Therapies & Operation

These guides cover using and operating the controls on your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub. Articles explain the push button controls, also called easy-touch buttons, and the digital touchpad. Learn how to operate the hydro jets, air massage, microbubble system, and heated seat. Find answers to common questions, including how to adjust jet intensity with the dial, turn off jets in an emergency, and troubleshoot a heated seat or air massage that stays on one speed. Information on operating controls with limited grip is also available.

• Push Button Controls vs the Digital Touchpad: Operating Every Deck ControlElla walk-in tubs come with a choice of deck controls: on and off push button controls, or the digital touchpad. Both operate the same therapy systems, they just do it a little differently. With push controls, the air button cycles high, medium, low, off and the water button starts and stops the hydro pump; on the digital touchpad, the air bubble icon starts the air massage, plus and minus set the intensity, and a…
• Common Questions About Operating Your Walk-In TubMost questions about operating a walk-in tub have short, verified answers, and this page collects the common questions about operating your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub in one place. The essentials: the water button runs the hydro jets, the air button steps through three speeds starting at high, the light button runs the LED and turns off with a two second hold, the water must be 2 inches above the highest jets…
• What Is the Intensity Control Dial on a Walk-In Tub?The intensity control dial is the chrome dial on the deck of every Ella hydro massage tub that lets you make the water jets stronger or gentler. You may also hear it called the jet intensity dial, the hydro intensity control or simply the air control. That last name fits best, because the dial works by adding or removing air in the jet stream rather than by changing anything electrical. It is an air control on a…
• What Are Push Controls (Easy-Touch Buttons) on a Walk-In Tub?Push controls, also called easy-touch buttons, on and off push buttons or pneumatic deck buttons, are the chrome buttons on the deck of an Ella walk-in tub that start and stop the pumps and the light. Each button sends a small puff of air through a slim tube to a relay inside the control box, so there is no electricity at the button itself. A gentle press with the palm of your hand is all they need. Chrome push…
• What Is the Digital Controller (Touchpad) on a Walk-In Tub?The digital controller, also called the digital touchpad, digital control panel or keypad, is Ella's alternative to chrome push buttons for running the therapy systems on a walk-in tub. Instead of pneumatic buttons it uses a flat panel on the deck: a bubble icon starts the air massage, plus and minus keys set the speed, and holding the icon for two seconds stops it. The therapy systems underneath are the same as…
• Why Does My Air Massage Stay on One Speed?If the air stays on one speed, the first thing to check is the press sequence, because the three speed air massage does not ramp up the way many people expect. Press the air button once for high, twice for medium, three times for low, and a fourth time to turn the air off. So the very first press gives you the strongest setting, and each following press steps down. Owners who assume the first press is low often…
• What Do I Do If My Walk-In Tub Jets Are Too Strong?If your jets are too strong, or the back jets push you forward, the first thing to reach for is the intensity dial on the deck. Every hydro tub has one, and turning it down removes air from the jet stream for a gentler flow, all the way down to where the massage is barely noticeable. For the air massage, the fix is the press sequence: the first press is high, the second is medium and the third is low, so pressing…
• Why Isn't My Heated Seat Working?If your heated seat is not working, the first thing to check is the timer. The heated seat and back switches itself off after 20 minutes, so a seat that was warm and then went cool has not failed; press the button again to restart it. Press the heated seat button once to start and again to stop, and for the best result turn it on 10 to 15 minutes before entering the tub. If the seat has never warmed at all, the…
• How Do I Turn the Jets Off in an Emergency?If you need to turn the jets off in an emergency, use the same controls that started them: each function has its own on and off control on the deck, and none of them needs a sequence to stop. Hydro massage is one press on and one press off. Air massage cycles high, medium and low, and the fourth press turns it off. The chromatherapy light turns off with a two second hold. The in line heater has no switch of its…
• What Does This Button on My Walk-In Tub Do?If you are wondering what a button on your walk-in tub does, you are in good company, because some Transfer and legacy tubs ship with unlabeled push buttons and that is normal. Here is the quick key: Water is the hydro pump, Air is the three speed air massage, Micro is the microbubble system, Light is the LED chromatherapy, and the button with a flame on it is the heated seat. The plain knob with no label on a…
• Arthritis and Operating a Walk-In Tub With Limited Grip: Handles, Buttons, Drains and Warm WaterMany Ella's Bubbles customers with arthritis choose a walk-in tub, and the everyday controls on an Ella tub can be operated without a strong grip: the door handle tension can be eased with a lock nut adjustment, the drain openers are turn handles that need only a light hand, the faucet uses lever handles, the push controls respond to a gentle palm press, and every hydro tub has an intensity dial that softens the…
• Digital Keypad or Push Buttons: Which Therapies It Controls and Which Is Easier to UseThe digital keypad is available only on tubs ordered with a combination of jetting systems, such as air plus hydro. It cannot be fitted to a hydro-only tub. Even on a fully loaded tub the keypad does not control everything: microbubble therapy and the independent hydro foot massage keep their own push buttons, and the warehouse confirms which functions stay on buttons before the build begins. For bathers with…
• Are Ella Walk-In Tub Controls Clearly Labeled and Easy to Use?Yes. Ella's push controls on the tub deck are labeled by function, with an "Air" button for the air massage, a "Water" button for the hydro jets, a "Light" button for the chromatherapy light and a dial for jet intensity, and the digital touchpad uses an air bubble icon, a hydro button and plus and minus keys. The Transfer brochure callout diagram explained shows where each of these sits on the deck of the…
• How Do You Use a Walk-In Bathtub Step by Step?You use a walk-in bathtub in a set order: open the door, step over the low threshold, sit on the built-in seat, close the door, and only then fill the tub. When the bath is over, open the drain, wait for the water to leave, then open the door and step out. The sequence exists because the door is part of the tub wall and has to stay closed while there is water inside, which is the key point behind the…
• Can each bather in an Ella two-seat tub control their own therapies?Partly, and the split is the same on every Ella two-seat tub (Companion, Escape, Tub4Two and Big4Two). Each bather has their own foot hydro massage, driven by a separate pump with its own on/off button and intensity dial for each side, and with the heated seat option each seat has its own heater box and keypad. The air massage, the seat and back hydro jets and the LED chromatherapy light run from one digital…
• Can I upgrade my Ella walk-in tub from push buttons to a digital touchpad?Yes, on a tub with a combination of jetting systems. Ella's team can send a digital control matched to the blue control box on your tub, and it mounts in the deck where two push buttons currently sit, as Where Can the Digital Control Be Mounted and How Is It Installed? explains. The limit is your therapy package: the keypad is offered only on tubs with a combination of jetting systems such as air plus hydro, so…
• Does each seat in the Big4Two have its own therapy controls?Partly. Every Big4Two seat has its own jets, and the published two-seat schematic gives each side its own foot hydro pump with its own intensity dial and its own heated seat keypad, but the main therapy controls are shared. One digital controller runs the air massage, the seat hydro massage and the LED light for both bathers, and one intensity dial sets the seat jet strength for the whole tub. What the Two-Seat…
• What Does Each Icon on the Ella Digital Touchpad Mean and Do?The Ella digital touchpad has a short set of icons, and each one runs a single therapy: the air bubble icon starts the air massage, the plus and minus keys set its intensity, the hydro button starts and stops the hydro jets, and the light button runs the LED chromatherapy. On tubs built with them, the panel also turns the foot jet pump on and off and runs the heated seat. Every gesture is demonstrated on both…
• How Do I Adjust or Close Individual Hydro Jets on My Walk-In Tub?On an Ella walk-in tub you adjust the hydro jets in two places. The intensity dial on the deck sets the strength of the whole hydro massage, and each foot jet has a center nozzle that works as a valve, so you can open it, reduce it or shut it off by hand. Air jets cannot be closed one by one, and Ella's published guidance describes adjusting flow and strength rather than aiming a jet. The full procedure is in…
• Can I Upgrade My Ella Walk-In Tub From Push Buttons to a Digital Touchpad?In many cases yes, an Ella walk-in tub with push buttons can be fitted with a digital touchpad, but only if the tub has the right therapy package and a compatible control box. The digital control is available only on tubs with a combination of jetting systems, such as air plus hydro, and each control is matched to the control box on the tub. The physical work is described in Where Can the Digital Control Be…

These guides cover Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub therapy systems and features, including hydro massage, air massage, and microbubble therapy. Learn about independent foot massage, H2 hydrogen therapy, aromatherapy, and chromatherapy LED lights. Articles explain the heated seat and backrest, bidet jets, and ozone sterilization. Understand how different therapy packages combine pumps, heaters, and controls, and find answers to common questions about choosing and operating these systems.

