Automatic Litterbox Central

I bought a Litterfree fllushing cat box just before the company went out of business. I'm delighted to hear they are planning a return, soon.

I really like my Litterfree box, even though only one of my cats will use it. The other two cats don't seem to like the feel of the plastic pellets under their paws, and insist on using a traditional litter box. For them, I've ordered a Litter Robot.

I never liked the "timer" feature on the Litterfree box. I figured that sooner or later it would "catch" one of my cats, and scare him to death. I also didn't like the idea of leaving unburied waste lying around for hours, until the timer kicked in.

What I really wanted was a Litterfree box that would automatically flush, a few minutes after my cat had departed. I finally figured out how to modify my Litterfree to do just this.

I'm a big X10 junky, so I figured it wouldn't be too hard to use X10 to activate the Litterfree box. The problem is that you have to press a button to start the Litterfree box flushing. So I opened up the Litterfree electronc unit, found the main circuit board, and located the two printed circuit traces that run to the flushing button. When you press the manual flushing button, you simply bridge the gap between the two traces, and the flushing begins. What I needed was an external "button" that could be activated by X10.

I attached a pair of small wires to the traces on the printed circuit board, and ran the wires to an X10 Universal Module. When the module is tripped by an X10 command, it closes an internal relay, and connects the wires. This causes the Litterfree box to start flushing.

I use an Ocelot automation module for my home automation needs. You could also use the Macro Module, which only costs half as much, and is easier to program. I installed a wireless "Hawkeye" motion detector in my cat bathroom, just inside the door, at cat height. When the cat walks through the door, the Hawkeye detects the motion. After the cat has used the Litterfree box, and has left the room, the Hawkeye no longer detects the cat's presence, and starts a timer. 16 minutes later, when the cat is long gone, the Hawkeye transmits an X10 "off" code. This "off" code is detected by the Ocelot module, which then sends an X10 "on" code to the Universal module. This causes the Universal Module to close a relay, which connects the two wires, which closes the circuit to the Litterfree's electronic brain, which causes the Litterfree box to start flushing. It's just as though I've pushed the manual "flush" button.

Now I have the best of all worlds. I have a Litterfree box that automatically flushes, shortly after my cat has used it. No more smelly, unflushed waste! No more scared cats!

Obviously this solution isn't for everyone. You need to be familiar with the basics of X10 operation, and you need some sort of home automation module to be the "brains" of the operation. You also need to be able to attach wires to the printed circuit board of your Litterfree box. But it is doable!

Chris Wolf
mailto:cwolf41@comcast.net

Now THAT is impressive!

Definitely awesome. Maybe you could post a parts list of what you recommend. Where to get the parts, and what they cost. Also include what tools you used.

I am very impressed.

I registered on this msg board just to ask the same sort of question!!
But you've already done it.. great!!

Could you post any pics, or additional info ? I would imagine there would be many others that would love this hack

Thanks!!