Apollo Bath · Pre-Install Guide
Is Your Bathing Room Ready?
Eight questions to answer before your bathing system arrives — and a rough-in sheet to hand your plumber and electrician.
A bathing system install goes one of two ways. Either the room is ready and our technician is finished in about two and a half hours — or the room isn’t, and everyone stands around while a plumber gets called back.
The difference is almost never the tub. It’s four or five things about the room that nobody thought to check, because they aren’t the kind of thing you’d know to ask about unless you’d watched them go wrong.
This checklist is built from what our service and engineering teams actually find in the field. Work through Part 1 yourself. Hand Part 2 to your plumber and electrician — it’s written for them. Use Part 3 the week before delivery.
If anything here is unclear, send us your room drawings, plans, or photos — we can flag problems before a truck ever gets loaded. Call 877-234-2284 or email techservice@apollobath.com. That’s a lot cheaper than building a false floor.
Prefer a printable copy?
Download the full checklist as a PDF — all four parts, ready to print or hand to your plumber and electrician.
Part 1 — Eight questions to answer before you order
1Where is the drain, and how high is it?
This is the one that matters most. Apollo tubs drain by gravity, so how well a tub drains depends on how much fall the drain line has below the tub floor and drain valve. A small elevation problem can mean slow draining, standing water, or an incomplete drain. Run the pipe far enough up and over the drain valve, and it won’t drain at all.
And on a side-entry tub, a tub that won’t drain is a tub whose door won’t open.
A facility connected the drain plumbing so the pipe sat higher than the floor of the tub. The tub wouldn’t drain, so the door couldn’t be opened — and a resident sat waiting while the facility looked for a lift they didn’t have.
- What type of drain serves this room — floor drain, floor sink, or wall drain?
- Measure the height of the drain connection above the finished floor. Write it down.
- Is that connection point below the level of the tub floor?
Apollo Advantage™ requires 2″ PVC schedule 40 waste (2.4″ outside diameter). Floor drain, floor sink, and wall drain are all supported — each has its own connection window. Ask us for the diagram that matches your drain type.
2Is the floor flat where the tub docks?
Bathing room floors slope toward the floor drain on purpose, and that slope is steepest right at the drain. Perfectly flat isn’t realistic, and some slope or a small gap around the drain area is normal and fine.
What matters is where the slope lands. The Level Glide™ carrier docks at the end of the tub with the door, carrier, and docking pin — that’s the end that has to sit true. A gap under that specific end is a real problem. Similar slope somewhere else in the footprint usually isn’t.
A tub was set with its door/docking end near the floor drain. The floor’s slope left a 5/8″ gap under the receiver at that end. The tub rocked, the carrier wouldn’t dock, and a false floor had to be built to cover the drain, keep it functioning, and support the tub.
- Where does the tub’s door/carrier/docking-pin end land relative to the floor drain?
- Check specifically for a gap under that end — not just general slope across the room.
- If there’s a gap at the docking end, is it small and even, or sudden and sizable? (The documented failure was 5/8″.)
The install manual states the goal plainly: the floor should be flat and level, and you should choose the flattest location in the room. In the field, what actually decides whether the carrier docks is flatness right under the door/docking end — that’s where to focus if the room isn’t level everywhere.
3Fill time depends on the product, not just the plumbing
Pressure is not the same as flow, and fill time isn’t purely a plumbing question — it’s a product question. Some bathing systems fill directly from your building’s supply line in real time. Others fill and heat a reservoir in advance, so the resident is never waiting on your plumbing at all.
Buy a direct-fill product without checking your building’s actual supply capacity, and fill time can become unworkable — especially in assisted living, where many buildings are plumbed to residential code with ½” supply rather than the larger lines a hospital or skilled nursing building would have.
But supply size isn’t the only limit, and it’s easy to overrate. Every Apollo tub blends hot and cold water through a thermostatic mixing valve before it reaches anyone — a RADA Thermoscopic valve, ASSE 1016 certified. That valve is a safety device first, not just a fitting: it caps flow rate to keep the water safely blended, so even a direct-fill unit with generous supply is still gated by how fast the valve can safely mix, not just by pipe size.
The Rapid Fill™ reservoir doesn’t get around that valve — it changes when the valve does its work. The tank fills and blends through the same thermostatic valve in advance, with nobody waiting on it. Once the water is in the tank at a safe temperature, it empties into the tub through a larger opening than a valve-metered line would allow — nothing needs to throttle it at that point, so it can move faster. That’s what makes it an actual rapid fill rather than just a faster one: no valve gating the moment of fill, and a wider path to move the water once it’s safe to.
A facility chose a direct-fill walk-in tub without confirming their supply could support it. The building ran ½” residential supply, and fill time became unworkable. The tub was swapped for a system with a reservoir that fills ahead of time instead of drawing on real-time flow.