• Infusion Microbubble Therapy: What It Does and Which Tubs Offer ItInfusion Microbubble Therapy is one of Ella's most popular therapy options. With one touch of a button, the system fills your bath with billions of tiny oxygen rich bubbles, each smaller than 50 microns, that soften and exfoliate the skin and turn the water a beautiful cloudy white. It is a skin therapy rather than a massage, and customers with dry or sensitive skin choose it most often. This article explains what…
• Light Chromatherapy: Using the LED Colors and Fixing a Light That Will Not Turn OnLight chromatherapy on an Ella walk-in tub is a multi colored LED inside the tub that cycles through a soothing range of colors, adding a relaxing visual dimension to your bath. Press the light button once to start the cycle, keep pressing to hold a color you like, and press and hold for two seconds to turn it off. It works the same way whether your tub has the easy touch push buttons or the digital touchpad. This…
• Independent Foot Massage: A Foot Spa Without Filling the Whole TubIndependent foot massage is one of the most loved therapy options on Ella walk-in tubs, because it gives you a genuine foot spa without filling the whole tub. Fill just the foot well to just below the seat and just above the calf jets, press the foot massage button, and a relaxing therapeutic foot massage is only minutes away. It runs on its own dedicated pump with its own intensity dial, so it never borrows power…
• Adding Infusion Microbubble Therapy to a Conventional Bathtub: The Universal Installation Kit and the NuWhirl Install GuidesYes, microbubble therapy can be added to a regular bathtub. Ella's Bubbles offers the Infusion Microbubble Therapy Universal Installation Kit, a microbubble retrofit kit designed for standard conventional tubs with a small installation footprint. The pump, pressure tank and plumbing mount behind or beneath the tub, so the installer needs access to that space, and Ella's site says the kit is installed by a licensed…
• Every Therapy and Control Video in One Place: Air, Hydro, Foot Massage, Microbubble, Heated Seat, Lights and ControlsLooking for the walk-in tub therapy and control videos in one place? Ella's Bubbles has published a short video for nearly every therapy and control on its walk-in tubs, and this page lists them all with one line on what each shows, so you can find the air speeds, the hydro dial, the foot massage, microbubbles, the heated seat, the lights and the control panels quickly. Three of them are embedded below, and every…
• Common Questions About Ella Hydrogen Therapy: PPB and PPM, How It Is Generated, Which Tubs Can Have It and the Test VideoElla hydrogen therapy is a generator and pump installed under the molded seat of the tub, fed from a distilled water tank, that injects molecular hydrogen into the bath water through a single jet below seat level at the push of a button. Ella's published page states that the water reaches 1500 ppb of hydrogen by the time the tub fills to the drain overflow and may rise to 2000 ppb during an extended bath of 15 to…
• Bidet Jets and Where the Air Jets Sit: Upper, Lower and Bidet Positions by FamilyBidet jets on an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub are air jets, not water jets. They belong to the three-speed air massage system, sit at the base of the seat where they help bathers clean hard-to-reach places, and run whenever the air massage runs, at whichever speed you have chosen. They have no switch of their own. This page explains the three air jet positions on each tub family, which tubs have bidet jets, how the…
• The Aromatherapy Canister: How It Works, What Goes In It, How It Is Plumbed and Which Tubs Can Have ItThe aromatherapy option on an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub is a small canister plumbed into the jet system, with a chrome twist cap sitting flush on the tub deck. You twist the cap open, add a scent cartridge or your chosen bath scent or essential oil, twist it closed, and the water circulating through the jets picks up the aroma and carries it into the bath. It is a NuWhirl system, it is an option rather than a…
• What Comes With Each Therapy Package: Pumps, In-Line Heater, Ozone, Auto Purge, LED, Dials, Pressure Tank and Controls at a GlanceThe tub itself stays the same whichever therapy package you choose. What changes is the equipment installed underneath it: which pumps, whether the in-line heater and ozone generator are included, whether the LED light comes along, how many intensity dials sit on the deck, and which controls you press. This cheat sheet lays all of that out package by package so you can see at a glance what each one includes before…
• Common Questions About Choosing Therapies: Hydro or Air for Muscle Tension, Foot Massage Versus Microbubble, Fewer Jets, and Whether Ozone Is a TherapyChoosing a therapy package comes down to a few practical questions: do you want a firm, targeted massage or a gentle one, do you care more about your feet or your skin, and how much equipment do you want under the tub? Below are the ten questions people ask most often when deciding, each with a short answer and a pointer to a fuller article. None of this is medical advice; if you are bathing for a health reason…
• What Is H2 Hydrogen Therapy on a Walk-In Tub?H2 hydrogen therapy on an Ella walk-in tub is a hydrogen generator and pump installed under the molded seat, fed from a distilled water tank, that infuses the bath with molecular hydrogen as micro and nano bubbles through a single jet below seat level. Owners also call it a hydrogen bath, hydrogen water therapy or the H2 system. On the Standard60 it is packaged together with microbubbles as the H2 and…
• What Is Chromatherapy (LED Light) on a Walk-In Tub?Chromatherapy on an Ella walk-in tub is a multi-colored LED light inside the tub that cycles through eight soothing colors, adding a relaxing visual dimension to your bath. Owners also call it the LED light, light therapy or the mood light. Press the light button once to start the cycle, keep pressing to hold a color you like, and press and hold for two seconds to turn it off. How it works The LED sits inside…
• What Is an Aromatherapy Canister on a Walk-In Tub?An aromatherapy canister on an Ella walk-in tub is an optional NuWhirl canister teed into the jet plumbing beneath the deck, topped by a chrome twist cap sitting flush on the tub deck. You add a scent cartridge or a few drops of essential oil, and the water circulating through the jets carries the aroma into the bath. Owners also call it the aromatherapy option or the scent canister. How it works The system…
• What Is Ozone Sterilization on a Walk-In Tub?Ozone sterilization is a built-in ozone generator on Ella hydro massage tubs that releases natural ozone into the water system whenever the hydro pump runs, eliminating mold and bacteria and preventing mildew and odor from developing in the lines. Also called ozone sanitation, the ozonator or the ozone sanitizer, it is a hygiene feature rather than a therapy, and it needs nothing from you. How it works The…
• What Is Infusion Microbubble Therapy on a Walk-In Tub?Infusion Microbubble Therapy is a skin therapy option on Ella walk-in tubs that fills the bath with billions of oxygen-rich bubbles smaller than 50 microns from a single port, turning the water cloudy white and softening and exfoliating the skin. It is a skin treatment rather than a massage, popular with people who have dry or sensitive skin. How it works The system uses its own dedicated 1 HP water pump…
• What Are Hydro Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub?Hydro massage jets, also called hydrotherapy jets, water jets or whirlpool jets, are the water jets in an Ella walk-in tub that are fed by a pump recirculating your bath water. They deliver a deep, targeted massage to the back, hips, legs and feet, with the strength set by the intensity dial on the deck. The gentler air massage system is covered in hydro massage vs air massage . How it works When you press…
• What Are Air Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub?Air massage jets are the small brass jets set into the seat, the base of the seat and the footwell floor of an Ella walk-in tub. Fed by a three-speed blower, they deliver a gentle, effervescent full-body bubble massage. You will also hear them called air jets or bubble jets; together they make up the air massage system, the softer counterpart to hydro massage . How it works Pressing the Air button sends a…
• What Are Bidet Jets on a Walk-In Tub?Bidet jets on an Ella walk-in tub are air jets positioned at the base of the seat to help with personal hygiene in places that are hard to reach. Sometimes called hygiene jets or bidet air jets, they belong to the three-speed air massage system, run at whatever speed you have chosen, and have no switch of their own. They are air, not water: the air blower drives them and the Auto Purge cycle clears them after…
• What Is Independent Foot Massage on a Walk-In Tub?Independent foot massage is a therapy option on Ella walk-in tubs that gives the foot and calf jets their own dedicated hydro pump and their own intensity dial. Because the foot jets no longer depend on the seat jets, you can fill only the footwell and enjoy a foot spa without filling the whole tub. Ella also calls it the Hydro Foot package, and the full story is in Independent Foot Massage: A Foot Spa Without…
