How to Empty a Robot Pool Cleaner's Filter

Power first. Then the cover, the basket and the latch. That's the order in two maker manuals.

Both manuals here are for Maytronics Dolphin models, the Basic 11 and the Mass 12¹². They aren't a guide to every robot. Yours may open differently, so use your manual for your model.

Step by step

The Basic 11 instructions begin with a line on its own: make sure the power supply is switched off and unplugged¹. The Mass 12 instructions say the same thing². Don't skip it.

Then the Basic 11 steps run like this¹:

• Open the filter cover¹.
• Upon opening the filter cover, the handle lifts independently¹.
• Lift up the basket¹.
• Open the latch to release the bottom lid, which lets you remove the debris¹.

The Mass 12 instructions start the same way, with the filter cover².

What this tells you

A few things stand out from the wording.

The basket has a bottom lid held shut by a latch. That's how the debris comes out: you don't tip it through the top. Check your own model for how its filter opens, since other makers use different designs.

The handle rising on its own is in the instructions too. For that model, the handle lifts independently when you open the filter cover¹.

Where the power supply sits

Electric robots run from a separate power source, usually a set-down transformer kept at least 10 feet from the pool³. That's the unit you unplug first. For anything about the cable or the supply, follow your manual.

After the debris is out

Both manuals then say to clean the filter basket with a hose¹². The page on rinsing and cleaning picks up from there, and how often covers timing.

Pick a spot for the debris before you start, such as a bucket or a garden bed, so it doesn't go straight back into the pool. The manuals don't say where to put it, so that choice is yours.

Why the debris stays out of the water

The robot passes water through its filter and sends the filtered water back into the pool³. The debris stays behind in the filter. That's the reason to empty it away from the water, as the opening of this page suggests.

Keep it simple

If your filter won't open the way the manual shows, stop and read your manual again, or contact the maker or a pool service professional. Don't force it.

Switch off, unplug, open, lift, release, rinse. If your robot's manual lists the same steps, good. If it differs, the manual wins.