Litter Box 2.0
If you have cats, you know they make some pretty smelly poops. There are many solutions, but this is my favorite. This even has the added benefit of reducing Radon levels if you put it in your basement like I did.
Admittedly, this cost far more than I expected, but that's the price you pay to have a cat without having the cat stink.
| Item | Qty | Unit Cost | Ext Cost |
| 27 Gal. Clear Tote w/ Lid | 2 | $17.00 | $34.00 |
| 4" x 20' Vinyl Duct | 1 | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| 6" Galvanized Exhaust Vent | 1 | $32.00 | $32.00 |
| 6" Corded In-Line Duct Fan | 1 | $42.00 | $42.00 |
| 6" to 4" Round Reducer | 1 | $13.00 | $13.00 |
| 4" Round Tee | 1 | $19.00 | $19.00 |
| 4" Bath Duct Collar | 2 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
| Total: | $166.00 |
I was lucky with mine, I already had a spare exhaust vent in my basement wall that wasn't doing anything. Otherwise finding a place for that would have been the first step. Naturally whever this vent is will determine where the litter box goes; having a bunch of ducts running all over the place gives off some serious Breaking Bad vibes that are quite offputting to guests.
First thing I did was cut the holes in the totes for the cat to get through. I went with a 7.5"x7.5" square, you might need a different size for your cat. I put the hole as high up on the end of the tote as possible to keep litter contained as best as possible.
Since I already had the knife out, it's a good time to cut the holes in the lids for the duct collar. A sharpie and box cutter made quick work of that.
Assembling the ductwork is the most frustrating part, mostly because I failed to purchase parts that actually fit together. Turns out it's much easier to get them to fit when one is crimped and the other is straight walled, vs trying to get two straight walled parts to fit together with excessive use of tin snips and pliers. Live and learn, I suppose. I assembled the tee on the reducer, then fed the vinyl duct over both ends of the tee. I left the vinyl duct in a big 'U' for now. Once I got the booster fan attached to the exhaust vent I put the reducer and booster together, then put some strapping under the tee to hold the weight and keep it together. Duct tape ensures minimal leaks.
All that's left is cutting the vinyl in the center of the 'U' and attaching the duct to the two lids. Once that's done, fill the boxes and plug the booster fan in.
Some improvements for the future: add a fan dimmer switch to the outlet for the booster fan. It works fine with direct power but it's likely a bit excessive for what's needed. That, or switch to all 4" ductwork and just let the 4" fan run at full speed.