• What Is a Heated Seat and Backrest on a Walk-In Tub?The heated seat and backrest is an optional 4A radiant surface heating system built into the seat and backrest of an Ella walk-in tub. Controlled by its own small keypad, it warms the surfaces you sit and lean against so the tub feels cozy while it fills and after it drains, and it shuts itself off after 20 minutes. Owners also call it the seat heater or, from the invoice code, the HSB. It is completely separate…
• What Is a Therapy Package on a Walk-In Tub?A therapy package, sometimes called the jetting package or massage package, is the set of pumps and systems installed under an Ella walk-in tub at order time. The choices are Soaking, Hydro Massage, Air Massage, Air plus Hydro, Hydro plus Independent Foot Massage, Hydro plus Microbubble, and triple combinations on certain models. The package decides the jet count, the deck controls, whether the LED light and…
• How Does the Aromatherapy Option on My Tub Work?If you are asking how the aromatherapy option works, here is the simple version: it is a canister built into the tub's plumbing, a four part assembly that lets you insert and replace scents or essential oils so the fragrance is carried into the bath while the tub runs. It is an ordered option rather than a standard feature, so the first thing to check is whether the canister was part of your order. Oils are never…
• How Do I Use Only the Foot Massage Without Filling the Whole Tub?Whether you can use only the foot massage without filling the whole tub depends on one thing: whether your therapy package includes Independent Foot Massage. Packages with that option put the foot jets on their own pump and their own button, so the foot spa runs with only the footwell filled, to just below the seat and just above the calf jets. Without that package the upper jets share the pump with the foot jets…
• Why Does Only One Side of My Two Seat Tub Massage?When only one side of your two seat tub massages, the good news is that the problem is almost always local to that side rather than a failure of the whole tub. On a two seat tub the digital controller runs the air massage, the seat hydro and the LED for both seats, but each side has its own foot hydro pump and dial, and its own heated seat box and keypad. So a dead foot well or a cold seat is diagnosed on that…
• Can I Add Air Jets, a Heater or a Heated Seat to My Tub Later?Wondering whether you can add air jets, a heater or a heated seat to your tub later? The short answer is that therapy systems are factory builds and cannot be added after the tub is made, while a heated seat is an option chosen at order time on any standard order. Air jets cannot be added to a hydro only tub, because each therapy package comes with its own dedicated pump, plumbing and switches built into the…
• Walk-In Tub Therapy Options and FeaturesElla walk-in tubs are available with five jetting and therapy options, soaker, hydro, air plus hydro, hydro plus micro bubbles, and hydro plus independent foot massage, along with features like heated seating, ozone sterilization, and LED chromotherapy lighting. All tubs are made from acrylic and use push-button controls rather than electronic touch panels. The Five Therapy Options Every Ella walk-in tub can be…
• Hydro Massage vs Air Massage vs Microbubble: What Each System Does and How They CombineHydro massage and air massage are two different systems. Hydro massage uses a water pump to draw water from the tub and push it back through jets aimed at your back, calves and feet, which gives the strong, traditional jetted-tub feeling. Air massage uses an air pump to push air through small jets in the seat and the tub floor, producing a gentler bubbling sensation. Microbubble is a third feature that is a…
• Foot Massage Jets Not Working? Fill Level and Shared-Pump Foot Jets ExplainedIf your tub has hydro massage, it has foot jets in the footwell, and they are almost certainly working. On a standard hydro package the foot jets share one pump with the jets behind your back and sides, so nothing comes out of the footwell until the tub is filled above the highest hydro jets. Fill to that line, press the hydro button, and the foot jets run together with the rest. How to tell whether your tub has…
• Is There a Time Limit on How Long the Microbubble Pump Runs?No. The microbubble pump on an Ella walk-in tub has no time limit and no automatic shutoff. It keeps running for as long as you leave it switched on, and it stops only when you press the control to turn it off. Ella technical support confirms it will run for an hour or so if that is what you want. This is different from the air massage system, which has a built-in Auto Purge cycle that runs on its own after your…
• Why Does the Air Massage Blow Cold Air? There Is No Heating ElementThe air massage system on an Ella walk-in tub does not produce warmed air and has no heating element inside the air pump. The pump motor warms up as it runs and eventually pushes warmer air, but it draws its supply from the space under the tub, so a cold floor or an unheated space beneath the tub means cooler air at the jets. This is normal operation, not a fault. How the air pump works The air pump is a blower…
• Can One Walk-In Tub Have Air, Hydro, Microbubble and Foot Massage Together?Yes, on the largest frames. Each massage system on an Ella walk-in tub runs on its own pump under the seat, so all four systems (air, back hydro, independent foot hydro and microbubble) fit only where there is room for four pumps: the Big4One, the ShaK and the two-seat tubs, with the TransferXXL by special order. Compact 52 inch tubs take two systems and mid-size frames take three. The full menu by model is in…
• Can the Chromatherapy LED Light Be Left Off a Walk-In Tub Order?On the tubs that include it, the chromatherapy LED light is part of the therapy package rather than a separate add-on, and it is installed at the factory with its own control box and transformer, so it is not something that gets dropped from an order. If you would rather not use it, press and hold the light button for two seconds and it stays off. What the light is, how it works and which models offer it are…
• Can I Use My Jetted Ella Walk-In Tub as a Plain Soaking Tub With the Jets Off?Yes. Every therapy system on an Ella walk-in tub is switched on by its own push control, and nothing runs until you press it. Fill the tub, leave the controls alone, and you have a plain soaking tub. Turn the jets on for the sessions when you want them and leave them off when you do not. There is no setting to change and no bypass to install. How the push controls work Ella's jetted tubs use push controls on…
• What Is a Bubble Tub and How Does Air Massage Work?A bubble tub is the everyday name for a walk-in tub with an air massage system. An air pump pushes air through fully plumbed lines to air jets in the seat and between the legs, and the air rises through the bath water as a blanket of bubbles that you control with one push button. Ella also offers a second kind of bubble, the Infusion microbubble therapy, which turns the water cloudy with billions of tiny bubbles…
• Do Walk-In Tubs Come With Hydrotherapy Jets and Massage Features?Yes. Every Ella walk-in tub is ordered with one of five therapy packages, and four of the five include jets: hydro massage, air massage combined with hydro jets, hydro massage with microbubbles, and hydro massage with an independent foot massage. Only the soaker option has no jets. The full menu of packages and add-on features is in Walk-In Tub Therapy Options and Features ; this page explains what each kind of…
• What type of walk-in tub is best for back pain relief?The best walk-in tub for back pain is one equipped with hydro massage, because the water-powered jets aimed at the back deliver the deep, targeted massage that Ella's massage guide suggests for muscle and back pain. Air massage is a much lighter bubbling soak, and microbubble is a skin treatment rather than a massage, so neither is the first choice when a sore back is the reason you are shopping. The three systems…
• What is a hydrogen bath and is it good for skin?A hydrogen bath on an Ella walk-in tub is a normal warm bath into which a built-in generator infuses molecular hydrogen gas as micro and nano bubbles, started with one press of the H2 button. The generator and its pump sit under the molded seat and are fed from a small tank of distilled water, and by the time the tub fills to the drain overflow the bath water carries 1500 PPB of dissolved hydrogen, which is 1.5…
• What is a therapeutic bath in a walk-in tub?A therapeutic bath, in an Ella walk-in tub, is a bath taken with one or more of the tub's therapeutic massage systems running: air massage, hydro massage, independent foot massage or microbubbles, often with the heated seat and the chromatherapy light alongside. Ella's own component diagrams label these packages Air Therapeutic Massage and Hydro Therapeutic Massage, and Which Therapy Combinations Fit Which Tub…
• Which Ella walk-in tub has the strongest jet massage pressure?Ella does not publish a pressure ranking for its jetted tubs, and the tub with the biggest pump is not automatically the one with the strongest massage. Ella fits the hydro pump to the tub family: the standard hydro pump on the single-seat tubs, a larger pump on the two-seat tubs and the largest pump, called the Hercules, on the Big4Two, with each pump chosen for the volume of water and the number of jets it has…
