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If you follow the instructions that came with your LitterMaid Automatic Cat Litter Box, it will extend the life of the unit. The proper premium grade clumping litter must be used. If this is not done, the waste will stick to the bottom of the pan and to the rake. When this happens, it causes a severe load on the gears inside the motor/rake arm and the gears may become stripped. You will know if this has happened because the rake will not want to climb up the incline at the end of the track and you will probably hear a clicking sound, which is caused by the teeth in the gears jumping over each other. LitterMaid will not sell these gears to anyone, so your only hope is to get them from a salvage unit. For more information on this, read my guide entitled LitterMaid Broken? DO NOT TOSS IT OUT!! Waste sticking to the pan can also cause the motor/rake arm to run out of the track. This usually results in breakage of the nylon part that holds one or both of the guide wheels. If you try to glue the nylon guide bracket back together, it will not hold and will only make it more difficult to do the proper repair. I highly recommend purchasing the LitterMaid Repair Manual, which will explain the correct way to fix a broken guide bracket. Another thing that can happen when the motor runs out of the track is that the cord will become wrapped around the motor/rake arm resulting in breakage of the wire inside. It may not be visible but when the cord wraps around the arm, it usually keeps going until the wire breaks and the motor stops. While it looks like this cord could be replaced with a 24-2 speaker wire, it will not work because normal 24-2 wire is too stiff and will get hung up in the rollers when the rake is returning to the home position. This means that the cord will not fully retract and the next time the box cycles, it will get caught in the rake and you are right back where you started. A cord that does function properly can be salvaged from another unit or purchased in my eBay store Putting a little non-stick cooking oil on the rake and the inside of the pan will also help to prevent sticking, but the correct litter should always be used.
Never fill the litter pan above the full mark. When in doubt, use less litter, not more. If the pan is too full, litter will pile up behind the rake. The rake will then not be able to fully return to the home position. In this situation, the rake will just keep going back and forth without stopping. If someone is going to be watching your cats while you are away, be sure to tell them to not put in too much litter. The cats will not be able to use the LitterMaid if the rake is constantly moving and this could put more wear on the unit than it would normally get in a year.
Avoid getting water on the circuit board. The board is located in the area of the main switch. This on/off switch is soldered onto the board. Any large amount of water that is introduced in this area will result in the unit becoming shorted out. Never use a hose to clean the LitterMaid and never take it to the car wash!
If you follow these instructions, your LitterMaid should give you many years of service.
If this has been helpful, please click on the "Yes" button below. I would certainly appreciate it.
Never fill the litter pan above the full mark. When in doubt, use less litter, not more. If the pan is too full, litter will pile up behind the rake. The rake will then not be able to fully return to the home position. In this situation, the rake will just keep going back and forth without stopping. If someone is going to be watching your cats while you are away, be sure to tell them to not put in too much litter. The cats will not be able to use the LitterMaid if the rake is constantly moving and this could put more wear on the unit than it would normally get in a year.
Avoid getting water on the circuit board. The board is located in the area of the main switch. This on/off switch is soldered onto the board. Any large amount of water that is introduced in this area will result in the unit becoming shorted out. Never use a hose to clean the LitterMaid and never take it to the car wash!
If you follow these instructions, your LitterMaid should give you many years of service.
If this has been helpful, please click on the "Yes" button below. I would certainly appreciate it.
Guide created: 10/28/06 (updated 08/27/08)
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