Walk-in tub therapy options: build your jet and heat package
Direct answer: a walk-in tub can add water jets, air jets, microbubbles, an inline heater, a heated seat and backrest, a colored LED light and ozone. On Ella’s Bubbles spec sheets these draw from 0.04 to 7.3 amps each and cost about 5¢ or less per bath to run. Warmth features pay off every bath; lights and ozone are extras. Build your package below.
By the Aging Safely Baths team. Published October 22, 2026. Numbers checked October 22, 2026 against the manufacturer sheets and federal sources listed at the bottom.
What therapy options can a walk-in tub have?
Every walk-in tub starts as a soaker: a door, a seat and a deep bowl. Everything else is an option that adds a motor, a heater or a light, and each one adds amps to your wiring, a few cents to each bath and something to learn on the control pad. The figures below come from the Ella’s Bubbles Companion and Escape spec sheets and the Ella owner’s manual. Other models differ, so always read the sheet for the exact tub you are quoted.
| Option | What it does | Rated draw | Cost per use* | Upkeep | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water jets (hydro massage) | A pump pushes bath water through aimable nozzles: firm massage for one area | 1,000 W, 7 A per pump (two-seat models have two) | about 4.6¢ | Cleaning flush on the schedule in the manual | ||
| Air jets (air massage) | A blower pushes warm air through small holes: gentle bubbles all over | 500 W, 4.5 A | about 2.3¢ | Wipe the holes; auto-purge runs 20 minutes after use | ||
| Microbubble (optional) | A pressure vessel makes a milky cloud of very fine bubbles | 875 W, 7.3 A (1 HP pump) | about 4.0¢ | Follow the manual for the pump | ||
| Inline heater | Warms the water as the jet pump circulates it, to hold the bath temperature | 650 W, 5.5 A | about 3.0¢ | None beyond the jet flush | ||
| Heated seat and backrest (optional) | Low-voltage pads warm the surfaces you sit against, on a 30-minute timer | 96 W maximum heater load | under 1¢ per 30-minute cycle | None | ||
| Chromotherapy light | Multicolor LED in the tub, rainbow or single colors | 0.5 A | under 1¢ | None | ||
| Ozone sterilization | A small ozone unit the sheet calls | Adds ozone to the jet system as a sanitizing aid | ldquo;ozone sterilization,Adds ozone to the jet system as a sanitizing aid | rdquo; sold as a sanitizing aid0.04 A | a fraction of a cent | Does not replace the cleaning flush |
*Motors and heater run 15 minutes, heated seat one 30-minute cycle, at 18.31¢ per kWh, the U.S. residential average for July 2026 from the EIA. Light and ozone costs assume 120 volts times the listed amps, a high estimate. Hot water is extra and is the biggest cost; see the operating cost calculator.
Build your therapy package
Tick the options you want. The builder adds up the amps, estimates the wiring and the cost of one bath, and lists what to know about your choices. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Which options are worth paying for?
Start with the person, not the brochure. These are the patterns we see when families talk through a jetted tub with us, matched to what the spec sheets and research actually support.
| If the bather… | Put first | Think twice about |
|---|---|---|
| Feels the cold, or has a slow bathroom drain | Heated seat and backrest; inline heater; a fast-fill faucet | Paying for many jets before the warmth features |
| Has one sore area (low back, calves, feet) | Water jets with aimable nozzles placed at seated height | Jet count as a selling point; placement matters more |
| Has fragile skin, numb feet or diabetes | Air jets on low, or a plain soaker; a bath thermometer | Strong water jets; read who should skip jets |
| Wants the easiest upkeep | Air jets (self-purging) or no jets | Water jets, which need a regular cleaning flush |
| Is counting on a VA HISA grant | A plain soaker or a roll-in shower | Jets of any kind (see the VA section below) |
| Wants a spa feel and has the budget | Combination water and air, heater, heated seat | Expecting medical results from lights or microbubbles |
On the research side, the warmth has more support than the jets do. Our research summary rates the studies, and the main site explains the three jet systems side by side in its water vs. air vs. microbubble guide. For the health background on warm-water soaking, see the hydrotherapy bathtub overview on agingsafelybaths.com.
