A Tub Is Not a Tub

That depends on the house, the bathroom, the product, and some other variables. Golden Gate Enterprises has been installing walk-in tubs for three years and Gordon says that those home improvement companies that are thinking of taking on the product need to be aware of several installation issues. Because even though it is a bathtub, many walk-in tub models have motors to operate the drainage system, hydro jets, or other features. So, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area, installing typically requires permits. It will, Gordon says, require two and a half to four hours of a plumber’s time to establish the right plumbing connections, and an electrician to install the two to three dedicated circuits required by electrical code.

Gordon is also adamant that installation include redoing the tub surround ? whether tile or acrylic ? and says that in many bathrooms where his company installs walk-in tubs he ends up replacing the existing toilet with a higher handicapped unit and putting grab bars on the walls.

Another thing that installing contractors should be aware of, he says, is the volume of water moving through the plumbing system when the tub drains. He estimates that for Golden Gate Enterprises, “about every third house” requires upgrading galvanized plumbing lines to accommodate additional flow. An installation, with two to four inspections, can take as much as a week. “Sometimes you’re stuck there,” Gordon says, “waiting.”

Showroom

The installed cost of the walk-in tubs being carried by home improvement companies ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. And many times, according to Safety Bath’s Pat Krushen, the one who is actually paying for the product is the baby boomer looking to customize a home so that his or her elderly parent won’t have to move into a retirement facility. Gordon says that “it’s common to have a son or daughter involved for mom or dad. It’s an emotional purchase for them.”

Larmco Windows and Siding, an Ohio company, has installed 18 walk-in tubs to-date. President Joe Talmon cites a “high acceptance” of the product among prospects, who, he says, tend to be between 65 and 72 years old. Larmco offers a range of product options, such as whirlpool and air-jet functions, “depending on how fancy they want it.”

Walk-in tub manufacturers cite the need for showroom space to display the product, and suggest that installing dealers direct their marketing efforts to where their target market ? seniors and the boomer children who may be looking to buy parents a walk-in tub ? go, such as television.

Levin points out that the presence of a walk-in tub in the company booth at venues such as state fairs are a draw. Novelty is the reason. “Even people who aren’t interested come over to see them,” he says.

Krushen says she believes that the surge in popularity of walk-in tubs has more to do with the Internet than anything else. There, word spreads.