My CatGenius seems to be using waaayyy too much cleaning solution than before, 120 washes down to 30

[kshiwram]

First off I have the CG120+ with a PIC16F1939 chip in it. I noticed that my CG goes through a whole lot more cleaning solution now that it did when it was reprogrammed to CatGenius. Also it seems that the CG is also completely unaware the solution cartridge is missing when I remove it. If there is some programming done to make it use more solution that it needs to because if there is then I really need to change that. Its supposed to be a 120 wash cartridge but all I get is like 30 washes and a toilet bowl so full of foamy bubbles I cant even see the water. I am aware of CartridgeGenius but I am not willing to buy that to fix this problem. Can you please help me fix this issue. 

Is there any plan for a new CatGenius firmware with any bug fixes or new features coming out? I've been hoping for months for an update. Please let me know if there are any plans for a firmware update. Thanks.

[Michael Conner]

kshiwram,

I haven;y had any problem with an excessive  use of solution nor foam, but I don't count anymore. 

I use Clorox "Clean Up" diluted 50%. for a cleaning / sanitation solution. There is a slight Chlorine odor 

for a shout time No Foam- the Cats don't seem to mind.  The mix has significantly eliminated most of the 

lingering smell from the original litter.

If your installing yo own solution mix, it is a little tricky to get the polymer plug replace in the solution

box without leaking. I use a little Olive Oil on the Plug.

I have two newer CG-120's that are reprogrammed to rev B4, and I have re-programmed three CG-60's -

 No issues to date...

Hope this helps.

Michael...

On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 3:11 PM, kshiwram <kshi...@gmail.com> wrote:

First off I have the CG120+ with a PIC16F1939 chip in it. I noticed that my CG goes through a whole lot more cleaning solution now that it did when it was reprogrammed to CatGenius. Also it seems that the CG is also completely unaware the solution cartridge is missing when I remove it. If there is some programming done to make it use more solution that it needs to because if there is then I really need to change that. Its supposed to be a 120 wash cartridge but all I get is like 30 washes and a toilet bowl so full of foamy bubbles I cant even see the water. I am aware of CartridgeGenius but I am not willing to buy that to fix this problem. Can you please help me fix this issue. 

Is there any plan for a new CatGenius firmware with any bug fixes or new features coming out? I've been hoping for months for an update. Please let me know if there are any plans for a firmware update. Thanks.

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[Robert Deliën]

> First off I have the CG120+ with a PIC16F1939 chip in it. I noticed that my CG goes through a whole lot more cleaning solution

> now that it did when it was reprogrammed to CatGenius.

 

That's highly unlikely, unless your tubing is leaking, due to agressive cleaning fluids.

 

> Also it seems that the CG is also completely unaware the solution cartridge is missing when I remove it.

 

That's true; There is no switch present to detect a cartridge. We can only detect the presence of a cartridge RFID chip, but absence of that chip doesn't automatically mean there's no cartridge, because some people use a bulk setup. In other words: Software shouldn't do anything differently if no cartridge is presence, hence there's no use for cartridge detection.

 

> If there is some programming done to make it use more solution that it needs to because if there is then I really need to change

> that. Its supposed to be a 120 wash cartridge but all I get is like 30 washes and a toilet bowl so full of foamy bubbles I cant even

> see the water. I am aware of CartridgeGenius but I am not willing to buy that to fix this problem. Can you please help me fix this

> issue.

 

Check your pump and the tubing. You can refill a cartridge with water and food dye, so you can see the fluid drip in to the bowl. Under normal conditions, it's only for a short time during the program.

> Is there any plan for a new CatGenius firmware with any bug fixes or new features coming out? I've been hoping for months for

> an update. Please let me know if there are any plans for a firmware update. Thanks.

 

Nothing is in the making; We have very few _reproducible_ bugs and I cannot think of any extra features. But feel free to contribute.

[Robert Deliën]

Check your pump and the tubing. You can refill a cartridge with water and food dye, so you can see the fluid drip in to the bowl. Under normal conditions, it's only for a short time during the program.

Did you already check your pump? There's also a possibility that the internals of your pump broke down. You can easily open it up to see if all three rollers are still in good condition.

[kshiwram]

It never occurred to me to inspect the plumbing on this unit. I just assumed it would stay right and dispense cleaning solution by software control. I'm not using anything other than genuine CatGenie 120 Solution. All of the posts I've seen use cleaners with their CartridgeGenius like Simple Green or something with chemicals kitties don't need. Even any suggestions on this would be nice too. I can just run a tube as long as I don't have a leak issue. I'll keep you posted on what happens. I also need to look for these three rollers you speak of so I can see if they are broken or something. Thanks for all your help everybody. This is such a nice community to be a part of. If anyone has any questions for me just ask. Thanks.

[Robert Deliën]

> It never occurred to me to inspect the plumbing on this unit. I just assumed it would stay right and dispense

> cleaning solution by software control.

 

Actually; It does. It's a small displacement pump, consisting of a piece of tubing held in a U-shape, and a wheel with three rollers on it, pinching the U-shaped tubing. By turning the wheel, the rollers push the fluid through the U-shaped tubing. There are 3 rollers, to make sure the tubing is always pinched at at least one point, preventing a continuous flow.

 

A missing or broken roller in this pump is a known error modus; I have heard 2..3 people reporting this.

 

> I'm not using anything other than genuine CatGenie 120 Solution.

 

In that case you don't need to worry about the fluid harming the tubing. Only mechanical damage, while installing the programming connector, remains is that case.

 

Try food dye, as I suggested before. Use GenieDiag to operate the pump and to see how it works.

 

> All of the posts I've seen use cleaners with their CartridgeGenius like Simple Green or something with chemicals

> kitties don't need. Even any suggestions on this would be nice too.

 

I have heard many people suggesting Simple Green, but I cannot recommend it myself because I cannot try it myself; It's not on the market here in Europe. I usually recommend to refill with plain tap water because I don't see any differences in cleanliness between using cleaning agent and not using cleaning agent. At least using water will keep your pump and tubing in good shape. Using nothing at all may damage or clog your dosage pump.

 

> I can just run a tube as long as I don't have a leak issue. I'll keep you posted on what happens. I also need to

> look for these three rollers you speak of so I can see if they are broken or something. Thanks for all your help

> everybody. This is such a nice community to be a part of. If anyone has any questions for me just ask. Thanks.

 

I'm not using a long external tube to a bulk container, because one of our cats loves to play with silicon tubing; He always steals it from our expresso machine.