Your video saved me! The red plastic stem extension on my faucet had broken. The Moen instructions were not adequate and talked about using a needle nose pliers. It was not happening. One of the comments below mentioned using a longer screw into the cartridge and then a vice grip with a block of wood as a fulcrum. That worked great. I used a paper towel to absorb some of the water and cleaned up the area. Then everything went back together quite well. Thanks again.
Great suggestions. I have a couple of additional hints to consider. First, put some penetrating oil, such as PB Blaster, around the cartridge and let it soak in for 10-15 minutes. Instead of grasping the stem extension with vice grips and potentially damaging it, I removed the extension and screw and inserted a 2 inch, coarse thread drywall screw into the stem screw hole which fit well. Then I grabbed the screw shaft perpendicullarly with vice grips and used a block of wood as a fulcrum under the vice grips much like Bob did with the screw driver. By pressing down on the vice grips over the block of wood, the cartridge slid right out.
I used that screw method like you did and used a small pry bar using the curved side and applying rags underneath the curved pry bar side and popped out the cartridge no problem
Thank you for this video it worked perfectly. Had sooooo many calls to Moen and could not get an viable answer on how to remove a STUCK cartridge. They had no clue of what would work. Most of customer service reps just assumed it would just pop out. I don’t think I ever had that happen. Yet I saw a video saying a 12 year old can replace a cartridge - I would have loved to see them get mine out. Thank you again for sharing a creative way to solve a difficult problem.
I don't ever comment on YT videos, but after nearly giving myself an aneurism pulling on the stick cartridge, I found your video. Work like a charm on the first pull. Thanks so much.
Your procedure worked like a charm with one modification, I took off the extension, screwed in a long screw, then grabbed the top of the screw with the vice grips and the rest is as you show. Thanks.
This video has been a tremendous help. I tried several different approaches before coming to UA-cam and finding this video. Using this method I did free up my stuck cartridges. I can safely say that, considering how much leverage my hot-side cartridge required before it budged, I never would have gotten the cartridge out using my previous methods. Thanks for posting the video.
This is where I found out about the notched cartridge locking nut. Had looked all over for how to replace the 1224 cartridge in the mPact base. This tip gave the information that got the job done. Thanks!
I didn't have that little device that fits inside to unscrew that locking nut that you talked about . . . So I simply made one out of a piece of PVC that fit perfectly down in between to two slots and was able to unscrew the nut. I also had the same problem pulling out the cartridge. Thanks so much for the information, a life saver.
Thank you, thank you!! This is genius and helped me replace the cartridge by myself!! I had called a plumber to fix this dripping faucet and the shower valve that was sticky and hard to regulate the temperature. He replaced the cartridge in the shower valve but didn’t want to fix this faucet for some vague reason and told me to just let it drip, which is unbelievable. So I did some research here and found out how to do it myself. I called Moen for the parts and your video helped me with the toughest part of it. You also saved me about $135! Thanks again!!
Bob, Thank you so much! I'm so glad I came across your video with this genius solution! It's the only thing that worked for me after being frustrated over not being able to get that darn thing out!
Thank you for the video as it fixed my problem. My 1224 cartridges were 22 years old and wouldn’t budge. I tried everything I could think of and the two cartridges were welded in place by mineral deposits. I tried your method with the vice grips, block of wood and a long screwdriver and both popped out. Putting new 1224 cartridges in wasn’t a problem. I had had a hot water leak. I turned on both waters and not a leak. Taking things apart gave me an opportunity to clean things as well as you can 22 year old faucets.
Thanks for the video. It's great to share this tip on how to apply extra leverage in a controlled manner! One thing that none of these video seem to point out is the differences among the various 2-handled Moen faucets. The colored (red, blue) extensions are on one faucet style where the spacing between the center line of the spout and the center line of each valve assembly is around 4 inches. Since the 1224 cartridge on these is deeply recessed, removal tends to be more difficult. On another variant, the distance between spout and valve center lines is only ~2 inches. These don't have the plastic extensions above the 1224 cartridges which are not recessed. These cartridges can still be 'stuck' but are easier to remove because you can gently rock the old cartridge with pliers or lever it out with a flat blade screwdriver between the lower flange on the 1224 and the brass cylinder it sits against.
