Moen is a manufacturer of several different types of pull-out style kitchen sink faucets. All kitchen sink faucets require some troubleshooting over time, and pull-out style faucets by Moen are no exception. Common problems with Moen kitchen faucets include a handle that won't stay in the "on" position, water leaks or a handle that is difficult to move. All of these problems can be corrected once you know what to look for. Faucet Won't Stay On If your new Moen faucet won't stay on, or you have recently replaced the cartridge and the faucet won't stay in the "On" position, this is likely caused by too much silicone on the faucet's cartridge. Moen greases their cartridges with a special silicone prior to shipping. Occasionally, too much silicone can grease the cartridge, causing the weight of the handle to pull it down. To correct this, loosen the Allen screw at the back of the faucet on the stem below the handle. Lift off the spout and handle to expose the cartridge. Wipe the cartridge down with a cloth to remove excess grease and reinstall the faucet body.

Water Leaking Due to Worn O- Ring There are generally two causes of water leaking from your Moen faucet. Because pull-out spray faucets have a single handle, the most common cause of the water leaking is the O-ring. To replace the O-ring, turn off the water to the faucet from below the counter. Pry the cap off the top of the handle and remove the screw this will expose. Remove the handle by pulling straight up and exposing the cartridge body and O-ring. Replace the faucet handle, screw and cap before turning on the water and testing the faucet. Water Leaking Due to Faulty Cartridge If you have tried replacing the O-ring on your Moen faucet, and you are still experiencing water leaks, the culprit is most likely the cartridge. Replace the cartridge to stop the leak. Pry off the cap on the top of the handle to expose the screw below. Remove the screw and lift the handle straight up. Loosen the screw on the back of the faucet handle to remove the rest of the faucet body and expose the cartridge.

Loosen and remove the screws holding the cartridge in place, and pull the cartridge straight up with a pair of pliers. Insert the new cartridge, replace the screws and handle, then test the faucet. Handle Does Not Move Easily All Moen faucet's require silicone grease specific to their cartridges to allow the handle to move freely. If the silicone has been removed, either through wear or through improper handling prior to installation, the handle will not move easily. To fix this, remove the cartridge from the faucet and coat it with Moen's silicone grease before replacing the cartridge. Be sure to wipe all sides of the cartridge, including the interior with the silicone grease. Do not use plumber's grease or petroleum-based grease products as these may break down the O-ring and cause water leaks. References Moen: FAQ Suggest a Correction I had a leaky Moen faucet (Moen 4600) so I removed the old cartridge and replaced it with a new brass replacement cartridge (model 1200.) Since replacing the cartridge I now have a leak from the valve stem, that leaks faster the more I open the valve.

It appears to be coming from the outside collar of the cartridge. Homes For Sale On Clements Ferry RdHere is a video of the leak so you can see exactly what I am talking about:Used Aico Furniture For Sale Video of the leaky faucetUsed Washers And Dryers Dayton Ohio Is this caused by a poor fitting cartridge / o-ring or is it possibly due to wear on the faucet itself? What can I do to stop this leak? plumbing bathroom faucet leak I contacted Moen directly with this same question and they let me know that they recommended a model 1225 replacement cartridge instead (that's what I get for trusting the guy at the hardware store to look up the matching part for me). Technically either one will work but apparently the plastic 1225 offers a tighter fit than the brass (and more expensive) 1220.

Moen also recommended cleaning out the inside of the valve with an old toothbrush or bottle brush and then flushing thoroughly before installing the new cartridge. I will update this once I know if the new cartridge resolves my leak. After the installation of the model 1225 cartridge, the faucet works without any leaks from the stem. With the addition of a new knob the whole fixture is working better than new. The moral of the story here is, when in doubt, try to contact the vendor (and post your results!) The same thing happened to me when I tried to replace the original Moen brass cartridge with a new brass cartridge (1220). I went to Lowe's and bought the plastic cartridge (1225) and put it in. No leaks, and the valve works with a finger tip touch. No more pulling on the knob to get the water started. In addition, with the original valve removed, I cleaned the inside of the housing with Lime-Away and a toothbrush so that it would be extra clean. Who would have thought the plastic valve would be better than the brass?

Whenever we have had any problem with any Moen faucet that we purchased we just returned the faucet to Moen and they sent us a new one. The inside of our kitchen faucet rusted out and they sent us a brand new one even after we had used the old one for 10 years! You must be the original owner and have proof of original purchase (I keep all our home improvement receipts for things like that). Moen stands behind their products. Based on our family's positive experience and having grown up a plumber's daughter, I wouldn't buy anything else.The new one I found had a point in the top o-ring because there was a plastic defect where the seams came together like extra plastic or blade. I scraped that off and then the o-ring was flat all the way around. The housing has some particles in it; take out the housing and clean the inlets. I had this same issue. A new Moen faucet in my bathroom and after a few months it started leaking from the tap. Rather than run out and get a new cartridge I attempted to see what may be causing the problem so I pulled off the cold water handle (which was leaking, hot water handle seemed fine) and using my hand I slowly turned the top of the cartridge and found that with a very slight adjustment the water stopped so I put the handle back on gently and screwed it back down while holding the handle to prevent it from moving.

I'm telling everybody in the house to be gentle when turning the water on and off but my leak is fixed without replacing any parts. I'm on a well so leaks are bad and I hope this helps some people. Just a quick update on my tap situation. The leak was back again today and I thought for sure I was going to have to replace the cartridge but I'm trying to avoid it as the taps are only 2 months old. I took the handle off and turned the tap 180 degrees and the leak stopped. My gut feeling is that there is something keeping it from sitting completely down but the handles were not touched as they were pre-assembled when purchased, I just sat the new faucet where the old one was after I used a razor blade to make sure the entire sink was clear of obstruction and then cleaned it. It's okay again but I'm sure I'll have to replace the cartridge but as I stated, the taps are only 2 months old and for what I paid it's hard to figure the cartridge is bad. I also checked for hairline cracks and didn't see any in the brass.