TIP: To avoid 90% of problems, set your CatGenie on Cat Activation.
If you have a 1, 2, 3, or 4 Error, a Beep sounds the Error number.
The Error LED lights and the number LED lights which Error.
Example: 2 beeps, #2 LED & Error LED
SEE & LISTEN for WHICH ERROR. OBSERVE SYMPTOMS.
ERROR 1. Hear Beeps, Error LED & LED 1 lit. Dirty Water Sensor or a Clog.
A. WATER SENSOR IS DIRTY or missing. Remove Processing Unit. Pull Water Sensor up
from the top of the Hopper. Use a soft cloth to wipe Sensor and Tip. The Tip must be lime free
and shine. Carefully replace the Water Sensor securely. If Sensor is missing, find, clean, replace.
If lost, get another from Spare Parts bag under the CatGenie Base. Put in place. Gently replace
the Processing Unit securely in its slot.
B. WATER IS IN THE HOPPER. Do NOT unplug electric cord or remove Processing Unit.
Press Start/Pause Button to silence the Beep. Follow Clog Clearing Directions on page 17.
IF NOTHING WORKS, Call 1-888-735-3927. Report Error 1. Have your Serial #.
ERROR 2. Hear Beeps, Error LED & LED 2 lit. Cycle Stops; there is a water problem.
A: NO WATER. Don’t unplug electric or remove the Processing Unit. Press Start Button to silence Beeps.
• The water supply valve from laundry or bathroom line is turned off. Turn on cold water supply line valve all the way on.
• Genie Water Hose is either not connected to home’s water supply or to back of
Processing Unit. Connect Genie Water Line to cold-water line or to Processing Unit.
• CatGenie Water Supply Hose is bent or crimped. Loosen coil, un-crimp GenieHose.
Once A is fixed, Press Start Button for 4 seconds and Release. Cycle should continue.
B. NOT ENOUGH WATER: Don’t unplug electric or remove Processing Unit.
• Water drains out as it’s filling the Bowl. Raise the Genie DrainHose at least one
foot above the GenieBase. Only need a short run. See photo at right.
• Water pressure is low. Do NOT run washer, dishwasher, or shower at the same time
as the CatGenie. Water valve should be turned all the way on.
• Sediments in home’s water pipe clogged GenieHose filter. Turn off water supply valve. Wait
5 minutes. Unscrew the GenieHose from the T-adapter, and dump Hose water down the Hopper
or in a bucket that’s lower than the Bowl. Pull CatGenie away from the wall. Unscrew Genie Water
Supply line. See the mesh filter. If dirty, remove with a needle-nose pliers and clean. Replace filter.
Screw Hose back onto Processing Unit. Screw Hose onto T-adapter, turn on water supply valve.
When B is fixed, Press the Start/Pause Button for 4 seconds and Release. Cycle should continue.
C. TOO MUCH WATER:
• Water Sensor is dirty. Remove Processing Unit. Pull out Water Sensor from top of Hopper.
See page 16 for cleaning details. Carefully replace the Water Sensor securely in its slot. Clear
off any debris inside the Processing Unit slot before replacing it. Cycle should continue.
• CatGenie is not level. Adjust position or level it with shims. It’s OK if right side is higher.
• Lime particles block water holes. Use CatGenie Machine Maintenance Powder or Cartridge
for lime removal. One or other included in your package (also at www.catGenie.com). When fixed, Press START for 4 seconds and Release.
IF NOTHING WORKS, Call 1-888-SELF-WASH ( 1-888-735-3927 ). Report Error #2 and symptoms. Have your Serial #.
www.catGenie.com
Both lit LEDs alternate blinks.
lit, means you have an Error 2.
Do NOT bend or
squeeze the
Hose
12
You could also
have a problem that
is not indicated by an
error LED or BEEP.
Press START to Stop Beeps.
Dirty Tip
Clean Tip
Raise a loop of the
DrainHose up one
foot from
Genie Base
Back of Processing Unit
Mesh Filter
1-888-735-3927
is Dull
is Shiny
Забываешь, что нужно убирать за кошками. Очень качественно сделанное устройство. Отличная техподдержка и подробная инструкция с картинками.
Очень дорогое устройство. Без взлома разоряют расходники. Требует подключения электричества, воды и канализации.