That’s a product-fit decision, not a plumbing failure — and it has to be made before you order, not after. Know which type of system you’re buying going in and this doesn’t happen to you.
- Does the system you’re considering fill in real time from your supply, or from a reservoir that fills in advance?
- If it’s direct-fill: what is the supply pipe diameter serving this room? (Not the building main — the branch that reaches this room.)
- If it’s direct-fill: has anyone measured actual flow at that location, in gallons per minute?
- Are there two hose-thread wall faucets available at the tub location?
Apollo Advantage™ direct-fill (6300 Series) units require two ¾” GHT wall-mounted faucets, minimum 30 PSI hot and cold, and minimum 10 GPM at 104°F. The Advantage 6000 Series Rapid Fill™ Reservoir — currently the only reservoir-based fast-fill option in the Apollo Bath line — sidesteps that requirement entirely by pre-filling and heating water in advance.
4Is the GFCI at the panel — or at the outlet?
Both satisfy the code. Only one of them works reliably.
A GFCI outlet at the tub is more sensitive than a GFCI breaker in the panel. It trips on the normal operating characteristics of a whirlpool pump or air spa blower — motor inrush, moisture, ordinary running current. The facility experiences that as a tub that keeps shutting off, and calls us. It isn’t a product fault, and it’s an avoidable service call.
- Is a dedicated circuit run to the tub location?
- Is the GFCI protection a breaker in the panel — not a GFCI receptacle at the tub?
- Is the electrical service located higher than the plumbing service?
- Is the GFCI breaker accessible to reset without a service call?
This applies to both current Apollo Bath product lines, Advantage™ and ReGen™: a dedicated 115 VAC receptacle protected by a 15A Class A GFCI circuit breaker — not a GFCI receptacle. For Advantage, the install manual states it directly: the receptacle for the whirlpool or air spa must not have a built-in GFI. The whirlpool pump draws 13A; the air spa blower draws 11A.
5Does the room meet minimum size — with the door open?
Two numbers matter, not one. The tub has an installed length with the door closed and a longer one with the door open. You need clearance for both, plus room for staff to work.
- Measure the room: length and width, wall to wall.
- Confirm 18″ of working clearance on the sides you’ll staff from.
- Confirm the door can swing fully without hitting a wall, sink, or toilet.
- Confirm the cabinet won’t cover any switch, valve, or control an attendant needs to reach.
Apollo Advantage™ minimum room size: 72″ wide × 114″ long (Space Saver: 72″ × 102″). Installed length: 71″ door closed, 102″ door open (Space Saver: 59″ / 90″). 18″ operation clearance recommended. Tub door opening for resident transfer: 24.5″.
6Can the tub get to the room?
This is different from question 5, and it’s where facilities get surprised. A tub can fit the finished room perfectly and still be unable to reach it — though this is less often a problem than it sounds. Apollo tubs are designed to move through standard 36″ doors. For most deliveries, doorway width isn’t the risk.
The real risk is anything narrower than standard, or an unusual combination — an older building with tighter openings, a tight corner right after a doorway, or a smaller-than-typical elevator. Corridor corners and elevator cabs need swing clearance — the diameter the tub sweeps when it pivots — which is a bigger number than its installed length, and that’s where a layout that looks fine on paper can still cause trouble in person.
At one facility, plumbers had to return three separate times to get the rough-in positioned to spec so the tub would actually sit against the back wall. That’s time and money for something that could have been measured once.
- Confirm doorways along the delivery path are standard 36″ or wider. Flag anything narrower before you order.
- Walk the entire delivery path, from the loading point to the bathing room.
- Measure every 90° corner along the route, especially any combined with a narrower opening.
- If an elevator is involved, measure the cab interior and the door opening.
- Confirm the floor along the route will carry the load. (Advantage™ ships at 845 lb total; tub 289 lb, cabinet 183 lb.)
Apollo tubs are designed to pass through standard 36″ doorways. The exact pivot circle diameter for tight corner combinations or elevators isn’t published per model — if your delivery path has anything narrower than standard, or an unusual corner/elevator combination, have it reviewed with your Apollo representative before you order.
7Is there a floor drain — and what’s directly below this room?
Two questions, and the second one almost never gets asked.
A facility flooded a second-floor bathing area that had no floor drain. The water went through the floor into the records room directly below and destroyed a large volume of documents. The tub was fine. The records were not.
- Is there a floor drain in the bathing room?
- Is it positioned where it won’t interfere with resident transfer?
- What room is directly below this one, and what is stored in it?
- If the answer is “records,” “IT,” or “electrical” — what’s the mitigation?
Apollo recommends a floor drain in every bathing room, in case an emergency evacuation of the tub is required. It should not be placed where it will interfere with resident transfer — which is also why it needs to be coordinated with tub position (see question 2).
