The bathroom becomes one of the most dangerous places for the elderly and persons with impaired mobility. Walk in bathtubs greatly reduce these risks by making that bathroom a safer and more enjoyable place for seniors. They are a relatively new product on the market and have only been around for about 10 years. In the last 5 years they have become much more popular since the price has come down to where the average homeowner can afford one without financing. I personally have installed 5 walk in tubs in the last 3 months and will share what I have learned from my experience.
Most walk in bathtubs are 30″ wide meaning in most cases you will need to remove the door frame to get the bathtub through the door. Before moving the bathtub we recommend that all removable panels are removed to reduce the risk of damage. Once the bathtub is in the bathroom you want to make sure it is level. Using the adjustable feet and a small level make sure all feet are touch the ground and secured before connecting the drain. If the feet are not secured with time they could move causing the unit to become unleveled. When connecting the drain you have a choice of a hard pipe of a Fernco fitting. We usually recommend a Fernco fitting for most applications because the drain can be disconnected allowing the entire unit to be moved.
If you are installing a bathtub with air or whirlpool pumps make sure that you use a GFCI plug or breaker. This will eliminate the threat of electrocution. Since the power usage of these units greatly varies make sure you check with the manufacturers ratings to make sure you outlet has enough service power to run all the pumps at once. When running the water lines it is best to have them recessed into the wall similar to how a washing machine hookup would be.
This allows the tub to fit flush up against the wall and eliminates any potential problems you would have with the stainless steel frame. It is important to check all water connections jet lines, faucets etc. to ensure that no seals have been compromised during the shipping process. This can take up to an hour; once all lines have been checked it’s time to test the bathtub to make sure it is working properly.
Make sure you rinse all pumps with clean water before allowing anyone to bath in the bathtub. There can be left of debris from the manufacturing process that you will want to remove.All in all a walk in bathtubs takes about 3-5 hours to install without tile or any additional work. It’s usually a two day installation process; although I have done them in one day. They typically cost around $3000-$5000 depending on the type of model and manufacturer. I have had excellent luck with OS walk in bathtubs by Ariel. Two out of the last five installations I have done have been OS walk in tubs. They are inexpensive and by far the easiest walk in tub I have worked with.
If you are interested about our walk in tubs service we can ensure to you that we will provide you our best service.
Walk In Bathtubs 