С появлением у меня трех кошек в 2011 году было решено испробовать сильно рекламируемое в интернете волшебное устройство: автоматический туалет для кошек от компании CatGenie. В рекламе было красиво показано, как лопатка особой формы тихо и плавно забирает сначала твердые отходы из наполнителя-гранул, измельчает их и смывает в канализацию, параллельно водой со специальным средством из картриджа промывает гранулы, потом сушит феном.
В реальности все оказалось правдой. Детали выполнены очень качественно, пластик отличный, все действительно плавно и точно двигается, люфтов нет, работает с минимальным шумом, мои животные устройство освоили сразу и ни разу не пугались, скорее с интересом наблюдали. Измельчитель сделан так, что случайно попасть туда лапой или рукой почти невозможно, сами лопасти закрыты дополнительно пластиковой защитой и сверху еще катается шарик. Система измельчения отходов оснащена насосом, так что наклон канализации соблюдать не нужно при установке, поднимет хоть на метровую высоту. Кнопки настройки имеют режим блокировки от детей или наступания кошачьих лап. Есть датчики движения, работающие идеально, которые отсчитывают время запуска чистки через несколько минут после ухода кота, и мгновенно останавливающие любое движение, если кот туда опять залез. Воздух для сушки «подсасывается» сзади, нужно обеспечить ветиляцию, или туалет будет перегреваться и выключаться с ошибкой.
Расскажу о не очень хороших ньюансах после 6 лет постоянного использования.
Очень дорогие расходники и детали, что стало хуже из-за современного курса доллара. Само по себе устройство стоило на тот момент около 17 тысяч, сейчас, насколько я знаю, цена уже 26. К нему дополнительно можно купить высокий бортик, «крышку-домик» и волшебный коврик, собирающий разлетевшийся наполнитель. Изначально у меня не было желания покупать ничего дополнительно, но коты очень сильно разбрасывали гранулы, пришлось купить бортик и домик (домик без бортика не ставится), чудо-коврик не стала, купила обычный «колючий» пластиковый придверный, он вполне сдерживает разлетевшийся наполнитель, но растаскиваются гранулы на лапах все равно, подметать их придется, наступать на них больно, за 6 лет использования нахожу их в самых неожиданных местах.
В лицензионной версии CatGenie придется покупать наполнитель-гранулы в маленьких коробках вроде по 1,5 килограмма за, на данный момент, 2650 за пачку(инструкция злобно предупреждает не менять официальные гранулы ни на что, иначе туалет сломается, а еще «родные» гранулы, по их словам, биоразлагаемые и безопасны для окружающей среды) и часто покупать картриджи (2500 штука), тк не столько средство необходимо для очистки туалета (хотя оно приятно пахнет), сколь производитель наживается на оснащенных чипом (по аналогии с картриджами принтеров) картриджах, запрограммированных на количество смываний, в разных режимах разное. Данная проблема для меня была решена заменой «родных» гранул на обычный копеечный гранулированный ПВД с завода переработки(не ПНД, он всплывает), на вид, цвет и вкус для меня лично неотличимый от «биоразлагаемого», а чип считывания картриджей был мой перепрограммирован добавлением одной умной американской микросхемки на «режим бесконечного картриджа», картридж я разобрала и наливаю туда жидкость собственного изобретения. Расход «родных» штук в случае трех котов у меня выходил около 1 пачки родных гранул на 2 месяца, и 1 картриджа в месяц в режиме «Cat». С одним котом будет пропорционально меньше.
Туалет довольно долго моется (35 минут). Если это единственный лоток для нескольких животных, другое животное может не дотерпеть.
Туалет очень мерзко и незатыкаемо пищит в режиме ошибок. Если у вас закончился картридж, туалет не взломан, а нового нет, вы никак его не заставите работать, пока не купите новый. Все это время, если он включен, он будет пищать.
Ошибки при работе туалета его выключают и не перезапускают, даже если проблема устранена, перезапускать надо вручную. У меня были проблемы с ошибкой перегрева (туалет стоял до этого к стене близко) и с «уровнем воды» — его считывает такая прозрачная деталька, на которой, как и на прочем туалете, копится налет, из-за этого налета она может неверно определять «засор» и выдавать ошибку. Ошибка же будет и в случае, если отключат воду: датчик давления воды при попытке запустить цикл выключит туалет. То есть в случае, если вы уехали, понадеявшись на этот туалет, и произошла ошибка, то он выключится, а по прибытию вы застанете его загаженным по уши. Кстати, в таком случае, убирайте твердые отходы вручную, с засохшими «отходами» он не справляется. Для максимальной страховки от такого всегда отмывайте его как при профилактической чистке, и ставьте на открытое прохладное пространство, в идеале просите друзей навещать зверей и проверять, как устройство работает, и оставляйся на видном месте инструкцию и телефон поддержки.
