Maintaining a clean pool can be a daunting task, especially when your backyard is surrounded by trees and shrubs. This is where robotic pool cleaners come in handy, and the Dolphin Explorer E30 is a popular choice.
In this Dolphin Explorer E30 robotic pool cleaner review, we’ll take a closer look at this entry-level pool robot and its basic features that make pool cleaning a breeze. Whether you have a small or medium-sized in-ground pool, the Dolphin Explorer E30 is designed to get the job done efficiently.
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Last update on 2023-09-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1-minute Dolphin Explorer E30 review
Efficiency is key when it comes to pool cleaning, and the Dolphin Explorer E30 robotic pool cleaner is designed to deliver just that. The Explorer E30 is an advanced model capable of cleaning in-ground swimming pools up to 50 feet in length in just 2 hours, and it even comes with a 2-year warranty for your peace of mind.
This pool cleaning unit is designed to tackle all forms of dirt and debris with a powerful motor, strong suction, active scrubbing system, excellent filtration and a 60ft long anti-tangle swivel power cord.
With an intuitive control panel, you can easily program the robot to clean your pool on a daily, every other day, or every third day schedule, ensuring that your pool stays clean and sparkling throughout the season.
- Very efficient and easy to use
- Cleans pool floors, walls & waterline
- Has automation mode and weekly timer
- Comes with a 2-year warranty
- No remote control
- Pool caddy is sold separately
Last update on 2023-09-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Let’s take a closer look
How the Dolphin Explorer E30 works
Maytronics developed the Dolphin Explorer E30 to effectively clean large in-ground pools using innovative technologies and a strong motor. The robot uses an active brushing system and the latest PowerStream technology to eliminate all debris and dirt, leaving the water crystal clear and free of impurities.
The active brushing system includes two scrubbing brushes, one of which rotates at high speed to remove all kinds of dirt and stubborn grime from the pool’s floors and walls. As the brushes rapidly dislodge dirt from the pool’s system and surfaces, a powerful suction force sucks the dirt particles into a filtration system, circulating about 4000 gallons of pool water per hour.
While cleaning, the new PowerStream technology ensures excellent wall climbing and superior cleaning. It uses multiple powerful water jets to provide the robot with a strong grip on the floor walls and waterline.
The Explorer E30 also features Maytronics CleverClean technology, which is obstacle avoidance and navigation software that prevents the robot from covering the same area multiple times. This helps the robot work faster, saving energy and increasing efficiency.
Dolphin Explorer E30 has a standard clean mode, which is a thorough cleaning cycle and lasts for 2 hours. As the robot cleans, a 60-feet long anti-tangle swivel cable keeps it going smoothly while making complimentary twists and rotations, without tangling.
Key features
Anti-tangle swivel
The Dolphin Explorer E30 comes with an anti-tangle swivel that ensures the robot can clean your pool without getting stuck. Its innovative design allows it to move freely 360 degrees around your pool without ever knotting the cord. No more tangle worries with this robotic pool cleaner.
Easy access filter
It has top-load filter access for easy and convenient debris removal and cleaning. Its superior filtering capabilities enable it to trap and lock-in all sorts of debris, ensuring your pool is left sparkling clean with minimal effort.
Wall climbing
The Explorer E30 provides floor and wall coverage, including waterline cleaning. The pool vacuum easily cleans your pool walls, providing a deep clean for full floor, wall, and waterline coverage, ensuring that no part of your pool is left untouched.
Waterline / Tile-line cleaning
With this feature, the E30 firmly sticks to the waterline, scrubbing away dirt and grime from the waterline of your pool. This efficient cleaning feature ensures that your pool’s vertical surfaces, including tile lines, are optimally cleaned. It covers the entire pool.
Plug and play
Setting up the Dolphin Explorer E30 is a breeze. No installation is needed, and the robot is ready to go right out of the box. Just plug it in, drop it into the pool, and start cleaning!
Schedule cleanings
Cleaning your pool has never been easier with the Dolphin Explorer E30. Simply schedule the robot to clean your pool each week using three settings – every day, every other day, or every 3rd day. With just a touch of a button, your pool will be clean and ready for use.
Performance
This Dolphin robotic pool cleaner does an excellent job of getting rid of grime, large-floating debris and fine dirt particles. It’s a hassle-free cleaning solution that makes a messy pool sparkling clean in a few hours, with at most 2 cleaning cycles.
The Explorer 30 is the perfect solution for cleaning both vinyl and fiberglass pools. However, you’ll want to order the ultra-fine filters to get the most out of this robot. This water cleaning machine runs around the pool’s floor and walls, scrubbing away at the waterline and any debris it comes across. Plus, the no tangle cord is extremely helpful, and the basket is super easy to clean.
