xc60 - sounds great - I know just enough to be dangerous. I love this forum. I learn more from it than going to the plumbing showrooms. katmomma, you will have to search this forum for air tubs. I can help you with selecting drop in tubs based on shape, size, quality. You basically want a good quality air tub without the price tag. Mirabelle tubs are well designed, deep and I see that folks on this forum have purchased them as air tubs. They are private label for Ferguson (made by Clarke). I like the feel of their acrylic better than Kohler. I don't see folks talking about Kohler air tubs but they make a solid whirlpool and are priced right. I do not know how the Jacuzzi air tubs are but I personally like their designs - they are priced right for you too. Jason, owned by the former Jacuzzi folks, can get pricey. Same with MTI, Hydrosystems, and Americh. Maax tubs are nice but I see on this forum that folks say that their air tubs are loud.

Mine is a double slipper clawfoot tub, these are quite narrow to begin with. Yours seems wide (mine is 30" at it's widest) so I don't think you'll have the same problem. As for the fixture itself, it is a one in a million flaw so I wouldn't be concerned about that either. The customer service is wonderful, they are willing to do whatever it takes, replace it or start from scratch.

"I could also just get a pull-down faucet for the sink and aim it at the tub to fill it." You could - but you won't like it. The most one of those will fill is 2.2 gallons a minute - some less that that. Divide your tub's capacity by that and you're looking at 20 minutes to fill +/- Not good. beekeeper - I have one of these and have placed more than half a dozen in projects over the past few years. What you get for your money is a machined brass body that mounts in the ceiling or wall and a plated trim piece. The body is a substantial piece of hardware and chrome,brass, nickel plating costs $$$ too. Whether that's all worth 500 + bucks, is up to you. Like davidro says, it doesn't matter what the delivery system is, this is just an opening for hot water to come out of, albeit one with a bit of engineering. GD & Spanish - the splashing is very much dependent on the mounting height of the unit AND the tub selected AND the location of the water column inside the tub. Mine hardly splashes at all. The ones I have seen that splash only do so for a minute or so until their is enough of a pool in the tub to counteract it. Flat bottom tubs with tall ceilings are going to splash more than one from 7' into a sloped contact point in the tub. Besides , we're talking water in a bathroom, generally tiled so what's the big deal ??? It's not like the amount of splash is the same as taking a shower and leaving the door open. 2. While you are correct in that "the water cools off much more than it would from just a regular tub filler", it's not as if it cools off enough for anyone without a thermometer to tell a difference, and a very sensitive one at that! Sure the air cools the water more from a stream falling from 8 feet than one falling from two feet. But bath water that is 100 + degrees is not going to cool down to 90 deg. in the xtra 1-2 seconds it takes it to fall from the ceiling- get real. Additionally , that filler produces a very dense column of water (laminar) that has little to no air in it, so one might argue it will be hotter and less prone to heat loss than a "regular" filler that introduces room temp air into it's stream - thus cooling it off on it's way to the tub. So don't worry Spanish -your tub will still be plenty hot with that filler if you choose it. IT'S A NON -ISSUE people. I've already alluded to the real issue for lower tub temps - FILL TIME. That's directly related to the delivery system ( valve). If your valve and accompanying filler will only deliver 5 gallons a minute it's going to take a while to fill an 80 gallon tub, and there will be some heat loss. Select a valve that delivers 20 gallons a minute and you can be soaking quicker that most people can undress. Here is a link that might be useful: laminar valve body - see page 2

Thanks for the reply. it is an alcove tub but we are not using it for a shower (we have a separate shower). It is this tub- https://www.us.kohler.com/us/mariposa-72-x-36-alcove-bath-with-integral-apron-integral-flange-and-right-hand-drain/productDetail/bathing/416229.htm