Туалет раз в полгода точно придется чистить: помимо того, что там копится вонючий налет в любом случае, шланг иногда забивается, на измельчитель наматывается шерсть и туда попадает всякая фигня, которую таскают коты. Придется разбирать его на детальки по инструкции, нести его в ванну, промывать все детальки вручную, смывая (извините) налет из измельченных какашек. Описываю так детально, чтобы будущие покупатели сразу знали, что подобное придется делать(для меня это было сюрпризом), это прописано в инструкции как «детали могут быть грязные, используйте перчатки», но по факту забывают про запах и конкретное содержание «грязи». Образуется этот налет при самом правильном официальном использовании, я минимизировала его заменяя родной состав катриджей уксусом со средством для мытья посуды, но пока не знаю как в длительной перспективе это повлияет на трубки внутри блока питания.
Еще одна дико неприятная деталь, с которой точно придется не раз столкнуться: если «твердые отходы» оказались не слишком твердым или хотя бы один маленький кусочек «отходов» пережил весь цикл мойки до сушки, на момент сушки будет ТАКОЙ запах по всей квартире, что можно задохнуться. Лопатка имеет довольно широкие отвестия, часто что-то она просто не может «уловить». Но случается подобное, к счастью, не слишком часто.
Спустя где-то 4 года непрерывной эксплуатации у меня сгорел мотор. Меняла блок управления, вышло в 9500, за «хакерские устройства» обслуживать не отказались, поулыбались, я не первый такой клиент. Еще один раз меняли разложившуюся от едкого «родного» средства трубку, подающую чистящее средство. Мастера, приезжающие на вызов или доставщики комплектуающих у официального русского диллера очень вежливые, понимающие (один раз нас ждали почти час) и пунктуальные. Не боятся грязной работы, вас ничего не заставят убирать, молча все сами, даже если предлагаешь помощь. Пункт самовывоза в Москве расположен очень неудобно, найти тяжело.
В целом могу сказать, что это изобретение очень интересное и, безусловно, работающее как задуманно, очень хорошо сделанное. Конечно, как и любой механизм, этот туалет требует периодического обслуживания. Выгоднее ли такое по сравнению с обычным лотком и наполнителем, как позиционирует реклама? При официальных расходниках однозначно нет. При «взломе» сами считайте, сколько лет надо покупать кошачий наполнитель на 26 тысяч. Стоит ли покупать? Для меня ответ «да», я делаю какую-то грязную работу раз в полгода во время профилактической чистки, остальное время я практически забываю о том, что мои коты ходят в туалет. Вам решать самим. Удовольствие это в любом случае требующее минимального понимания, как эта штука устроена и как собрана.
An easy DIY setup connects your CatGenie to a cold water outlet, a drain (toilet or laundry drain), and electricity. Instead of dirty cat litter, the CatGenie uses Washable Granules that look and feel like cat litter. Liquid waste drains and solids get scooped. All get liquified and the CatGenie flushes it away for safe and easy disposal down the drain and out of the home for good. Water and the cat-safe SaniSolution wash, clean, and scrub the Washable Granules and cat box interior. A built-in dryer blows hot air through the Granules to dry them completely for your cat’s comfort.
NEVER use cat litter in the CatGenie. We supply the litter-like Washable Granules that provide cats the material they need to dig and cover. The Washable Granules are made specially for the CatGenie. Anything else will damage the unit, clog your pipes, and void your Warranty.
Yes. Whether the waste is liquid or solid, the CatGenie disposes of it- eliminating a disgusting chore from your to-do list. All liquid and solid waste is flushed down the toilet or laundry drain and out of your home for good.
We see the most consistent success when each CatGenie is only used by two cats who weigh up to 20 lbs each. In some cases, three cats can use one CatGenie unit but that depends entirely on the behaviors and temperament of your cats. If you have three cats using one litter box now, then they shouldn’t have a problem using one CatGenie unit.
All CatGenie models are 19.25″ wide, 24.5″ long and 21″ high, including the removable Cartridge. It takes up the same space as a large-size, automated litter box.
