Prevent and Fix Rust - LitterMaid Repair
Cat urine is extremely corrosive and causes everything in contact with it to rust. This is bad news for the screws and circuit board of your LitterMaid.
The key here is prevention. Seal the battery compartment edges with electrician's tape (you're running the LitterMaid using the 12V AC transformer, right?). Also, cover each exposed screw on the rake with a small piece of electrician's tape.
What if the screw heads are already corroded and you need to take the LitterMaid apart for another repair? The first step is to apply some WD40 and wait for 20-30 minutes. Try loosening the screws with a Philips-head driver. Still no good? Then use a thin metal file to carefully file a fresh slot in the screw head. Once the slot is about 0.5mm deep you should be able to loosen the screw with a flat-head driver.
Comments
re: reverses after running for a few seconds.
I've had a similar problem that turned out to be "debris" in the limit switches. At the end of the rake's travel, when it has the lid open, there are two limit switches, one on each side, that the rake assembly bumps into. (These switches are located on the track, near the end, directly over the wast receptacle.) If there is "debris" there, the switch can get stuck in the "tripped" position, this causes the rake to reverse and go back to the home position shortly after starting. Using the little brush that was supplied with the unit, I swept away the debris and the unit began working again.
YMMV
Posted by: NowNow | April 5, 2007 at 17:07 PM
Can't tell you how many LitterMaids we've had, and like so many
I've read about, ours has gone ka-poot. We've opened up the
motor drive box that's connected to the rake and didn't discover
any particular problems. Actually only one, I have 2 little
springs that I don't know where to put them in the assembly.
Would anyone has any suggestions?
Also, our unit stopped at the 'dumping' position and when we
try to run it again, it only runs 3-4 sec, stops, and then in
reverse for a second or two. Has anyone ever encountered a
problem like this?
Also, we tried to take the unit back to PetSmart and according
to the new manager's policy, the LitterMaid may not be exchanged
now. I'm thinking we've spent alot of money over time to have a
product with a number of flaws associated with it.
Thanks for any help anyone might render and it would be greatly
appreciated as my daughter's LitterMaid is doing the very same
thing!
Thanks,
Sandie
Posted by: Sandie Davis | January 24, 2007 at 01:33 AM
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