How To Repair Dripping Sink Faucet

Why is My Moen Bath Sink Faucet Leaking?

It goes without saying that Moen faucets are probably the best faucets in the market place and hence their lifetime warranty. That does not however hateful that they will never fail.

Moen faucets volition leak from time to time especially in areas with hard water. And so, what causes a Moen faucet to start leaking/dripping h2o from the spout/handle?

A dripping/leaking Moen bathroom faucet is caused past a worn out cartridge which fails to create a watertight seal inside the faucet valve. Although repairing the faulty cartridge is possible, replacing it with a new one is the all-time and long-term method to set up the problem.

A faucet cartridge is a cylindrical part within the faucet valve that controls the flow of water. Modernistic cartridges will even residuum the water temperature flowing out of the faucet to preventing scalding.

Since cartridges are connected to the faucet handle and are always turning inside the valve when you lot plow water on and off, they are bound to article of clothing out due to friction.

Unmarried-handle Moen bathroom faucets have i cartridge while double-handle bath faucets have 2 cartridges. Moen faucet cartridges are not universal and therefore not interchangeable.

To know which Moen faucet cartridge you need, remove the old one and accept it with you to a home comeback store and buy a like one. Alternatively, you can use Moen'southward Identify my Product guide on their website to know which faucet you accept and the replacement parts you need.

Equally I mentioned earlier, Moen parts take a lifetime warranty. If your faucet is under warranty, give Moen a call and they will send you a replacement kit free of charge.

Since Moen makes both single-handle and double-handle bathroom sink faucets, I volition first show you how to supercede the cartridge in a leaking single-handle faucet. We volition then await at how to replace a cartridge in a leaking double-handle faucet.

Related: How to ready a Moen shower faucet cartridge.

How to Fix a Leaking Single Handle Moen Bath Faucet

moen-single-handle-bathroom-faucet-diagram — ***Image courtesy: Moen***

For this repair you will need the following

Allen wrench
Philips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
New cartridge
Adjustable wrench/pliers
Cartridge puller
Towel/rag

In one case you lot have all the materials y'all demand, these are the steps to follow to supplant the cartridge:

1. Turn off Water to the Faucet

Duck under the bathroom sink and look for 2 oval-shaped knobs connected to water supply houses. Those are the cold and hot h2o shut off valves.
To turn off water to the faucet, turn the two valves all the clockwise.
Open the faucet to drain the water already in the hoses.
Plug off the sink drain opening. This is very important to make sure that you practise not drop anything down the drain.

2. Remove the Faucet Handle

Based on the type of faucet yous have, you may have a lever-type handle or a knob-blazon. I will show yous how to remove both.

With a knob-type handle, pry off the small index cover at front of the handle (with the Moen logo) using a flathead screwdriver or knife. Now loosen the screw connecting the handle to the cartridge using a Philips screwdriver and pull out the handle.
If you accept a lever-handle, outset by prying off the small cap underneath the handle. Use the correct size of Allen wrench to remove the screw connecting to the handle and pull it out.

Note: sometimes the handle maybe corroded and will not but slide out. In that case y'all will need to spray it with a penetrating oil then try after a few minutes.

Remove the handle adapter. This is the piece connected to the cartridge using a Philips screw. After removing the screw, lift the front side of the adapter then button it back a little before lifting it off. It is held in place using a tab on its rear.
Lift off the flange. It is decorative piece that you only need to lift off.
Unscrew the plastic ring. It could be manus-tight but sometimes you may need to utilise a wrench to loosen it.

Note: It is important to arrange the parts in club of how you removed them so that you don't forget the order in which to put them back.

Remove the second decorative piece past but lifting it off. That slice as well as the get-go one is not threaded.

3. Remove the Cartridge

The cartridge is held in place using a retaining prune to prevent information technology from shifting due to water pressure. Use needle-nose pliers to pull out the clip. Yous could also use a small screwdriver.
Slide out the temperature limit cease. This is the plastic piece at the tip of the cartridge.
Remove the washer as well.

To successfully remove a Moen cartridge, you volition need a cartridge puller. Attempting to pull the cartridge straight without the puller might intermission it in to 2 parts with 1 left inside the valve.

Luckily for you, the new Moen cartilage will come with a cartilage puller. This is the minor plastic piece which is usually white in color.

Button the cartilage puller within the faucet valve to engage the cartilage.
Grab the puller with a wrench or pliers and twist it back and forth until the cartilage starts to rotate freely.
Remove the puller, grab the cartilage stem with pliers and pull it straight out.
Use the towel/rag to soak up any water inside the valve body.

4. Install the New Cartilage

Outset by applying grease all over the cartilage's seals.
Button the cartilage within the valve. It is important to brand sure that the 2 tabs on the cartridge are at the peak and bottom. This is what allows it to exist restrained by the retaining clip.
Slide in the washer and temperature limit terminate.
In one case the cartilage is in place, insert the retaining clip.
Button in the metallic ring then screw in the plastic ring. Tighten it gently using the wrench.
Put the flange back and align information technology.
Install the handle adapter, starting by hooking up the tab on its rear then screw it in using the Philips screwdriver.
Screw the handle back on.
Turn on the shut off valves. Check if there are any leaks with the faucet turned off. Turn on the faucet for about 30 seconds then turn it off. Bank check for leaks again.

And that is how to repair a leaking unmarried-handle Moen faucet. Hither is a helpful video on the same:

How to Fix a Leaking Double-Handle Moen Bath Faucet

moen-double-handle-bathroom-faucet-diagram — ***Image courtesy: Moen***

Equally I mentioned earlier, a double-handle faucet will have 2 cartridges. Since both cartridges cannot exist faulty at the same time, but ane cartilage volition be responsible for the leak.

To find out which cartilage is faulty, starting time by plough off the cold water shut off valve under the sink. If the leak stops, you will demand to replace the common cold water faucet handle cartilage.

On the other mitt if the leaking/dripping continues, replace the hot water faucet handle cartilage. That beingness said, I like to replace both cartilages at the same fourth dimension.

That gives me the peace of heed that I will not need to replace the other one after only a few months or years.

The following are the steps to follow when replacing a cartilage in a double-handle Moen bath faucet.

Plow off the close off valves and open up the faucet to drain the water.
Plug off the sink bleed opening.
Remove the handle. Depending on the type of faucet yous accept, you will need to look for a hex spiral on the side of the handle and remove it or if the handle is threaded turn it counterclockwise to loosen it.
Remove the retaining ring. The cartridge is held in place using a retaining ring. Loosen it with a wrench and put information technology aside.
Grab the cartilage with a wrench or pliers and pull it straight out. If the cartilage won't come out freely, you may demand to employ a tool to remove it. Alternatively, insert a small flathead screw driver on the notch on the side of the valve and attempt to free information technology by lifting information technology upwards and down.
Soak upward the water inside the valve using a cloth.
Utilise some grease on the new cartilage's O-rings
Install the new cartilage. It is of import to make certain that that the tab on the cartridge coincides with the notch on the side of the valve torso.
Screw in the retaining clip and tighten it gently using the wrench.
Install the handle.
Turn on the h2o and bank check if the leaking has stopped.

And that is how to replace the cartilage to fix a leaking double-handle Moen bathroom faucet. This video from Moen illustrates all the steps even better.

I like to also accept the time to clean or replace the faucet aerator as well. For more information on faucet aerators as well as how to clean and supersede them check out this mail.