• Which Ella walk-in tub package is best for you and what does it include?The best walk-in tub package is the one whose equipment matches the way you bathe, because the tub shell stays the same whichever package you choose and only the pumps, heater, light and controls underneath change. Ella builds every tub with one of the packages listed in What Comes With Each Therapy Package: Pumps, In-Line Heater, Ozone, Auto Purge, LED, Dials, Pressure Tank and Controls at a Glance : Soaking…
• What is a hydro tub and how does hydro massage work?A hydro tub is a walk-in tub fitted with a hydro massage package: a water pump under the tub draws bath water in, pushes it through an in-line heater and sends it back out through adjustable jets in the seat, back, feet and calves. You control the feel with a chrome intensity dial on the deck, which adds or removes air in the jet stream. The heater is the part most owners ask about, and What Is an In-Line Water…
• What Is an Air Bath Tub and How Do Air Jets Work?An air bath tub, sometimes called a bubble tub or a bubbler tub, is a bathtub with a blower that pushes air through small jets in the seat and floor, so the water fills with soft, effervescent bubbles around your body. On an Ella walk-in tub this is the air massage system, and What Are Air Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub? describes the jets themselves. This page explains how the system works from the button press…
• Which Ella walk-in tubs offer quick fill, auto heat and programmable cycles?Quick fill, heat that holds while you bathe, and automatic cycles are all part of the Ella walk-in tub line, but they belong to the faucet set and the therapy package rather than to one particular model. Every Ella fast-fill faucet set fills the tub from your home water supply, every hydro massage package includes an in-line water heater that maintains the bath temperature while the jets run, and the air massage…
• What is a hydrotherapy tub with built-in spa jets?A hydrotherapy tub is a bathtub with water jets built into its walls and fed by a pump that recirculates your own bath water, so the tub delivers a massage instead of simply holding water. On an Ella walk-in tub those are the hydro massage jets explained in What Are Hydro Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub? , and they arrive as part of a therapy package on most models in the line, from the hydro-only Standard, Zen and…
• What Temperature Does the In-Line Heater Hold, and Can I Adjust It?The in-line heater on an Ella walk-in tub does not hold a fixed, factory-set temperature. It maintains whatever temperature you filled the tub with, and it runs only while the hydro pump is running, so there is no heater thermostat, dial or button to adjust. You set your bath temperature at the faucet as the tub fills, and the heater then offsets the natural cooling of the water during your hydro massage, as…
• Do Walk-In Tubs Come With Massage Jets and Hydrotherapy Included?Not automatically. On an Ella walk-in tub the massage jets belong to the therapy package chosen when the tub is ordered: most models can be built as a soaker with no jets, with hydro massage, or with hydro and air massage together, while the Standard and Standard60 ship only as hydro tubs with 18 jets. Because the jets and their lines are molded into the shell at the factory, the package cannot be changed after…
• What is an air bath tub and how does the air massage feel?An air bath tub is a walk-in tub whose massage comes from air rather than water. A dedicated air pump pushes air into the bath through air jets in the shell, so the water moves gently around your whole body instead of being driven at you in streams. The feel is lighter and more enveloping than the deep, targeted push of the water jets described in What Are Hydro Massage Jets on a Walk-In Tub? , and Ella describes…
• Can I run only the foot jets on the Transfer60 walk-in tub?Yes, as long as your Transfer60 was built with a Hydro Independent Foot Massage package. That package gives the 6 foot jets their own hydro pump, their own push button and their own intensity dial, so you can fill just the footwell and run the foot jets while the 16 seat jets stay dry and off. On a Transfer60 ordered with the single-pump Hydro Massage package, one 7 amp pump feeds all 22 jets, so the foot jets…
• What Is Air Massage Therapy in a Walk-In Tub and How Does It Work?Air massage is the walk-in tub therapy that uses a three-speed blower to push air through jets built into the tub, so the bath fills with moving bubbles around your seat, hips and feet. On an Ella tub it is chosen at order time as part of a therapy package, explained in What Is a Therapy Package on a Walk-In Tub? , either on its own or paired with hydro massage. It always comes with Auto Purge, which dries the…
• How Do You Make a Hydrogen Bath and What Does It Do?You make a hydrogen bath by infusing bath water with molecular hydrogen gas, and on an Ella walk-in tub that takes one press of a button. A hydrogen generator and pump under the molded seat, fed from a tank of distilled water, inject hydrogen into the bath as micro and nano bubbles through a single jet below seat level, and the water reaches 1500 PPB of hydrogen by the time the tub fills to the drain overflow.…
• Can I Use Bath Salts or Oils With Infusion Microbubble Therapy?Yes to bath salts and Epsom salts, as long as they are fully dissolved and you enjoy your Infusion Microbubble Therapy first, then add the salts for the still soak afterward. Bath oils, bath beads and fragrance oils are discouraged in any Ella tub with a therapy system, and bath bombs are the one product we ask you to skip. The everyday routine is in Can I Use Epsom Salts, Bath Bombs or Bubble Bath in My Walk-In…
• Can I Run Only the Foot Jets on the Transfer60 Without the Seat Jets?Yes, you can run only the foot jets on the Transfer60 when the tub was built with one of its Independent Foot Massage packages. Those packages give the foot and calf jets their own hydro pump, their own button and their own intensity dial, so the seat jets stay off while your feet get the full massage. The general routine for any Ella tub is in How Do I Use Only the Foot Massage Without Filling the Whole Tub?…
• Can Hydro or Air Jets Be Added to an Ella Soaking Tub Later?No. Hydro jets, air jets and the microbubble system cannot be added to an Ella soaking tub after it is built. Every Ella therapy system is built into the shell at the factory, and a soaker is molded without jet openings with nothing installed under the tub. The wider list of what can and cannot be changed after the sale is in Can I Add Air Jets, a Heater or a Heated Seat to My Tub Later? , and this page looks…
• Does an Ella Hydrogen Bath Need Distilled Water, and Is It Safe?No, the bath itself does not need distilled water. You fill the tub with ordinary warm water from your faucet, and distilled water goes only into the small blue tank that feeds the hydrogen generator under the molded seat. What the generator adds to your bath is molecular hydrogen gas in micro and nano bubbles, and every Ella hydrogen tub is individually tested before it ships. Our article What is a hydrogen bath…
• Hydro massage vs air massage: what each system does and how to use the controlsHydro massage vs air massage: Ella walk-in tubs offer two different massage systems, and they work in very different ways. The hydro massage system uses a water pump to recirculate your bath water through strategically placed water jets, giving you a deep, targeted massage for the back, hips, legs, and feet. The air massage system uses a separate three speed air blower to push air through many small jets in the…
• H2 microbubble therapy on the Standard60: setup, distilled water, and what to expectThe H2 and Microbubbles System on the Ella Standard60 combines two therapies in one package: infusion microbubble therapy, which fills the bath with billions of tiny skin softening bubbles, and hydrogen therapy, which infuses the water with dissolved molecular hydrogen. On the Standard60, the system uses a 1 HP, 10A pump with a pressure vessel and agitator valve, and the hydrogen concentration reaches 1500 PPB…
• How the optional heated seat and backrest works, and why it turns off after 20 minutesThe optional heated seat and backrest warms the surfaces you sit and lean against, so the tub feels cozy from the moment you step in, while the water is filling, and even after the bath drains. It is a 4A radiant surface heating system built into the seat and backrest, completely separate from the in-line water heater that works with the hydro jets. Press its button once to turn it on, press again to turn it off…

These guides cover filling and draining your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub, including fill time expectations for fast-fill faucets and how much water is needed before turning on hydro, air, foot, or microbubble jets. Articles here explain the in-line water heater's function in maintaining bath temperature, not raising it, and clarify which tubs include one. You'll also find information on the thermostatic control valve (TCV) for anti-scald protection, recommended water temperatures, and guidelines for warm-water bathing.