And no matter the shape of your in-ground pool, whether it’s rectangular, round, free shape or kidney, the Explorer 30 is up for the challenge – as long as the pool size isn’t above 50 ft.
Limitations
The Dolphin Explorer E30 robotic pool cleaner is pretty amazing, but there are some things you need to know. It may not clean every inch of your pool, so you may still need to brush it occasionally. If your pool is particularly dirty, it may take a few cycles to get it completely clean. So don’t expect it to work miracles if you’ve neglected your pool for a while. This is not unusual with most other robotic pool cleaners.
Also, the filters that come with the E30 may not be fine enough to capture all the small particles in your pool. You’ll want to get the ultra fine filters to get the best results. And cleaning those filters can be a bit of a hassle if they get clogged with debris. But a good blast from a high-pressure garden hose should do the trick.
Ease of set up and use
Dolphin Explorer E30 is very easy to use, and you don’t need any fancy connections or complicated installation. It’s as easy as plug-and-play. All you have to do is plug it in, push the start button, and it’s off to work!
The best part is that you don’t even have to remember to turn it on every time you want to clean your pool. Because the E30 has a programmable weekly timer, so you can schedule automatic cleanings for every day, every other day or every third day. This means you can kick back and relax while your pool gets cleaned on a regular basis, without any hassle or fuss.
Reliability
This Dolphin Explorer robotic pool cleaner is a great investment for keeping your pool clean, it’s a reliable machine but not perfect. There have been reports of breakdown after a few months of use and unfortunately Maytronics doesn’t respond fast enough and customer support is below satisfactory.
We still recommend it as a good pool cleaning robot because the positives strongly outweigh the negatives.
You can also check other great Dolphin pool robots as alternatives. Dolphin Premier, Dolphin Proteus DX4 and Dolphin E50 are especially great alternatives as they have functions similar to the Explorer E30.
Ongoing maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining the unit itself is a breeze. Simply rinse it off with a hose after each use, and you’re good to go. Trust me, it doesn’t get any easier than this! You may also have to thoroughly wash the robot itself with running water from a garden hose after every few days.
The Explorer E30 is relatively lightweight, weighing in at just 18.4 pounds, so it’s easy to move around and store when not in use. And lastly, you have to occasionally check the parts of the robots that can wear down over time, like the brushes and filter baskets, and replace them as needed. You can also learn how to troubleshoot common robotic pool cleaner problems when you encounter some issues with your pool cleaner.
Extra purchases and ongoing costs
No extra purchases are required for the Explorer E30, it comes as a complete robot, and you can unpack and start using it right away. The only extra thing you may want is a pool caddy, although this robot has one, but it has to be purchased separately — and that’s if you want one.
It’s incredibly energy-efficient and costs less than 15 cents to clean the pool, better than suction and pressure cleaners. The major ongoing costs will include occasional purchase of replacement parts such as scrubbing brush, rubber tracks or filter basket, it’s nothing major and doesn’t cost much.
Since the pool cleaner comes with 24-months warranty, any problem with the motor or power supply unit within that period will be taken care of by the Maytronics engineer.
FAQs
Can you use this with saltwater pools?
Yes, you can use it for saltwater pools.
Can Explorer E30 be used in above ground pools?
No, E30 is for in-ground pools, only. If you want the best Dolphin pool cleaner for above-ground pools, check out the Nautilus or the Escape.
Can you leave a Dolphin robot in a pool overnight?
It’s generally not recommended to leave a robotic pool cleaner in the pool overnight. Since the Explorer E30 has a weekly timer, you can leave it in the pool when it’s in use, but it’s not recommended to leave it in the pool for extended periods of time.
What are the optimum water conditions to use my Dolphin?
Maytronics recommends that the following water conditions as optimum for Dolphin robotic pool cleaners:
Chlorine levels should be 4 PPM maximum and NaCl (Sodium Chloride) should be at most 5000 PPM.
The recommended water pH is 7.0-7.8 PPM
And the ideal water temperature is 6-35°C / 43-95°F. Maytronics warns that temperatures below 15°C / 59°F may affect the climbing performance of the robot.
Does it include the cart caddy?
The Explorer E30 doesn’t come with a pool caddy, but you can buy one as an extra feature. At 18 lbs, it’s actually not too heavy, and you can easily move it around whenever you want to start cleaning without breaking your back.
Final thoughts
The Dolphin Explorer E30 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a simple and effective robotic pool cleaner. It may not have all the bells and whistles of higher-end models, but it gets the job done efficiently and reliably.
With its powerful motor, active scrubbing system, and superior filtration capabilities, this pool robot will leave your pool spotless in no time. Plus, it’s easy plug-and-play setup and scheduling options make pool maintenance a breeze.
Dolphins provide pool owners with seamless pool maintenance, and the Explorer E30 is a smart investment if you want a clean and inviting pool without the hassle of manual brushing.