Microbubble systems are the newest option. The skin claims come mainly from the makers, and we found no independent controlled trials of home microbubble baths. If you are curious anyway, the Ella’s Bubbles microbubble walk-in tub page lists the sizes it comes in.
How many circuits will my package need?
Under NEC 680.71, a hydromassage tub needs an individual branch circuit with a readily accessible GFCI. Electricians also keep the load a motor or heater runs for a long time under about 80% of the breaker, which is 16 amps on a 20-amp circuit. A single water pump (7 A) and heater (5.5 A) fit that line; add an air blower (4.5 A) and the total of 17 A does not. That is why combination tubs often need two or three dedicated circuits, and why the builder above shows a count. Ella’s heated-seat controller is a separate small load: its manual shows it plugging into a 120-volt, 15-amp GFCI supply. Our electrical requirements guide walks through the code sections and has an electrician checklist. A licensed electrician makes the final call, and many towns require a permit.
Will the VA pay for jets?
The VA’s Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant (HISA) pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a veteran’s lifetime, depending on the disability, for changes that give access to essential bathroom facilities. Its official page lists “Spa, hot tub, or Jacuzzi” among the things HISA will not pay for, so a jetted package is unlikely to qualify. The main site’s HISA grant guide covers the application steps.
What should I ask before I order?
0 of 7 asked
Want this package priced? Send us the options you ticked. Aging Safely Baths will quote it in writing, item by item, so you can see what each option adds. We are BBB accredited and have helped families with safer bathing since 2012.
Questions people ask
Which walk-in tub option matters most for comfort?
For most bathers it is warmth: a heated seat and backrest for the minutes you sit while the tub fills and drains, and an inline heater to hold the water temperature while the jets run. Jets are a massage feature on top of that. Our staying-warm guide explains both.
Can I add jets or a heater to a walk-in tub later?
Plan on choosing them when you order. Pumps, blowers, heaters and jet plumbing are built into the shell at the factory, and the Ella’s Bubbles spec sheets list microbubble and the heated seat and backrest as optional features picked with the tub.
How much electricity do the options use?
On Ella’s Bubbles spec sheets a water-jet pump is 1,000 watts, the air blower 500 watts, the inline heater 650 watts and the microbubble pump 875 watts. Run for 15 minutes each at the July 2026 U.S. average of 18.31 cents per kWh, that is about 2 to 5 cents per option per bath. Heating the bath water itself costs far more.
Does chromotherapy lighting do anything?
It is a multicolor LED light. It can make the tub easier to see into in a dim bathroom and many people find it relaxing, but we found no controlled trials of colored tub lights as a health treatment, so treat it as a comfort extra.
Will the VA HISA grant pay for a jetted walk-in tub?
Probably not for the jets. The VA’s HISA page lists “Spa, hot tub, or Jacuzzi” among things HISA will not pay for. A roll-in shower is the example VA gives for bathroom access. Ask your VA Prosthetics office before you order.
Get your package quoted in writing
Tell us which options you picked and a little about your bathroom. A specialist will send an itemized quote with no deadline and no pressure, and you are welcome to compare it with anyone.
Sources
- Ella’s Bubbles, Companion spec sheet and Escape spec sheet (PDF): water pumps 7 A / 1,000 W, air blower 4.5 A / 500 W, inline heater 5.5 A / 650 W, ozone 0.04 A, LED light 0.5 A, optional microbubble 1 HP / 7.3 A (875 W on the Companion sheet), optional heated seat and backrest, dedicated GFCI lines.
- Ella acrylic walk-in bathtubs owner’s manual (rev. 03/18): surface heater 30-minute timer, 96-watt maximum heater load, 120 V 15 A GFCI supply, multicolor light modes, ozone check.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: U.S. residential average 18.31 cents per kWh, July 2026.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA): $6,800 and $2,000 lifetime limits; spa, hot tub or Jacuzzi exclusion.
- National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), Article 680 Part VII, hydromassage bathtubs, summarized on our electrical requirements page.