8Do you know what your local codes require?
Plumbing and electrical codes vary substantially between states and municipalities. Two items come up often enough to name:
- Does your jurisdiction require additional backflow prevention (such as an RPZ valve) on new construction? All Apollo systems have built-in backflow prevention, but local code may require more.
- Is delivered hot water limited to 120°F or below at the system?
Part 2 — Rough-in sheet for the plumber & electrician
Values shown are for the Apollo Advantage™ 6000/6300 Series. Confirm this sheet matches the model being installed.
Plumbing
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water supply connections | Two (2) ¾” (1.9 cm) GHT wall-mounted faucets |
| Minimum pressure | 30 PSI (2.1 Bar), hot and cold |
| Minimum flow | 10 GPM (37.9 L/min) at 104°F (40°C) |
| Supply hoses | Two 60″ stainless steel, ¾” GHT ends (supplied by Apollo) |
| Waste line | 2″ (5.1 cm) PVC schedule 40 — 2.4″ outside diameter |
| Drain elevation | Connection point must be below the tub floor and tub drain valve profile. This is a gravity drain. |
| Acceptable connections | PVC hard-plumbed, rubber Fernco-type coupler, or termination into a floor sink |
| Delivered hot water | Not greater than 120°F (49°C) |
| Backflow prevention | Built into the system; local code may require additional (e.g. RPZ) |
| Before connection | Flush hot and cold lines |
Drain connection windows. The pipe must land inside the allowed area for the drain type. Request the connection diagram for floor drain, floor sink, or wall drain from your Apollo representative — do not assume the window is the same across the three.
Do not stub the drain high in the wall on the assumption that the tub will still drain. It may drain slowly, or not at all. Slow-draining is not an acceptable outcome on a door-entry tub.
Electrical
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Service | Dedicated 115 VAC plug-in receptacle |
| Protection | 15A Class A GFCI circuit breaker at the panel (not supplied by Apollo) |
| Receptacle type | Must NOT be a GFCI receptacle. Protection belongs at the breaker. |
| Position | Electrical service must be located higher than the plumbing service |
| Accessibility | GFCI must be easily accessible to reset |
| Whirlpool pump motor | 1.5 HP, 13A, 115 VAC, 60 Hz |
| Air spa blower motor | 900 W variable speed, 120 VAC, 11A, 60 Hz |
| Before install | Lock out / tag out the circuit |
On the GFCI point: if the electrician pushes back, the reason isn’t code — both methods pass. It’s nuisance tripping. A receptacle-level GFCI is more sensitive than a breaker-level one and will trip on normal motor operation. The facility ends up with a tub that keeps shutting off.
Sealing & finish
- Wall and floor openings for plumbing and electrical must be closed and sealed to maintain sanitary conditions.
- Floor at the tub location must be flat and level. Shim as needed; the tub is anchored to the floor.
Part 3 — The week before delivery
Installation is about 1.5 hours, plus 1 hour for inspection and adjustment — when the room is ready. When it isn’t, the technician waits, and you pay for the waiting.
A technician spent three hours on site waiting for plumbers and electricians to finish before a new unit could be installed. In our service team’s experience, the smooth install is the exception — plumbing is the most common reason a scheduled install doesn’t happen on schedule.
Confirm every one of these is complete, not scheduled:
- Plumbing rough-in finished, in the correct position, and pressure-tested
- Drain line in place at the correct elevation and type
- Electrical rough-in finished; dedicated circuit run; GFCI breaker installed at the panel
- Floor finished, cured, flat, and level at the tub location
- Wall and floor penetrations sealed
- Delivery path clear — doors, corners, elevator confirmed and unobstructed
- Old unit removed and disposed of, if applicable
- Water and power available at the room on install day
- A facility contact with authority to make decisions is on site
- Staff scheduled for in-service training after install
Part 4 — Two habits that prevent service calls
Leave the door in the right position
Gaskets take a set. A door left sealed shut between baths keeps the gasket under constant compression, and that compression is what shortens its life — the leak shows up months later looking like a defect.
- Advantage™ tubs — leave the door open, or closed without latching/sealing it, when not in use. Don’t leave it shut and sealed — that’s what compresses the gasket continuously and wears it out early.
Put it in the in-service. Put it on the wall. It’s a thirty-second habit that protects a sealing system.
Don’t order parts from the manual in the drawer
A well-maintained bathing system has a good life at 10 years — plenty run longer. Part numbers change over a service life like that. The manual that shipped with your tub will eventually list numbers that no longer exist — and every call that starts with an obsolete part number burns time before anyone can diagnose anything.
- Always check the current parts reference before ordering.
- Have your model and serial number ready when you call.
- If your maintenance office works from a printed manual, verify it’s the current revision.