While we have had success with larger breed cats being able to use the CatGenie, it all depends on how your cat adapts to the inside width of 19.25″ of the CatGenie. There is no weight limit that would prohibit any cat from using it properly.
Absolutely. We love cats and would never do anything to harm them. Our cat boxes, Washable Granules and SaniSolution have been extensively tested to ensure they are safe for pets, people, plumbing, and our planet.
Kittens over six months old can use the CatGenie, but we do not recommend it for kittens younger than 6 months as their stool is softer than fully grown cats.
Yes, the CatGenie is safe for septic systems. Only waste water and a few Washable Granules get flushed each day. Any Washable Granules that get flushed will be broken down by bacteria because they are specially formulated to be able to biodegrade.
Yes, the CatGenie hooks up to the cold water intake from a sink, toilet or washing machine. The Drain Hose hooks over a toilet rim or shares the drain pipe that your washing machine uses. It is a simple, do-it-yourself set up.
Laundry Room Installation
1. Assemble the CatGenie.
2. Connect Water Intake Hose to washer water hose via t-adapter.
2. Insert Drain Hose into washer drain pipe.
3. Plug into power outlet.
4. Insert SaniSolution Cartridge and Washable Granules.
5. Run test Cleaning Cycle.
6. Enjoy Your CatGenie!
Bathroom Installation
1. Assemble the CatGenie.
2. Connect Water Intake Hose to toilet water hose via t-adapter.
2. Insert Drain Hose to Toilet Hook and place onto toilet bowl rim.
3. Plug into power outlet.
4. Insert SaniSolution Cartridge and Washable Granules.
5. Run test Cleaning Cycle.
6. Enjoy Your CatGenie!
Yes, the CatGenie needs an electrical outlet for power to operate.
In 99% of homes, a plumber is NOT needed to connect the CatGenie. The setup is simple. With your purchase, you receive an outside-diameter, 1/2-inch (inside-diameter, 3/8-inch) T-adapter for bathroom setup and an outside-diameter, 1-inch (inside-diameter, 3/4-inch) T-adapter for laundry room setup. These fit 95% of locations. Some non-standard hookups may require a different size T-adapter, which PetNovations does not provide. They are inexpensive and available at home center stores.
Laundry Room Installation
1. Assemble the CatGenie.
2. Connect Water Intake Hose to washer water hose via t-adapter.
2. Insert Drain Hose into washer drain pipe.
3. Plug into power outlet.
4. Insert SaniSolution Cartridge and Washable Granules.
5. Run test Cleaning Cycle.
6. Enjoy Your CatGenie!
Bathroom Installation
1. Assemble the CatGenie.
2. Connect Water Intake Hose to toilet water hose via t-adapter.
2. Insert Drain Hose to Toilet Hook and place onto toilet bowl rim.
3. Plug into power outlet.
4. Insert SaniSolution Cartridge and Washable Granules.
5. Run test Cleaning Cycle.
6. Enjoy Your CatGenie!
On average, it takes less than 15 minutes to set up the CatGenie. Most homes require no help from a plumber.
The greatest benefit of owning a CatGenie is that it is the only cat box that actually washes and cleans itself. However, even a self-washing cat box is still an appliance and needs a little TLC to keep running its best.
CatGenie recommended maintenance includes:
Take apart and deep clean your CatGenie 2x per year.
To put it plainly, your CatGenie handles cat waste and to keep it running well, it needs to be cleaned occasionally. (Imagine never cleaning your own toilet? Gross!) A clean CatGenie is a happy CatGenie and keeping your unit running its best is as simple as giving it a gentle yet deep cleaning a few times each year.
What do you need to do? Take apart your CatGenie and gently scrub the components to remove any hair, debris or buildup twice per year.
Run a CatGenie Maintenance Cycle every 90 days.
The CatGenie Maintenance Cartridge contains special enzymes to break down any lime or other deposits that might come from your water inside the Unit. If you have a significant amount of lime in your water, you may want to run the Maintenance Cycle more often.
What do you need to do? Just insert a CatGenie Maintenance Cartridge into your Unit, press Start and your CatGenie will take care of the rest.
After helping hundreds of thousands of feline families around the world, we recommend that you run 1-2 CatGenie cleaning cycles per day, per cat. (Example, 1 cat- at least 1-2 times per day, 2 cats- 2-4 times per day, etc) You should run the CatGenie at least once every day even if you don’t see waste in the box. Because liquid waste flows through our Washable Granules, it is possible the box has been used without seeing solid waste.