• The Thermostatic Control Valve (Anti-Scald): Which Faucets Have It, Its Setting, and Water-Heater AdviceWhether your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub has an anti-scald thermostatic control valve (TCV) depends on the faucet configuration you ordered. Tubs equipped with an Ella thermostatic faucet package include a deck-mounted Thermostatic Control Valve that blends hot and cold water to a set temperature before it leaves the faucet, factory-set at 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Tubs ordered with the dual-lever 5-piece fast-fill…
• How Much Water Before Turning On the Jets: Fill Levels for Hydro, Air, Foot, and MicrobubbleHow much water should be in a walk-in tub before you turn on the jets? Before you switch on any pump in your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub, the water must cover every jet that pump serves. For a full-body hydro massage, fill until the water is 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jets (Ella's official operation video uses 2 inches). For air massage, all air jets must be under water, which means a full-tub fill. For…
• Will I Get Cold While the Tub Fills or Drains? The Most Common Question, Answered on VideoWill I get cold while the tub fills or drains? No, not in the way people fear. It is the question Ella's Bubbles hears most often about walk-in tubs: whether you will sit shivering while the tub fills and again while it drains. The short answer from Ella's own video is that the tub is designed around exactly that worry: fast-fill faucets shorten the wait, the glossy acrylic shell holds heat, the in-line water…
• Warm-Water Bathing Guidelines: Temperature, Duration, Arthritis, Circulation and Skin (Not Medical Advice)How warm and how long should a walk-in tub bath be? Many Ella's Bubbles customers bathe for relief from arthritis, sore joints, circulation concerns or dry skin, and the warm-water bathing guidelines Ella publishes are consistent: keep the water warm rather than hot (never above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), soak for about 20 minutes when the goal is easing muscles and joints, keep it to 10 minutes or less for dry or…
• What Is an In-Line Water Heater on a Walk-In Tub?An in-line water heater is the heater plumbed into the hydro massage loop under an Ella walk-in tub. It maintains, but does not raise, your bath temperature while the hydro pump is running. Sometimes called the inline heater, the hydro heater or the water heater on the jets, it is part of every hydro massage package and works quietly in the background so you stay warm through a long soak. How it works You fill…
• What Is the Water Line Before Running the Jets on a Walk-In Tub?The water line before running the jets, sometimes called the fill line, the waterline or the minimum jet water level, is the amount of water each pump in your Ella walk-in tub needs before you switch it on. For hydro massage it is 1 to 2 inches above the highest hydro jet; Ella's operation video uses 2 inches. For air massage every air jet must be submerged, and for a foot-only session with independent foot…
• Why Doesn't the Water Stay Hot and Why Do the Jets Blow Cold?If the water does not stay hot and the jets blow cold, the first thing to check is what the in line heater is designed to do. It maintains the temperature of the hot water you filled with; it does not heat a cold fill, and it runs only while the hydro pump is running. So the tub does not heat the water on its own. Your home water heater sets the starting temperature, and the in line heater holds it steady during…
• Why Is the Water in My Walk-In Tub Too Hot?When the water in your walk-in tub is too hot, the answer depends on which faucet package your tub was built with. Tubs ordered with an Ella thermostatic faucet package include a Thermostatic Control Valve, or TCV, that blends hot and cold to a set temperature. If your tub has a TCV and the water still runs hotter than the setting, the usual cause is a fouled cartridge, and the fix is to clean or replace it and…
• Walk-In Tub Water Temperature by Condition: A Reference Table (Not Medical Advice)Ella's Bubbles publishes exactly one water temperature ceiling for walk-in tub bathing: 100.4 F. Ella's owner manuals state that water in excess of 100.4 F may be harmful to your health, and the thermostatic control valve on tubs that have one leaves the factory set at that figure. Below that ceiling, the published guidance varies by what the bather is trying to achieve, from about 92 to 100 F for easing joints…
• Does My Ella Tub Include an In-Line Heater? Hydro, Air-Only, Soaker and Clearance UnitsAn in-line water heater is part of Ella's hydro massage systems, and it is not included on soaking-only or air-only tubs. Whether a particular tub, including a clearance unit, has one depends on the therapy package it was built with rather than on the model name alone. The quickest way to know for sure is to check the therapy configuration on your order paperwork or the model's spec sheet, or to ask your Ella…
• How Does a Walk-In Tub Compare to a Hot Tub?The biggest difference is the water. A hot tub holds the same water for an extended period and relies on chemicals, filtration and a pump that cycles around the clock to keep that water safe. An Ella walk-in tub fills with fresh, clean water for every bath and drains completely afterward, so there is nothing to sanitize, balance or test, and the pumps run only while you are in the tub. Fresh water every bath, no…
• Does the Ella Fast-Fill Faucet Hold a Set Water Temperature Automatically?Not on its own. The standard 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill sets mix hot and cold by hand, and only a tub ordered with the thermostatic faucet package includes a thermostatic control valve that holds a set temperature. The two standard sets, their finishes and which tubs ship with which are covered in Ella Fast-Fill Faucets: 2-Piece vs 5-Piece, Finishes, and the Waterfall Option . This page explains how you set…
• How Does a Walk-In Tub Work and How Do You Use It?A walk-in tub works in a fixed order: you step in through the door, close and seal it, sit down, and then fill the tub; when the bath is over you drain it completely and open the door to step out. On an Ella tub the faucet fills at about 16 gallons per minute and the tub drains by gravity through 2 inch drains, so the wait at each end is short, as explained in Drainage and Fill Time . The door, the therapies, the…
• Do Walk-In Tubs Have Heaters to Keep the Water Warm?Yes. Every Ella walk-in tub with hydro massage includes an in-line water heater, but its job is to hold your bath at temperature while the hydro pump runs, not to heat the water in the first place. Your home's water heater does all the work of filling the tub hot, which is why What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub? is the page to read alongside this one. What the in-line heater does The in-line…
• Do You Have to Sit in a Walk-In Tub While It Fills?Yes. On an Ella walk-in tub you step in first, close and lock the door, sit down on the molded seat, and only then turn on the water, and you stay seated until the tub has drained completely before you open the door again. The whole routine from the threshold to stepping out is in How to Take a Bath in Your Walk-In Tub: The Sequence From Stepping In to Stepping Out . This page explains why that order can never…
• How do you fill a walk-in tub after you get in?You fill an Ella walk-in tub from the inside: step into the dry tub, sit fully in the seat, close and lock the door, close the drain completely, set the temperature, then run the faucet until the water is above the highest jets and never above the center of the drain handle. The bath ends the same way in reverse, with the tub drained completely before the door is opened. The full sequence is printed as tick boxes…
• How high should you fill a walk-in bathtub before your bath?Fill a walk-in tub until the water is above the highest jets and never above the center of the drain handle. You are seated inside with the door closed and locked while it fills, so you watch the level rise around you and shut the faucet exactly where you want it, above the jets but comfortably below the drain handle. How do you fill a walk-in tub after you get in? prints the complete sequence; this page…
• How does a walk-in tub work from door to drain?A walk-in tub works by putting the door in the tub wall. You step over a low threshold, sit on a built-in seat, close and latch the door, and only then fill the tub; when the bath is over you drain the water first, then open the door and step out. Ella pairs that sequence with fast-fill faucets, gravity-driven 2 inch drains and, on therapy models, an in-line heater that keeps the water warm while the jets run.…
• Do you have to sit in a walk-in tub while it fills?Yes. In an Ella walk-in tub you step into the dry tub, sit on the built-in seat, close and lock the door, and only then turn on the water, so you are seated inside for the whole fill. The door is part of the tub wall and it only seals once it is closed and locked, which is why the water always comes after you. How high should you fill a walk-in bathtub before your bath? covers the two water-level limits, and…
• How Do I Get Out of My Walk-In Tub Quickly Before It Finishes Draining?A walk-in tub holds its water behind the door seal, so the door stays closed and latched until the tub has emptied, and the quickest way out is to make the drain as fast as it can be. On an Ella walk-in tub that means opening both 2-inch gravity drains as soon as your bath is over. A tub connected to a proper 2-inch drain line typically empties in two minutes or less, as explained in Drainage and Fill Time . Why…
• Does the in-line water heater warm up my bath? What it does and does not doDoes the in-line water heater warm up my bath? No. The in-line water heater on Ella hydro massage tubs is designed to maintain your bath temperature, not to raise it. You fill the tub with comfortably hot water from the faucet, and then, whenever the hydro massage pump is running, the in-line heater keeps that water at a consistent, comfortable temperature so you stay warm through your whole soak. It will not warm…
• How fast will my walk-in tub fill? Fast-fill faucet expectations and operationHow fast will a walk-in tub fill? In real homes, walk-in tub fill time ranges from 7 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the tub and the configuration of your water supply lines. Ella's fast-fill faucets are designed to fill your tub as quickly as your home's plumbing allows: the 2-piece set is designed for 16 GPM and the 5-piece set for 18 GPM, both measured at 60 PSI under ideal in-home plumbing conditions.…

These guides cover caregiver-assisted bathing routines in Ella walk-in tubs, including step-by-step instructions for preparing the room and bather, managing the door, drains, water, and controls. Articles address specific considerations for bariatric bathing, children, individuals with limited mobility, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and those recovering from hip or knee replacement. You'll find information on transfer techniques by door type, managing water temperature for conditions like diabetes and MS, and general bathing sequences from stepping in to stepping out.

