moen faucet repair

[badgolferman]

My bathtub spigot is leaking. It takes Moen 1224 cartidges. I have replaced these cartridges before and have the special tool that removes the retaining nut buried deep inside. The problem is I can't get the cartridge out. I don't want to yank and pull too hard lest I break something. What's the trick?

Also I have a Moen Monticello kitchen faucet. It doesn't leak, but it has a problem with how the sprayer works. When using the sprayer with hot water only, after I let go of the sprayer handle the water coming out of the spigot is reduced in flow. If I move the hot handle back and forth a quarter turn or so it returns to full flow. This doesn't happen with the cold side.

I tried to pull the cartridge out to see if something is stuck in there but that sucker won't pull out either. Yes, I removed the outer retaining ring. I don't think there is an inner one though.

I am on city water.

[J Burns]

A 3" 8-32 screw and fender washers. Put the washers on the screw and screw it in at least an inch. You should be able to pull pretty hard without wrecking the cartridge.

[TomR]

That sounds like a good suggestion. Hopefully it will work for the OP.

I have had the same problem as the OP with the cartridges not coming out on a single handle Moen Posi-Temp shower fixture a couple of times. Huge mess, ended up breaking the cartridge and having to dig pieces out etc. And, just like the OP, I had to so-called special tool that is supposed to work, but it didn't.

[J Burns]

My experience is with the brass Moen 1200. I removed one several times in the kitchen with no problem. The first time I removed one from the shower, it was easy. When I had trouble 5 years later, I pulled so hard I was afraid I'd break something behind the wall.

I noticed a cross hole through the stem. I put a large nail through it and pried against the rim of the housing with a big, square-shanked screwdriver. Easy! If I'd had to pry hard, I would have protected the rim with wood.

The reason I had trouble in 5 years, and it was so hard to pull, was deposits in the housing that I hadn't noticed with my finger the first time. A chain-saw file removed them, and I used plumber's grease. Besides protecting the o-rings during installation, I wonder if plumber's grease might prevent deposits.

I knew the principle, and online I found that an 8-32 screw works for a

1224.

[badgolferman]

The 8-32 screw didn't work. The original screw had a wider pitch so the fine thread wouldn't grab. I got some coarser #8 screws to try, but first I used my needle-nose vise grips and locked onto the recessed stem and pulled with all my might. It finally broke loose and let go!

[Frank]

I did my bathtub and recall using vise grip pliers and banging to the point that I might cause damage. I did get the job done but when my stall shower needed a new cartridge, maybe 35 years old, I had another plumbing job and brought in a plumber and included this one. He had a special puller, maybe like a gear puller. He said it was a chore.

[J Burns]

Here's where I got it.

This one says a Moen 1224B is used in the same faucets, but it's designed for a self-tapping screw. Maybe the self-tapping screw cuts threads with a different pitch.

When my 1220 was stuck so bad that I couldn't turn it with the Moen plastic adapter, I was disappointed with Moen's online documentation.

[J Burns]

Darn, I forgot to add the link that says the 1224B is different.