The best way to keep your CatGenie running clean and error-free is to run a Cleaning Cycle after each use by using Cat Activation mode. Because the waste has not been sitting for any period of time, less SaniSolution is required and the Granules and Bowl come out cleaner. Plus you’ll save money by doubling the life span of your SaniSolution Cartridges from 120 to 240 cycles!
The best place for a CatGenie depends entirely on the preferences of your cat and your household. A CatGenie unit can be hooked up in any room that has a water supply, drainage and an electric outlet like a Bathroom, Powder room, Laundry Room or Utility Room- which one is best for your home is up to you!
All CatGenie units completely dry the Granules so cats have a dry litterbox-like area to do their business in comfort. The only exception to this would be if a cat entered the Bowl DURING a Cleaning Cycle- at which point the Cleaning Cycle would immediately pause but the Granules may be wet.
Most cats have no issue finding a non-running CatGenie to use but there may be some trial-and-error. One of the major benefits of using our A.I. unit is that you will get a detailed diary of their visits so you can customize your cleaning preferences specifically for your feline family. With Cat Activated, Time Activated or Manual scheduling options, delayed starts, plus the ability to set a «Do Not Disturb» window each day when the unit will not run, you can find a solution that’s best for your household.
The Washable Granules are a non-toxic combination of safe synthetic and natural ingredients. If swallowed, the small, smooth granules will simply pass through the digestive system.
Absolutely. We love cats and would never do anything to harm them. Our goal is to help improve the relationship between pets and people by solving the hated litter box problem for good.
The SaniSolution cleaner used in the SaniSolution Cartridge is tested safe for cats when diluted in water, as it would be during a CatGenie Cleaning Cycle. It has the same ingredients that veterinarians use to clean their operating and examinations areas.
Note: The SaniSolution cleaner inside the SaniSolution Cartridges is concentrated and designed to be diluted before cats have exposure. People, pets and surfaces should never be exposed to the concentrated SaniSolution.
Built-in sensors, called GenieEyes, know when your cat is using the CatGenie so the cleaning will not start. After your cat leaves the Bowl, your CatGenie waits 5-40 minutes (this delay is customizable on the A.I. model!) before cleaning. In a multi-cat household, this adjustment gives another cat time to come in. The unit will delay the start of the cycle if another cat enters as it was about to clean and waits to allow another cat to use it. CatGenie repeats this delay until no more cats have entered the Bowl.
If you need access to your cat’s waste, you can choose the Manual cleaning modes. Simply get what you need then press Start to clean.
Kittens over six months old can use the CatGenie, but we do not recommend it for kittens younger than 6 months as their stool is softer than fully grown cats.
More than 95% of all cats accept the cat-friendly shape and comfy litter-like Granules of the CatGenie right away. They quickly use the CatGenie as they use any clean litter box. Hundreds of thousands of cats from all over the world have made the transition.
We provide a detailed Acclimation Guide, developed by a renowned cat trainer, with each Unit. And if your kitty needs a little extra support to get acclimated, we are available by phone 7 days a week at 1-888-735-3927 to share the ideas we’ve accumulated over more than 2 decades helping cats learn to love self-washing cat boxes.
More than 95% of all cats take to the CatGenie immediately. Cats have different personalities and adjust to new things in their environment at different rates, but eventually almost all have adapted within 30 days.
Cats come to realize that the Cleaning Cycle is a good thing. Our animal behaviorists have told us that cats learn to associate the Cleaning Cycle with a benefit, and in a short time learn that the cleaning sound = a clean cat box! They especially like the warmed Granules. We do recommend that during the first week, you manually activate the cleaning to run while your cats are not near it.
The best success is one CatGenie for two cats who weigh up to 20 lbs. In some cases, three cats can use one CatGenie unit. If you have three cats using one litter box now, then they shouldn’t have a problem using one CatGenie unit.
NEVER use cat litter in the CatGenie. We supply the litter-like Washable Granules that provide cats the material they need to dig and cover. The Washable Granules are made specially for the CatGenie. Anything else will damage the unit, clog your pipes, and void your Warranty.
The CatGenie uses permanent Washable Granules that are reusable and cleaned after every use.
The Washable Granules are a non-toxic combination of safe synthetic and natural ingredients. If swallowed, the small, smooth granules will simply pass through the digestive system.
