How To Repair A Leaking Shower Faucet Moen

Moen Shower faucets are some of the best in the industry. Although they concluding longer than nearly of the other faucets, the definitely don't last forever. You will from time to time deal with a leaking Moen shower/bathtub faucet.

The skillful news is that you don't need to telephone call a plumber to fix i for you. Fixing a leaking Moen shower faucet is an easy job that will take you lot not more than 30 minutes and save you lot in excess of $lxxx dollars in plumbing fees depending on your area.

Image by Moen

A leaking Moen shower faucet is usually caused by a faulty cartridge. The 2 washers which close off the common cold and hot h2o menses are in most cases worn out, allowing h2o to drip even when the faucet is turned off.

While replacing the 2 O-rings/washers is possible, the best way to fix a leaking Moen shower faucet is to replace the cartridge. Moen faucets have a lifetime warranty so all you have to practise is to email/telephone call them for a replacement.

If yous take a bathtub-shower-combo and you notice that your shower head is dripping water or that at that place is water dripping from your bathtub spout, the shower faucet is often the culprit. Replacing the cartridge will fix this problem at in one case.

How to Fix a Leaking Moen Shower Faucet

Earlier getting down to concern, you will demand to gather a few tools. These are:

• New Moen faucet cartridge
• Pliers
• Philips screwdriver
• Allen wrench

All Moen faucet cartridges are not interchangeable. If y'all are not sure which one to buy, look for the faucet series number on the escutcheon (cover plate) or underneath the faucet handle and order a matching cartridge.

Here is how to ready/supersede a leaking Moen shower faucet cartridge:

one. Turn off the Water

You cannot repair a shower faucet when there is full water pressure in the pipes. The first to do therefore is to turn off water supply to the shower (and perchance the unabridged house) and bleed that which is already in the pipes.

• Dash to your basement or wherever the water shut off valve is located and turn it off. Usually, this valve is located in the basement virtually the water heater or exterior the firm on a wall, next to the water meter. Turn the valve counterclockwise or if you have a brawl valve turn information technology and so that the lever is at ninety degrees to the supply pipe.
• Turn on the shower faucet all the way to drain the water already in the pipes.
• Comprehend the shower or bathtub bleed with a rag/towel to prevent screws from falling down the drainpipe.

2. Remove the Faucet Handle

The faucet handle is attached to the cartridge using a spiral on its underside. To admission the cartridge you volition first need to remove the handle. While most Moen handles will expect this way, at that place also other variations. One way or the other the handle will have a spiral somewhere.

• Turn the faucet handle all the way so that it faces upwards. You will see screw inside a groove at the bottom of the handle.
• Use an Allen wrench to remove the spiral. Please brand sure that you utilise the correct size off Allen wrench to avoid defacing the spiral head. Loosen the screw by turning it counterclockwise. Notation that you lot don't need to remove the screw all the way out.

iii. Remove the Sometime Faucet Cartridge

• In one case the faucet handle is out, yous volition see a plastic holder (commonly blackness) connected to the cartridge using a Philips spiral. Remove the handle holder using the Philips screwdriver.
• When the faucet handle holder is out, y'all volition see the temperature limit stop, which is basically a white plastic part that slots into a sleeve known every bit the stop tube. This is what lets you turn the faucet handle either left or right to select cold or hot water as well equally the h2o pressure. Pull out the temperature limit stop and put in a secure identify.
• Remove the stop tube. This role is normally not threaded to anything so all you lot accept to exercise is pull it out. Sometimes it maybe sticky and yous have to wiggle information technology a little scrap to remove it.

If you lot look advisedly, you can see a clip which attaches the cartridge to the faucet trunk. The clip holds the cartridge in place then that water pressure in the valve does not button information technology out.

In case the clip is easily accessible, you lot can pull it out without having to remove the cover plate, also known as an escutcheon. The best tool for that job in that example would exist a needle-nose pliers.

If the valve was yet roughed-in deeper in the wall, you lot will have no culling but to remove the encompass plate.

• Check if the encompass plate is caulked into the wall. If that is the instance cutting the caulk with a putty pocketknife.
• The cover plate is connected to the wall using ii screws. Employ the Philips screwdriver to remove the screws and pull out the plate.
• With the Allen wrench or screwdriver, pull out the clip while being very careful non to drib it within the wall.
• To remove the cartridge, grab information technology with a pair of pliers and gently plough it right and left a couple of times just to loosen it. When it feels gratuitous. pull it straight out. Some cartridges peculiarly those which have been in identify for a long fourth dimension volition exist very viscous hence yous might accept to purchase a cartridge puller to prevent them from snapping

4. Install the New Cartridge

Prior to installing the new cartridge, information technology is a good practice to commencement make clean the valve. Use an old toothbrush, to scrub off calcium and other mineral deposits. If in that location are lots of debris inside the valve, turn on the water slowly to flush out the debris. This volition prevent leaking from the new cartridge.

When that is done it is now time to install the cartridge. Hither is how to proceed:

• Start by greasing the cartridge. Your new cartridge will most probable come with a lubricant. Apply it on the ii holes on the cartridge. If it doesn't, utilise your grease all effectually it. This will make it easy if you always have to replace it once more.
• Push the cartridge in the valve. It is very important that you get this point right. If you wait at the terminate of the cartridge (one which you adhere the handle), you volition see 2 flat edges. One flat border has a little groove. The side with the groove should always exist the one at the top. Alternatively, expect for the initials HC on the cartridge. This initials should also be at the top. With this in mind only push the cartridge inside the valve.

• Insert the clip. If the cartridge is in the right position, the clip will slide in easily.
• The side by side footstep is to attach the encompass plate. Align the screws holes and put the 2 screws in. Tighten them with a screwdriver.
• One time the cover plate is fastened to the wall, put in the stop tube and make sure that information technology goes through the slot on the cover plate.
• Push the adjustable temperature limit end in the stop tub and make sure that it is properly engaged.
• Screw in the faucet handle adapter.
• Connect the handle. Slide in the handle and fasten it with its screw. To practice this right, look for a groove inside the handle and align it with the slot on the handle adapter.

v. Test the New Moen Shower Cartridge

Turn on the water supply to the shower and check for leaks when the faucet is turned off. Open the water and let it run and then plough information technology off. Cheque if the faucet is shutting off precisely.

If yous take a shower-bathtub-combo, divert water to the shower head and turn the faucet off. Check if the shower head is dripping/leaking.

If you are satisfied with the checks then you have successfully fixed a leaking Moen shower faucet. On the other paw if the problem persists please telephone call in a professional plumber.

FAQs

i. Why is Moen faucet leaking after replacing the cartridge?

If you supersede your Moen faucet cartridge simply the faucet is however leaking, either the new cartridge was defective or it was the wrong model. Call Moen with the old cartridge model number and they volition advise you accordingly.

2. Which Moen Cartridge exercise I need?

To know the right model number of the Moen cartridge for you shower faucet, you will need to know the model number of your faucet first. This number can be found on the underside of the faucet handle or on the cover plate, also known as escutcheon.

Source: https://plumbingsniper.com/leaking-moen-shower-faucet/

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