• Can I Shower in a Walk-In Tub? Hand Showers, Shower Columns, and ScreensCan you shower in a walk-in tub? Yes, you can absolutely shower in an Ella walk-in tub. Every Ella fast fill faucet set includes an extendable, multi function hand shower, so seated showering is built in from day one. If you would like a full standing or seated shower with an overhead rain shower head, our optional Shower Column Kit adds one to any walk-in tub equipped with an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck mount…
• How to Take a Bath in Your Walk-In Tub: The Sequence From Stepping In to Stepping OutHow do you take a bath in a walk-in tub? You sit inside your Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub with the door closed and locked while it fills, while you bathe and while it drains. The order never changes: step in, sit, close and lock the door, close the drain or drains, fill until the water is above the jets, run your therapies, turn them off, open the drains, wait until the tub is completely empty, then open the door…
• Multiple Sclerosis, Heat Sensitivity and Walk-In Tub BathingIf you or someone you care for lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), a walk-in tub bath plan starts with water temperature, because many people with MS notice that their symptoms are temporarily worse when they are exposed to heat. An Ella walk-in tub gives you several ways to keep a bath comfortably warm rather than hot: you set the fill temperature at the faucet, the thermostatic control valve on tubs that have…
• Diabetes, Foot Care and Walk-In Tub Bathing: Temperature, Foot Jets and Checking AfterwardDiabetes changes one thing about a walk-in tub bath before anything else: if the feet have reduced sensation, they cannot be trusted to judge water temperature, so the water is checked with a thermometer, or held at a set temperature by the thermostatic control valve, rather than tested by stepping in. From there an Ella walk-in tub offers helpful options for foot care, including adjustable foot jets, an intensity…
• Dialysis Access Sites, Open Wounds and When Not to Bathe in a Walk-In TubIf you are on dialysis, have a catheter or other access site, or are healing an open wound, the honest answer to "can I soak in my walk-in tub?" is that your dialysis team or wound clinic decides, not this page and not the tub. What Ella's Bubbles can tell you is exactly what the tub's features do so you can follow the clinic's instructions faithfully: ozone sanitation and the monthly vinegar flush keep the tub's…
• Hydrotherapy, Heart Conditions and Blood Pressure: The Published CautionsEvery Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub manual asks bathers with heart conditions, those taking medication and anyone who is pregnant to consult a physician before bathing in warm water, and that is the extent of Ella's published guidance on the subject. What Ella can add is a clear description of the tub's features so you and your cardiologist can make the decision together: what Ella's own bathing articles say about…
• A Caregiver-Assisted Bathing Routine in a Walk-In Tub, Step by StepA caregiver-assisted bath in an Ella walk-in tub follows the same order as any Ella bath, with the caregiver handling the door, the drains, the water and the controls. The order never changes: get the room and the bather ready, seat the bather with the door closed and locked, close the drains, fill to the right level, run the therapies gently, turn them off, open the drains, wait until the tub is completely empty…
• Transfer Techniques by Walk-In Tub Door Type: What Each Door Allows a Caregiver to DoThe door on a walk-in tub decides how a caregiver can move a bather into the seat. Ella builds inward-swing doors that need no floor space in front but ask the bather to step in and stand while the door closes past their knees, outward-swing U-shape doors that open away from the tub so nobody has to step around a door, the outward L-shape Transfer door that opens the whole side of the tub for a lateral wheelchair…
• Bathing Someone With Limited Mobility in a Walk-In Tub: Features That Help and Habits That Keep It SafeBathing someone with limited mobility in an Ella walk-in tub works best when the tub's features are matched to how the person actually moves and the caregiver keeps a few steady habits. The features: a chair-height seat, a threshold of about 3 1/2 to 7 inches depending on model and drain installation, grab bars on most models, a 5 foot hand shower, doors that open inward or outward, and on tubs with independent…
• Dementia and the Walk-In Tub: Building a Calm, Predictable Bathing RoutineFor a person living with dementia, a good bath is a predictable one: the same time of day, the same order of steps, the same warm seat, and no surprises. An Ella walk-in tub helps with that in ways a caregiver can lean on. The door cannot be opened against a full tub on inward-swing models and stays latched on outward-swing models until the handle is turned fully back, so the bath cannot be cut short by a reach…
• Parkinson's Disease and Walk-In Tub Bathing: Seat, Door, Controls and TimingParkinson's disease changes how a person moves, and a walk-in tub can be chosen and set up to respect those changes: an outward-swing door that needs no knee clearance and no stepping backward, a chair-height seat with grab bars on both sides of the movement, a seat belt accessory for a bather who slides, controls that work with a gentle palm press or a touch, and a thermostatic control valve, where fitted, that…
• Bathing After a Hip or Knee Replacement in a Walk-In Tub: What the Tub Offers and What the Surgeon DecidesAfter a hip or knee replacement, the surgeon sets the rules for bathing: when the incision may be submerged, which hip precautions apply, how far the person may bend, and when jets against the joint are welcome. What an Ella walk-in tub offers within those rules is concrete: a step-in threshold that runs from about 3 1/2 to 7 inches instead of the 18 to 22 inch wall of a standard bathtub, a chair-height molded…
• Bathing a Child in a Walk-In Tub: Pediatric Considerations and the Published RulesCan a child bathe in a walk-in tub? Only with an adult within arm's reach for the entire bath, and only when the child's pediatrician or therapist agrees it is appropriate. Ella's Bubbles does not make a child-specific walk-in tub; every published rule was written for an adult seat and an adult bather, and those rules protect a small bather too: sit fully in the seat, never lie in the footwell, keep the water warm…
• Bariatric Bathing in a Walk-In Tub: Fit, Doors, Floor Loading and Caregiver HelpIs there a bariatric walk-in tub, and what is the weight limit? Ella's Bubbles does not publish a bather weight limit for any of its walk-in tubs. Every acrylic shell sits on a rustproof stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs that carries the load to the floor, so the practical question is fit: seat width, interior length and soaking depth against the bather's seated measurements. Three models are…
• Printable First Bath Checklist for a New Walk-In TubWhat should you do before the very first bath in a new walk-in tub? Run the one-time vinegar flush, check the door seal and the GFCI, then take the bath in the published order: step in, sit, lock the door, close both drains, fill above the highest jets, run the therapies, turn them off, drain completely, then open the door. Print this page and tick the boxes as you go. Print and tick: before the first fill…
• Printable Caregiver Bath-Time Checklist for a Walk-In TubWhat should a caregiver do, in order, when bathing someone in a walk-in tub? Set up the room, warm the seat, check the water before the bather feels it, keep the bather seated with a belt where the care team requires one, stay in the room for the whole bath, and never open the door until the tub is empty. Those follow the Ella owner's manual rules, which require a caregiver in attendance at all times, with an…
• Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In TubYes, bubble bath, shampoo and body wash can be used in a jetted walk-in tub, even while the hydro or air jets are running. The one thing to expect is foam: jets whip soap into far more suds than a standard bathtub, so a normal capful of bubble bath or a full lather of shampoo can climb the walls quickly. Use a fraction of the usual amount, watch the foam level, and rinse the tub afterward so residue does not build…
• How do you get out of a walk-in tub safely after your bath?You get out of a walk-in tub in the reverse of the order you got in: open the drain, stay seated until the water has left, then open the door, stand up with the grab bar, and step out over the low threshold. The door is part of the tub wall and has to stay closed for as long as there is water inside, so the drain always comes before the door. The complete sequence from entry to exit is in How Do You Use a Walk-In…
• How Long Does the Ella HomeCare Tank Take to Reheat Between Baths?The Ella HomeCare tank does not run a separate reheat cycle between baths. Its 80 gallon tank refills in about 11 minutes under ideal or normal plumbing conditions, and because the water enters through thermostatic mixing valves at the temperature the caregiver preset, the tank is ready for the next bath as soon as the refill stops on its own. What Is the HomeCare Transfer Bathtub? introduces the tub itself…

These guides cover Ella's Bubbles therapy system schematics, providing detailed component diagrams for various walk-in tub models and therapy packages. Articles explain the Air, Hydro, Microbubble, and Hydro Foot massage systems, including configurations with heated seats and digital or push-button controls. You will find information on specific diagrams like Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble, Air + Hydro + Heated Seat, and Hydro + Microbubble, detailing components such as pumps, blowers, control boxes, and dedicated electrical lines for tubs like the Transfer60, Ultimate, Companion, and Front Entry.