Frequency of replenishment depends on the number of cats and the way they use their CatGenie. A single box of Washable Granules can last most single-cat families 5-6 months under normal usage. Most 2-cat households average 3-4 boxes of Granules per year.
You should never use more than 1 box of Washable Granules at a time in your CatGenie. You should simply replenish them whenever kick-out or scoop-up lowers the fill level below the indented line. That’s it!. No need to throw away used Granules and replace them… they’ve been washed clean after each use!
You NEVER need to change out your Washable Granules for new ones*. We designed our CatGenie to wash our Granules clean as new for repeated use. A single box of Washable Granules can last a single-cat family as long as 6 months under typical usage circumstances.
What do you need to do? Empty a single box of Washable Granules into the GenieBowl when you assemble your CatGenie and replenish whenever kick-out or scoop-up lowers the fill level below the indented line. That’s it!
*On the very rare occasion (for most cats) that your cat has liquid feces, this waste may not scrub completely clean from Granules and this may prompt a change out of the entire bowl full. But this never happens for most CatGenie users.
No. In a traditional sewer or septic system, the Washable Granules are safe for your pipes and will break down in a septic or sewer system. Only the few Granules that stick to solids will end up down the drain or in the septic system.
The CatGenie Washable Granules breakdown in a sewer or septic system. Our granules are made to withstand the temperature of our drying process and can be sanitized and cleaned over and over. They are non-toxic and environmentally safe.
No, the 120 Cartridge is not refillable. Veterinarians helped develop the special, cat-safe SaniSolution formula, which has been thoroughly tested with both cats and on all components in the units and in the environment. The Cartridge dispenses the exact amount of solution both for the safety of the cat and the proper running of the CatGenie. The 120 Cartridge is tamper proof so untested or unsafe solutions cannot be substituted.
Our patented SaniSolution Cartridges dispense the perfect amount of concentrated cleaning solution during every cycle. A Cartridge is designed to clean for 120 cycles with Time Activated or Manual Activated schedule modes. Or you can DOUBLE the life of your Cartridges by running your CatGenie on Cat Activation mode. Not only does Cat Activation save you money, but it also keeps your unit running better longer by cleaning immediately after each use! In the A.I., you will get notifications prompting you to order before the cartridge runs out (estimates calculated by your cat’s usage).
Unlike 99% of plastics, which last from 500 years to forever, our SaniSolution and Maintenance Cartridges have an additive that enables the plastic to break down and most parts can be recycled.
You can call toll-free 1-888-735-3927 and a member of our Customer Support team will help troubleshoot any problem.
PetNovations provides a 2-Year Warranty on both Models. These highly engineered machines have the longest coverage of any other automated litter box. And the CatGenie does so much more than scoop.
View Our Complete Warranty Information
If you or your cats are not completely satisfied with your CatGenie for any reason, you can return it within 90 days for a full refund of the merchandise cost. Outgoing shipping costs are non refundable and you are responsible for paying return shipping costs.
When returning products to CatGenie, we recommend that you:
-Use shipment tracking to ensure we receive your return. We will not process refunds for shipments we do not receive.
-Insure all packages.
-Ask a CatGenie Customer Support team member about taking advantage of our bulk shipping rates for your return.
-Follow all Return Procedures below.
To begin the process of returning your CatGenie, please contact our Customer Support team at 888.735.3927.
View Our Complete Return Policy
Introduction: Cat Genie Three Beep Solution — Replacement Electronic Water Sensor
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This instructable describes replacing the Cat Genie plastic sensor with an electronic sensor. The plastic Cat Genie sensor tends to get dirty very easily and causes the unit to make the annoying three beep error, as well as several other problems.
When the sensor gets dirty, not only do you get the three beep error, but many times the unit will not fill the bowl with water all three times causing extra stinkiness during the drying cycle (a great urine aroma). Also, since the unit thinks there is still water in the bowl it causes extra strain on the draining motor while it continues to try to drain. I have smelled the motor after a cycle and it doesn’t smell like it’s happy about all the extra work.
So, let’s look at the sensor to see how it works. It is two plastic rod pieces connected by a small plastic junction at the bottom. The rods act like fiber optics, and the junction acts like a mirror. There are two 45 degree angles in the junction part, and these cause the light coming down one side to be reflected back up the other side. When water is in contact with this part of the sensor, the mirror effect of the plastic is negated and the light does not get reflected back up.
