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Faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms are the most used fixtures in your house. Every home is incomplete without them. Constant use of these faucets leads to various problems such as leakage. There are many types of faucets available for the kitchen, bathroom, shower, and tub, all of them in unique and beautiful designs. Moen kitchen faucet has one of the simplest cartridges that are easy to replace. There is no need to call the plumber when you can do it yourself.
Before going into details, let us discuss few signs indicating that you need to replace the cartridge.
Signs that you need cartridge replacement
There is nothing new about your faucet that needs attention after a certain period. Your kitchen faucet cartridge might need replacement if you observe the following signs.
Low water pressure
Low water pressure can be the sign that your faucet cartridge needs replacement. Debris and mineral buildup from the water may result in a clogged cartridge which causes low water pressure.
Dripping spout
Continuous leakage and dripping faucet are the indications of either clogged or worn-out cartridges. You need to check if your faucet aerator is clogged. You can clean it with a thick bristle brush. And if the dripping is due to a worn-out cartridge, you need to replace it.
You may want to buy a new moen kitchen faucet, we have reviewed some of the best faucets.
Tools Needed for Moen Kitchen Faucet Cartridge Replacement
- Small flat screwdriver
- Channel-lock pliers
- Cartridge puller
- Plumbers grease
It will be of great use if you have a cartridge puller available at your home. Or you can easily find it at any hardware store.
How to replace the Moen faucet cartridge?
The steps mentioned below will guide you to replace the single handle Moen faucet cartridge.
1. Shut off the water supply
Before going for any replacement or repair procedure, you have to make sure to shut off the water valve by turning it clockwise until it is secure. Locate the shutoff valve underneath the basin or sink. Shut off the main water supply of the house. Do this instead if the shutoff valve is not available in the fixture set.
To make the system completely inactive, open the faucet. It will discharge the remaining water in the pipes and relieve the pressure. Now, when the tube is clear, you can effortlessly perform any repairing or replacement procedure.
2. Remove the faucet handle.
To remove the faucet handle, you have to take off the cover that you can find on top of the handle. For this purpose, use any flatbed tool such as a small flat screwdriver. It will help you pry off the cover easily. After removing the lid, you will see the handle screw. This screw secures the handle connecter and the thrust washer with the handle. Therefore, when you unscrew it, you will be able to pull out the handle.
3. Remove the Retainer Nut
After successfully eliminating the handle, you will see another screw in the pivot retainer that settles under the collar. That screw holds the pivot retainer with spout along with retainer nut and thrust washer. Unscrew the screw in the pivot retainer with the help of a suitable screwdriver and open up the retainer nut. It is the part where you can see the cartridge and the cartridge clip on top of it.
4. Remove the cartridge
Before removing the cartridge, you need to pull out the clip present on top of the cartridge. That clip helps it stay in place. Pry out the clip and move on to the removal of the cartridge itself. Here, you have the option to use the tool that is suitable for you. You can either use a cartridge puller or simple pair of pliers.
Use of cartridge puller
Cartridge puller comes with a Moen faucet set. If you have this tool, you do not need anything else to extract the cartridge and replace it with a new one. Below are the steps to remove the cartridge with the help of a cartridge puller.
Put the cartridge puller onto the hollow and threaded cartridge stem. Secure it tightly so that it fits perfectly with the help of a screw. After that, wiggle it while pulling out to loosen up the cartridge. Continue turning it side to side until it is free. Now pull out the cartridge.
Use of other tools
Insert the white tool from the new cartridge set inside the old cartridge stem. Now use the pliers, twist them around clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen up the cartridge.
5. Replace the cartridge
Put some plumbers grease on the O-rings of the new cartridge and place it in the faucet body. To fit the retaining clip perfectly, make sure to align the cartridge tabs with the faucet threads from front to back. Cartridge stem should be on the top side.
6. Reassemble everything
After successfully placing the cartridge, now it is time to put everything else back in its place.
- Put the cartridge clip in its place.
- Reassemble the retainer nut, thrust washer along with the faucet body.
- Then put the pivot retainer back on top and screw the bolt tightly that holds these parts together.
- Place the collar back on the pivot retainer.
- Now it is time to attach the handle. Place it onto the collar along with the handle connector and washer.
- Fasten the screw that holds the handle connector, handle, and washer together.
- Fix the decorative cap or lid in its place to complete the procedure.
- Now, turn on the water supply and check your faucet. It should be working appropriately.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, you can assume that Moen kitchen faucet cartridge replacement is an easy task, and you can do it yourself without any help. It will hardly take 20 to 30 minutes to replace the cartridge, and it costs you about 10 to 60$ depends on the cartridge. However, it is better to buy the cartridge from the manufacturer until it is necessary. So there is no size issue, and it will fit in properly.
