What's with Moen?

[Charlie Bress]

For more than a dozen years I had a single handle Moen faucet in the kitchen. It had a separate pull out sprayer. Over the years it would occasionally drip and a call to Moen got a free replacement cartridge

Now I am in another house and again have a Moen in the kitchen. This one is the style that the head is on a long metal sheathed hose that pulls out of the faucet to use as a sprayer.

I have realized that over the past 5 years since the faucet was installed the lever has become increasingly hard to move, both left and right and up or down. The water here is not hard, so it seems that the silicone lube that Moen uses on the cartridges is gone. Either that or there is something else wrong within the faucet.

I hate to start pulling the faucet apart and I am curious if others out there have had a similar experience.

I suppose I could call Moen and tell them that the faucet leaks - it doesn't - and go for a new cartridge.

Charlie

[Dave Garrett]

The cartridge is almost certainly clogged, or has gotten some grunge inside it that's causing the cartridge valve to stick. I have a Moen faucet that sounds like the same model you have, and the same thing happened to me recently after about five years' use as well (I posted about it here). I ignored it for too long, until eventually the plastic pivot retainer snapped in half when the stress placed on it by the handle in order to operate the sticking cartridge valve got to be too much.

I'd definitely call Moen and get a new cartridge. You shouldn't even have to tell them the cartridge is leaking - if it's sticking, it's time to replace it, as it's not going to get any better. Also, you may not think your water's hard, but you might find differently when you take the faucet apart. I thought our water wasn't hard either, but I was amazed at the amount of mineral deposits all over the faucet internals when I replaced the cartridge in mine.

Dave

[Toller]

You should if you have no integrity. Their warranty is against leaks, so if you are willing to be a liar for $10, go ahead and tell them it leaks.

Whats with you?

[Charlie Bress]

Jeez, All I said was "I suppose..."

Have you tried getting a life?

[Toller]

I have a life. I am not some lowlife hoping people will tell me it is okay to cheat Moen. Get a decent life.

[Forrest]

We are having the same problems with ours. It looks like a cobra snake. The button that switches it from regular stream to spray sticks and the damn thing leaks where it pivots. Expensive piece of crap.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

New cartridge is $10, new hose is less than that. Things do wear. Ed

[Forrest]

I guess they do, but it's only about three years old.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

[Dave Garrett]

If the cartridge valve is sticking as much as he said it is, it WILL leak eventually, probably sooner rather than later. Getting a new cartridge under warranty now is not cheating Moen, nor does it make him a "lowlife". But throwing terms like that around does make you just another Usenet know-it-all with an overdeveloped sense of moral superiority.

By the way, my Moen faucet with the same problem had been leaking for quite some time when I called them. But I paid for a new cartridge, rather than try to get a free replacement, since the previous owner of my house had installed the faucet.

Dave

[donald girod]

You have to re-lube the cartridge with silicone grease periodically. The period varies. I have had nothing but Moen for over 30 years, and I have had to do the lube thing several times. It is certainly no more difficult than needlessly replacing the cartridge--the only difference between the new and old cartridge is that the new one has lube in it.

[Charlie Bress]

Well, after being set upon by the more righteous among us, I called Moen and described the problem as it really is. No hedging the truth, just a sticky, hard to move handle. The service rep said that the cartridge needed to be replaced and would send one out. BTW, kudos to Moen. When I called the recorded mesage said the reps were all busy and to avoid the long hold just record my phone number and name and they would call me within 45 minutes. I left the info and in less than 45 minutes I got a return call. What a pleasure.

Charlie

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I love a happy ending.

And you actually responded with a resolution, more than most people seeking advice here bother to do. Ed [e-mail]