As long as we provide a changing IR light source to the Cat Genie’s sensors (there is an IR emitter and sensor pair on the bottom looking down into this plastic sensor), then we can source it with data from an external water sensor.
Step 1: Design of the Electronic Water Sensor
Ok, so we know how to interface with the Cat Genie. Provide an IR LED that can shine IR light into the CG’s IR sensor and you are home free. Now we just need to design our own sensor that will be resistant to dirty (poopy) water.
There are many ways to sense the level of water in a tank, but I wanted something with no moving parts to get stuck, get dirty, etc. A simple solid-state electronic sensor would be best. After some google searches for electronic water sensor circuits, I found some ideas on how to best implement a water sensor circuit.
After experimentation on the breadboard, I found a good working solution using a Darlington Pair of transistors to provide a changing voltage to two other transistors, which then either light the IR and green LED, or it lights the red LED. This gives the user an indication of the state of the sensor, it will turn from green to red water hits the probes we install.
Below is the schematic of the sensor (credit to 2cats2dogs from litterbox-central.com for the schematic) and a picture of my prototyped board. Notice in the schematic that the IR LED is wired backwards, make sure to wire it correctly. I will fix this in a later version of the schematic. The resistor values are hard to read, so I will add notes for them. All transistors are 2N2222, CORRECTION: they are NOT 2n2222A, it probably doesn’t matter though. The red/green wires go to the IR LED, the black/white wires go to the probes, and the two black wires go to a 12 volt wall wort transformer.
Step 2: Water Sensor Probe Install
So we have our working water sensor circuit. We need to put some probes on the Cat Genie to detect the water level, and we need to put the IR LED to where the head unit can see it with it’s sensor.
First, lets create the sensor probes and mount them. The first sensor probes I made just used the copper wire to make contact with the water. This turned out to be a BAD mistake. The copper corroded after just a single day and the next day the unit kept filling with water because the wire wasn’t making an electrical connection with the water anymore. It didn’t overflow, but it was surprising.
It is VERY important to use something other than the copper wires for the probes. I chose to use stainless steel screws from Lowe’s. They have been in there for a little over two weeks and are still just as shiny, no corrosion problems at all. Attach your probe wires to a pair of these screws as seen in the picture. Then you need to mount them inside the bowl. I mounted mine under the litter bowl, duct taped to the outer portion of the base unit. This location should avoid the majority of the poopy water seen in the hopper so they should stay cleaner here. It is important to tape them to where the bottoms of the screws are at the regular fill water level. (If you cannot tell where your CG normally fills, you can estimate where it needs to go with your litter bowl, the line on the litter bowl where the plastic turns from white to gray is the typical fill level).
I have an idea for a better mounting method, although this method seems to work just fine. A better method would be the small square sticky mounts used for wire ties, should be available at Lowe’s. Wire tie the screw into two of those and stick those on there, would be a cleaner looking install.
Whatever method you use, make sure there is plenty of screw sticking down past your mount. If it is too close, or even flush with the mount, then water will remain on the mount maintaining contact between the probes even when the bowl is starting to empty.
Step 3: IR LED Install
Now, we need to install the IR LED. What I did was to take one of the large pink erasers found on the stationary aisle and cut it into a shape that would fit into the top of the hopper where the plastic sensor normally goes. Then I stuck the IR LED’s legs through, soldered on my wire and heatshrink, and stuck it into the top of the hopper. Make sure you put this in with the top of the base unit removed, and not just between the base on the head unit. If you put it directly between the base and head unit, it will cause the head unit to not fully seat into the base and the gears on the motor driving the bowl will grind. You don’t want this to happen.
It is important to make sure you put the IR LED to one side of your cut up pink eraser. Then mount the IR LED to the side farthest away from the drain of the unit. That is where the head unit’s IR sensor is located. If you put it in the other way, it probably won’t work.
Step 4: Completed Install
With that, we should have everything working. Plug in your wall wort power supply, the green LED should light. Run a cycle, when the water hits the two stainless steel probes under the bowl, the red LED should turn on and the genie should stop filling. When it starts to drain, the green LED should turn back on quickly once the water drops off the screws.
You should not experience any more three beep errors. Really, the only way this would fail is if your stainless steel probes corrode over, which is possible but would probably take a long time. Or, if your mounting method failed and became unstuck from the wall of the base.
I have a video of my board operating on YouTube, just search Cat Genie three beep.
Hope you enjoy.
1 Person Made This Project!