The biggest cost of maintaining LR3 is the recurring need to replace DFI sensors. These sensors are constantly exposed to moisture and dust.
Do you know if there are any plans for improvement in this?
One DIY solution is of course to wrap transparent tape around the plastic brackets to seal them and prevent dust and moisture from affecting the DFI sensors.
But I do not understand why these plastic brackets are not completely sealed from the beginning. Is there any sensible reason why they are open at the bottom?
I understand that the idea may have been that the opening at the bottom makes it easier to clean the DFI sensors. But this opening is the very cause of the problems with DFIs! And since the spare parts are sent with both DFIs and plastic brackets, I do not understand why the DFIs could not be sealed-in the brackets so that they would not be exposed to dust and moisture at all.
The second problem, though not as costly to maintain, is the anti-pinch pieces. Also these are constantly exposed for dust and moisture, need frequently to be replaced .
Do you have any practical ideas for how to easily protect these from dust and moisture?
I wish also for this problem some form of technical development from the manufacturer.
The third problem is the repeated need to open the base. Having to unscrew the plastic parts often, cannot be good for plastic material. Why can’t these parts be fastened with anything other than screws, which doesn’t wear out the plastic that the screws inevitably do.
If I understood correctly, the video you attached is just about the usual replacement of DFI sensors. Thus, the problem remains, they are still exposed to dust from litter and moisture from the bin. Or did I miss something significant related to the protection of these DFI sensors?
I am now returning to this topic after just over a year of testing to prevent dust and moisture from affecting the DFI sensors by sealing the plastic brackets with plastic wrap.
I have three LR3s for eleven cats and use high quality clumping and dust-free cat litter. Over the years, I have had recurring issues with DFI sensors, although I’m careful to empty and clean the LR3.
However, after sealing the plastic brackets with DFI sensors, I have not had any problems with them since then.
The question therefore remains; why these plastic brackets are open at all, why the DFI sensors are not initially sealed in the brackets to prevent them from being exposed to dust and moisture?
We are working on that. Currently it is only available in USA directly from Whisker, but it should be available in Canada and EU via RobotShop later this year.
So well, I have to keep an eye out!
The other pleasing news I noticed when looking for LR4 on RobotShop EU, was that there is now an option for the shipping method. There is a considerable price difference between UPS shipping and standard shipping.
In all likelihood, the high delivery costs in the past have had a very negative impact on the decision of the consumer living here next to Santa Claus to financially invest in Litter Robot. The fact that UPS’s shipping price from Central Europe to the outskirts of the North Pole is more than half the price of the product itself hasn’t really encouraged the decision to buy. In other words, this opportunity to opt for the significantly cheaper standard shipping allows many Nordic cats with their humble servants to improve their quality of life.