• Therapy System Schematics Index: Every Published Component Diagram, Which Models It Lists, and How Many Dedicated Lines It ShowsThis page indexes every therapy system component diagram (the one-page "schematics") Ella's Bubbles publishes for its walk-in tubs: the 21 schematic PDFs linked from product pages, the Air + Hydro component diagram in the specifications folder, and ten more diagrams in the same schematics folder. For each you will find the package printed, the models or door families listed, how many dedicated lines it shows, and…
• What the Hydro Massage Schematic Shows: One Pump, the In-Line Heater in the Jet Loop, Ozone and One Dedicated LineThis page explains the Hydro Therapeutic Massage component diagram, the one-page schematic Ella's Bubbles publishes for the hydro-only therapy package. It is drawn from the 2023/03 upload hydromassagepdf_compressed.pdf (revision 01-16-26) and its older 2021/10 sibling hydrotherapy-massage-system-schematics.pdf (revision 10-16-23). You will learn which tubs the diagram lists, what its three numbered components are…
• What the Standard, Flow and Zen Hydro Schematics Show: Hydro Only, and Hydro With the Heated Seat and OzoneThis page explains the two component diagrams Ella's Bubbles publishes for the hydro massage package on the Standard, Flow and Zen: hydro-stand-flow.pdf (Hydro Therapeutic Massage, revision 10-16-23) and hydro-Heat-stand-flow.pdf (Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Heated Seat & Back + Ozone, revision 12-23-25), both in the /walk-in-tub/schematics/ folder. It also covers a third file, lay-down-hydro-heat.pdf, whose…
• What the Soaking + Heated Seat & Back Schematic Shows: Three Components, No Pumps, and the Only 15 Amp CalloutThis page explains hydro-heat.pdf, the component diagram in the /walk-in-tub/schematics/ folder that shows the Soaking + Heated Seat & Back configuration (revision 05-06-24). It is the one schematic in the set with no pump on it, and the only one that prints 15 AMP. You will learn why the file name is misleading, what its three components are, how the keypad, heater box and pads connect, and why nothing on…
• What the LayDown Air Massage Schematic Shows: Push Control, Control Box, Blower, and the Heated Seat VariantThis page explains the Air Therapeutic Massage component diagram for LayDown tubs, published as air-massage-system.pdf in the 2021/11 uploads (revision 10-16-23), and its heated seat companion lay-down-air-heat.pdf in the /walk-in-tub/schematics/ folder (revision 12-30-25). You will learn what the two components on the plain air diagram are, how the signal runs from the push control to the jets, why Auto Purge is…
• What the LayDown Microbubble Schematic Shows: Air Switch, Relay, Water Pump, Pressure Tank and One JetThis page explains the Micro Bubble Therapy System component diagram for LayDown tubs, Micro_Lay-down.pdf in the /walk-in-tub/schematics/ folder (revision 7-13-23), and its heated seat companion lay-down-micro-heat.pdf (Microbubble Therapy + Heated Seat & Back, revision 01-16-26). You will learn what the single component on the plain diagram contains, how the chain runs from the push control through the relay…
• What the Air + Hydro Component Diagram Shows: Blower, Hydro Pump, Control Box Loads, Heater, Ozone and LED on One Dedicated LineThis page walks through the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage component diagram, the one-page drawing that many Ella walk-in tub product pages link to under their specifications. It comes from the official document air-hydro.pdf, revision dated 01-16-26, which is printed as "Available With: Stainless Steel, Outward Door." The diagram linked from many product pages The drawing is a system schematic rather than a…
• What the Air + Hydro Digital Controller and Heated Seat Schematics Show: Three Variants for the Lounger, Stainless and Outward Door TubsThis page explains three closely related Ella's Bubbles schematics: the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage Component Diagram With Digital Controller (air-hydro-digital.pdf), the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Heated Seat & Back Component Diagram With Digital Controller (air-hydro-digital-heat.pdf), and the push-control Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Heated Seat & Back Component Diagram…
• What the Front Entry Air + Hydro Schematic Shows: Five Components on One Dedicated LineThis page explains the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage component diagram printed specifically for the Ella Front Entry walk-in tub. It comes from the official schematic air-hydro-front-entry.pdf, revision dated 02-05-26, which prints "Available With: Front Entry." We also pull the matching numbers from the Front Entry spec sheet so you can see how the diagram's five components line up with the jets, pumps, and…
• What the Front Entry Hydro + Microbubble Schematic Shows: Why This Package Needs Two Dedicated LinesThis page explains the Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy component diagram drawn for the Ella Front Entry walk-in tub, and in particular why this package is wired to two dedicated electrical lines. It comes from the official schematic hydro-microbubble-front-entry.pdf, revision dated 02-04-26, which prints "Available With: Front Entry." We also reference the Front Entry spec sheet for the pump and…
• What the Hydro + Microbubble Schematic Shows: Two Pumps, a Pressure Tank, an LED Control Box and Two Dedicated Lines (Stainless and Outward Door Tubs)This page explains the Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy component diagram published for Ella's stainless steel inward-swing door and outward-swing door walk-in tubs. It comes from the official schematic hydromicrobubblepdf_compressed.pdf, revision dated 01-16-26, which prints "Available With: Stainless Steel, Outward Door." The drawing shows two pumps, a pressure tank, an in-line heater, an ozone…
• What the Air + Hydro + Micro Schematic Shows: Digital Controller, Blower, Seat Hydro Pump, Pressure Tank and Two Dedicated LinesThis page explains the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy component diagram, the schematic for Ella's triple therapy package. It comes from the official document Air+Hydro+Micro.pdf, revision dated 01-16-26, which prints "Available On: Stainless Steel, Outward Door." The drawing shows a digital controller running the air blower and the seat hydro pump, a separate push button for the microbubble…
• What the Shak and Big4One Digital Schematic Shows: Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble on Three Dedicated LinesThis page explains the therapy schematic titled Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble Therapy with Digital Controller, the component diagram Ella's Bubbles publishes for the Shak and Big4One walk-in tubs. It is the only single-seat diagram in the schematic family that calls for three dedicated wall outlets, so it answers most of the electrical questions that come up when one of these large tubs is planned…
• What the Full Push-Control Package Schematic Shows: Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble + Heated Seat and Back (Transfer60, TransferXXL, Ultimate)This page explains the therapy schematic titled Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy + Heated Seat & Back, the push-control version of the fullest single-seat package Ella's Bubbles offers. The diagram is published for the Transfer60, TransferXXL and Ultimate walk-in tubs and appears in two uploads on ellasbubbles.com, both carrying the revision date 08-01-26. Below you will find…
• What the Full Digital Controller Package Schematic Shows: Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble + Heated Seat and Back (Transfer60, TransferXXL, Ultimate)This page explains the therapy schematic titled Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble Therapy + Heated Seat & Back with Digital Controller, published by Ella's Bubbles for the Transfer60, TransferXXL and Ultimate walk-in tubs. It is the fullest single-seat equipment stack drawn on one sheet, and it is the digital-controller counterpart to the push-control diagram of the same package. The information below is…
• What the Two-Seat Full Package Schematic Shows: Two Foot Pumps, Two HSB Boxes and Three Dedicated Lines (Companion, Escape, Tub4Two, Big4Two)This page explains the schematic titled 2 Seats Walk-in Tub, Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Hydro Foot + Microbubble Therapy + Heated Seat & Back with Digital Controller, the diagram Ella's Bubbles publishes for its two-seat walk-in tubs. It is the only two-seat diagram in the set, and it shows two foot pumps, two heat keypads and two HSB boxes, one per side, on three dedicated lines. The details below come…
• What the Hydro + Hydro Foot Schematic Shows: Two Hydro Pumps, Two Dials, the Heater in the Foot Loop and Two Dedicated LinesThis page walks through the Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage component diagram, the one-page schematic Ella's Bubbles publishes as Hydro-Independent-Hydro-Foot-Massage-System-Schematics_compressed.pdf (revision 01-16-26). It is the diagram for tubs that carry two hydro pumps, one for the seat jets and one for the foot jets, with no air massage system. If your tub was ordered with the Hydro + Hydro…
• What the Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble Schematic Shows: Two Hydro Pumps Plus the Pressure Tank on Two Dedicated LinesThis page explains the Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy + Ozone component diagram, published by Ella's Bubbles as Hydro+Hydro+Micro.pdf (revision 01-16-26). It is the schematic for tubs that combine two hydro pumps, one for the seat jets and one for the foot jets, with the Infusion Microbubbles system and its pressure tank, but no air massage pump. If your order was written as Hydro +…
• What the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Schematic Shows: Three Systems, Push Controls, Load 1 and Load 2 (Royal, Monaco, Elite, Capri, Shak, Transfer60, Transfer32, TransferXXL)This page explains the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage component diagram, the schematic Ella's Bubbles publishes for tubs that combine an air massage pump with two independent hydro pumps and push-button controls. The current copy is Air-Hydro-Independent-Foot-Massage-System.pdf in the 2024/06 uploads folder (revision 01-08-26), and the same drawing is also served as airhydro-hydro.pdf in the…
• What the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Heated Seat & Back Schematic Shows: The Master Box, Heat Keypad and Surface Heater PadsThis page explains the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage + Heated Seat & Back component diagram, the schematic Ella's Bubbles publishes for tubs that pair the three-pump massage package with electric surface heater pads under the seat and backrest. The primary copy is air-hydro-hydro-heat.pdf in the walk-in-tub schematics folder (revision 01-16-26), and an earlier copy is served as…
• What the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Digital Controller Schematic Shows (Companion, Escape, Tub4Two, Big4Two, Shak, Big4One, Transfer60, TransferXXL)This page explains the Air + Hydro Therapeutic Massage + Hydro Foot Component Diagram With Digital Controller, published by Ella's Bubbles as air-hydro-hydro-digital.pdf in the walk-in-tub schematics folder (revision 10-16-23). It is the schematic for tubs that combine an air massage pump with two independent hydro pumps and use a digital controller, rather than plain push buttons, for the air and seat hydro…
• What the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot + Microbubble Schematic Shows (Transfer60, TransferXXL, Ultimate)This page explains the Air + Hydro + Hydro Foot Therapeutic Massage + Microbubble Therapy component diagram, published by Ella's Bubbles as air-hydro-hydrofoot-microbubble-therapy.pdf in the walk-in-tub schematics folder (revision 01-08-26). It is one of the most complete of Ella's therapy schematics: an air massage pump, two independent hydro pumps, and the Infusion Microbubbles system with its pressure vessel…

These guides cover the normal sounds and behaviors of Ella walk-in tubs. Articles here explain common hums, clicks, whooshes, and buzzes from the water pump, air blower, and ozone generator. Understand why your tub might turn on by itself, detailing the air massage Auto-Purge cycle and its timing. Learn about the ozone sanitation system, why the digital display stays lit, and how to obtain an owner's manual if yours is missing.

