosing left-hand or right-hand covers this choice in full.
4. Locate your house drain, but do not let it decide the side. Roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame leaves room for a 2 inch PVC line, so a tub with drains on the right can connect to a house drain on the left under the tub.
5. Plan the connection with your installer. Most models use dual 2 inch drains ending in 4-port T-type bodies; connect the ports you need and cap the rest, with a 2 inch house drain recommended. The Standard family and the Front Entry have a single 2 inch drain with two ports that also connects from either side, and the LayDown uses a single brass drain. Layouts are in plumbing and drain configurations.
6. Write the configuration on your order as the door side and confirm it with your installer, checking door opening widths and swing arcs by model if an outward door lands near a wall.

When to Open a Ticket

If you are unsure which configuration you ordered or own, send a photo of the tub taken from where you step in, your model, and a sketch of the house drain location through ellasbubbles.com/support. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm the door side and the drain side from the photo.

The video shows the dual 2 inch drains feeding 4-port T-type drain bodies and explains that the installer can connect all four ports or connect on the left or right side only and seal the unused ports.

Common Questions