How to Repair a Moen Kitchen Single Spout
- 1). Turn the hot and cold shutoff valves under the sink to the “off” position. If there are no shutoff valves mounted against the back wall, shut off the main household water supply. The main shutoff valve is often outdoors between the water meter and the house.
- 2). Open the faucet and move the handle back and forth to relieve both the hot and cold water pressure before proceeding.
- 3). Pry the decorative cap off the top of the faucet with a thin screwdriver; this will reveal a screw holding the faucet handle in place. Steady the end of the handle and remove this screw with a flat screwdriver. Put the cap and screw in a dish on the side of the sink for safekeeping and to prevent loose parts falling through the sink drain.
- 4). Bend the base of the faucet handle backward and twist the handle from side-to-side while pulling upward to free it from its O-ring. Pull off the handle and place it in a plastic basin.
- 5). Fold a paper towel and wrap it around the knurled brass nut holding the rotating spout in place. Grip the nut with a pair of channel pliers, twist counterclockwise to break the seal and spin the nut off by hand.
- 6). Lift the base of the rotating spout while twisting back and forth and slide it straight up off the faucet body; this will reveal the top of the faucet cartridge protruding through the faucet body.
- 7). Place the spout in the plastic basin containing the handle and cover both parts with white vinegar. This will soften any encrusted hard water deposits covering the working surfaces while you replace the cartridge.
- 8). Find the U-shaped retaining clip securing the cartridge to the top of the faucet body. Slide the tip of a screwdriver between the front of the clip and the cartridge and gently pry the clip out. Place the clip in the plastic bowl containing the other small parts.
- 9). Examine the shaft protruding from the faucet cartridge; you will see a flat machined cutout on the top. Make a note of whether the cutout is facing toward the front or toward the back of the faucet; install the replacement cartridge the same way in a later step to ensure that side-to-side handle movement controls hot and cold water flow as before.
- 10
Remove the white plastic cap from the top of the replacement Moen cartridge and slide it over the top of the defective cartridge inside the faucet body. Twist the cap until the two lugs on the side slip into matching recesses on the cartridge. - 11
Place an adjustable wrench over the square nut on top of the white plastic cap. Press downward on the top of both the wrench and cap with the heel of your left hand and work the wrench handle from side-to-side. Keep this up until the cartridge works its way loose. - 12
Clamp the top of the shaft between the jaws of a vertically facing pair of vise-grip pliers. Wrap your hand around the pliers and twist from side to side while exerting upward pressure. Pull the defective cartridge from the faucet body and lay it on one side. - 13
Smear a layer of heat-proof plumber’s grease over the barrel and O-rings of the replacement cartridge. Slide the cartridge into the faucet housing with the machined cutout on top of the shaft facing in the desired direction. Line up the cartridge so the two upward facing retaining clip lugs line up with the slots in the faucet body and push it all the way home. - 14
Insert the U-shaped retaining clip into the slot on the front of the faucet housing so it straddles the upward facing lugs on the replacement cartridge. Press the clip in with your thumb until the end sits flush against the faucet body; you may have to wiggle the clip from side-to-side before it slips into place. - 15
Clean off all softened hard water deposits from the inside working parts of the faucet handle with a stiff bristle nail brush. Work a bottle brush through the swiveling spout barrel until the inside is clean and shiny. Rinse both parts well with running water and wipe them dry with a paper towel. - 16
Pry the two old O-rings from the grooves in the faucet body with the tip of a thin screwdriver and discard them. Remove two new O-rings from the spout O-ring kit; work the O-rings over the faucet body and into their matching recesses. - 17
Lubricate the inside of the rotating spout barrel with plumber’s grease and slide the spout all the way down over the faucet body until the bottom rests against the brass washer on the faucet housing. - 18
Thread the knurled brass nut back over the top of the rotating spout. Snug the nut down clockwise by hand while moving the spout from side-to-side; stop tightening as soon as you feel resistance. - 19
Replace the faucet handle by reversing the procedure carried out in Step 4. Tighten the screw securely and clip the decorative cap back onto the top of the faucet. - 20
Open the faucet hot and cold shutoff valves or the main household shutoff valve, whichever is applicable. Lift the faucet handle slowly and carefully to relieve air pressure inside the pipes. Once the hissing stops, check for leaks and move both the handle and spout from side to side to ensure that both hot and cold lever controls are working properly.
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