• Hums, Clicks, Whooshes and Buzzes: The Sounds an Ella Walk-In Tub Makes and Which Ones Are NormalMost of the sounds an Ella walk-in tub makes are simply the sound of the tub doing its job: a moderate hum from a water pump, a rush of air from the blower, a light hum from the ozone generator, a click at the relay when you press a button, and a burst of air about 20 minutes after you switch the air massage off. This guide walks through each one so you can tell a normal working sound from the few that mean it is…
• What Is Auto Purge on a Walk-In Tub?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…
• Why Did My Walk-In Tub Turn On by Itself?If your tub turned on by itself a little while after the bath, or the air came on by itself after you got out, you are almost certainly hearing the Auto Purge, and it is completely normal. On every Ella tub with the air massage package, about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off the air system starts on its own, runs for 120 seconds to blow leftover water out of the air lines, and then stops. It cannot be…
• Why Did the Auto Purge Come On While I Was Filling the Tub?If the auto purge came on while you were filling the tub, or it blows a cool mist for two minutes before your wife is done washing, the cause is nearly always the timer. The Auto Purge on air massage tubs starts about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off and runs for 120 seconds, and it does that whether the tub is full, empty or still filling. Running the air for a moment before the bath, perhaps to test…
• Why Isn't the Auto Purge Running on My Tub?If the auto purge is not running on your tub, the first thing to check is whether your tub has the air massage package at all. The Auto Purge exists only on tubs with the three speed air massage; it blows leftover water out of the air lines about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off and runs for 120 seconds. A hydro only tub such as the Zen has no air lines to purge, so it never cycles, and that is by…
• Why Is There a Metallic Smell When the Jets Run?A faint metallic smell when the jets run on a hydro tub is almost always the ozone sanitation system doing its job, and it is normal. Ozone is not a therapy; it sanitizes the hydro jet lines against mold and scum, it runs automatically whenever the hydro pump runs, and it exists only on tubs with hydro jets. The small generator also makes a light hum or hiss on its own, which is expected. The first thing to check…
• I Did Not Receive an Owner's Manual for My Walk-In Tub. Where Do I Get One?If you did not receive an owner's manual with your walk-in tub, or the paperwork went missing during installation, the team can send everything that ships with the tub as email attachments: the owner's manual, the spec sheet and the cleaning and care instructions for your model. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your model or serial number, and the right documents follow. This…
• Why Does the Digital Display Stay Lit and Can I Turn It Off?The digital display on your Ella walk-in tub stays lit whenever the tub has power, and there is no button on the control pad that turns the backlight off. This is normal and it is not a sign of a fault. If the glow bothers you, a licensed electrician can add a switch on the tub circuit so you can cut power to the tub when it is not in use. Why the display is always on The digital control pad is powered whenever…
• Why Does My Walk-In Tub Ozone Generator Run All the Time, and Can I Turn It Off?If your walk-in tub ozone generator seems to run all the time, that is normal on a hydro-only tub: the ozone generator is powered whenever the tub has power, so it runs around the clock even when nobody is bathing. On an air plus hydro (dual massage) tub it is switched so that it runs only while the hydro pump is running. Either way it is automatic, draws very little power and needs nothing from you. This guide…
• Can I Stop the Air Blower Turning On After My Bath?No. The blast of air that starts on its own after a bath is the Auto Purge, and it cannot be stopped, skipped or delayed: it begins automatically about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off, runs for 120 seconds to blow the residual water out of the air lines, and then shuts off by itself. It is normal even when it starts while the bather is still in the tub, and it only points to a problem when the blower…
• Does Auto Purge Run if the Tub Is Off at the GFCI Breaker?No. Auto Purge needs electricity to run, so once the tub's dedicated GFCI breakers are switched off at the panel, the air pump cannot start and the purge cycle does not happen. As long as the tub has power, an air massage tub will run its 120 second purge about 20 minutes after the air was switched off, which is why How Do I Turn the Jets Off in an Emergency? reminds you to expect it once the emergency is over.…
• How long does Auto Purge run after a bath and can I change it?Auto Purge runs for 120 seconds, and it starts on its own about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off. Neither figure can be changed: there is no button for the purge, no timer setting, and no way to shorten it, delay it or turn it off, so the practical answer is to let it finish and plan your bath around it. What the cycle is for is explained in What Is Auto Purge on a Walk-In Tub? ; this page covers the…
• How long does the auto purge run and can I change it?The Auto Purge on an Ella air massage tub starts on its own about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off, runs for 120 seconds, and then stops by itself. There is no setting, button or timer adjustment for it, so the delay and the run time cannot be shortened, pushed back or cancelled. What the cycle is for is explained in What Is Auto Purge on a Walk-In Tub? , and this page covers the exact timing, what…
• How Long Does Auto Purge Run After a Bath, and Can I Change It?The Auto Purge on an Ella air massage tub runs for 120 seconds, which is two minutes, and it starts on its own about 20 minutes after the air pump is switched off. The timing is fixed. There is no button for the purge, it cannot be stopped partway, and there is no way to retime it. What Is Auto Purge on a Walk-In Tub? explains the feature itself. This page is about the clock: how long, when, what restarts the…
• My walk-in tub turned on by itself: the air massage Auto-Purge is normalIf your walk-in tub turned on by itself about 20 minutes after your bath, what you heard was the air massage Auto-Purge, and it is completely normal. About 20 minutes after you turn the air massage pump off, the system automatically turns the air pump back on and runs it for 120 seconds to blow leftover water and moisture out of the air lines. It starts on its own, it cannot be interrupted, and it shuts itself off…

• ▶0:27Walk-In Tub With Built-In Foot MassageAn Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub offers hydro foot jets for soothing relief and instant relaxation. This feature provides a home spa experience without leaving your bathroom.This…Video page with transcript
• ▶1:16Best Walk-In Tub with Independent Foot Massage (Buyers Guide)Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs offer independent foot massage and full body hydro massage for powerful therapy. This video explains how Ella's dual-pump system delivers superior…3 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶2:26Hydrogen Therapy Walk-In Tubs by Ella - Why they are Worth Buying?Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs with hydrogen therapy offer advanced therapeutic benefits. This system infuses bath water with molecular hydrogen gas using nano bubbles, which allows…6 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶1:32Do Hydrogen Therapy Walk-In Tubs Really Work? Ella's Bubbles Puts It to the TestElla's Bubbles tests hydrogen levels in tap water and in a walk-in tub equipped with a hydrogen generator. The video demonstrates how dissolved hydrogen levels are calculated.The video…4 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶5:30Ultimate Walk-In Tub Guide: Ella's Bubbles ExplainedThe Ella Ultimate walk-in tub guide explains how to use its features, including safe entry, control buttons, filling the tub, independent foot massage, full body soak, air and hydro…7 chapters · used in 8 guides
• ▶1:31Answering Your Most Common Question about Walk-In TubsCustomers often ask if they will get cold while a walk-in tub fills and drains. This video explains how Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs address this concern with fast-fill faucets…3 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶0:48Fastest Fill Faucets for Walk-In TubsElla's Bubbles walk-in tubs offer two fast-fill faucet options. These faucets are designed to fill your tub quickly, helping to keep your bath warm and relaxing.Customers can choose…used in 11 guides
• ▶0:46Walk-In Tubs Featuring Three Speed Air Massage & Auto-Purge Technology | Ella’s BubblesElla's Bubbles walk-in tubs feature an innovative jetting design for a comprehensive hydro massage experience. The three-speed air massage system includes Auto Purge technology to…3 chapters · used in 26 guides
• ▶0:59Walk-In Tubs Featuring Innovative Hydro Jetting for a Home Spa Experience | Ella’s BubblesElla's Bubbles walk-in tubs feature innovative hydro jetting for a home spa experience. The video showcases various models and their hydro massage systems.Ella's Bubbles walk-in…3 chapters · used in 2 guides
• ▶1:08Ella Walk-In Tub with Shower Column: Perfect for Safe & Stylish BathingAn Ella walk-in tub with a shower column provides a full standing or seated shower experience. This setup is ideal for safe and stylish bathing, offering both a rain shower head and a hand…used in 3 guides
• ▶0:17Transform Your Bath with AromatherapyBathing with essential oils offers a luxurious and relaxing experience, providing both physical and emotional benefits. Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that uses natural plant extracts…Video page with transcript
• ▶0:33Ella's Bubbles: In-line Water Heater Maintains Comfortable Water TemperatureThe in-line water heater in an Ella walk-in tub works with the water pump to maintain a consistent, warm temperature during hydro massage. This feature helps bathers stay comfortable for…used in 20 guides