Thank you so much ! This is the exact situation i am also dealing with, along with the shutoff valves down below leaking because they are old. This is the best bit of information i could find on sticking cartridges (very surprised there wasn't more info on this on line to look up). Not being a plumber, it gets frustrating shopping for parts, then returning them because its the wrong part, then realizing you need a special tool to remove the inside sleeve (you were right---needle nose pliers were never going to remove that sleeve locknut ----in fact i tore up the piece pretty good just trying to turn it with the pliers), then a week has gone by, then the piece you ordered to remove the sleeve locknut wont work because the sleeve is too damaged from using the needle nose pliers, so i have to take a small screwdriver and hammer and actually chip away little by little that sleeve locknut, then once thats removed, you can't yank the cartridge out because its frozen, so you go back on the internet searching and searching for this particular problem-----and then i come across your video !!! My faucet is the monticello one where the cartridge is buried deep within, so its a REAL pain in the neck. Thank you for your time and effort in posting this video. Really appreciate it. Nice job on it! By the way, in my next life, i'm going to make sure at least half of my friends are plumbers !!! LOL
Exactly what I needed. I was trying for leverage before and having trouble, this was the perfect solution. Out popped the cartridge with less force than expected. Thanks so much for posting this!
Thanks for making a video that saved me at least 1/2 day of frustration . Had the exact same problem here when attempting to extract the cartridges. Not until I watched your video was I finally able to remove them! Thanks again!
This lever with wood method worked for me. I'm not very strong and the angle on my faucet makes pulling it straight up very hard. I was able to work the cartridges off gently without damaging or marring anything. THANK YOU.
I'm a gal with zippo upper body strength and I couldn't budge these cartridges if my life depended on it. I tried everything! I am so glad I came across this video - worked awesome! thanks so much for sharing
Thank you so much for posting this! My cartridges were buried deep within and brass fitting. I screwed the long handles screw into the top of the cartridge and use your leverage trick. It popped right out! I tried everything I could think of and could not pull out the old cartridge leverage trick!
Great video - worked perfectly - As an FYI, and I am in Canada, and with the Moen warranty, these are generally provided free from your local retailer free of charge - just needed to bring in the old one - no faucet purchase receipt necessary - Home Depot / Canadian Tire
Your video was extremely helpful. In my case the needle nose pliers loosened the nut. If it wasn’t for your video I wouldn’t have known about the nut. Once I had the nut off I poured hot vinegar onto the 1224 valve and that dissolved the minerals and pulling on the stem not the spline it came right out. Thanks again.
Thanks for the advice to grip the stem extension. I used channel locks with a block of wood fulcrum and screw driver lever. I was afraid it would destroy the extensions. They are scored but they still work fine. By the way, Moen replaced the cartridges on my 15 year old faucet and it was good to be reminded they would replace the stem extensions as well.
Thanks for posting. I am in the same spot. I will let you know how I come out. (later) My faucet is a one spout. Had to use a larger piece of wood, bigger screw driver, and really lean into it. It came out. The rubber on the bottom of the valve was torn. I suspect that is where it was leaking. 20 yrs old. This was a great idea. Thanks again.
Thank you for your video! I struggled with removing an ancient cartridge today and didn’t want to buy the Moen cartridge puller tool. Used your fulcrum idea and voila! It worked like a charm. Thank you!
I wish I had seen this before attempting to remove my cartridge on the same faucet. After 45 minutes of pulling and trying different ways and using some bad language I decided to drive a long screw into the cartridge after removing the extension. I then pulled it out with channel locks and a block of wood to pry on. Thanks for posting this. these sites really are helpful!
Thanks for the tip. Since my 1224 was so deeply recessed, and I didn't want to destroy the plastic extension by locking it in the Vise grips, I removed the extension and inserted a long screw so that I could grab it with the Vise grips.
Excellent!!!.....worked perfectly with little effort.....and I have a bathroom cabinet that isn’t flush to wall and protrudes over the faucets... thanks for making this so easy.
Thank you so much! After an hour + of manhandling, I found your video. Then after misplacing the block/fulcrum at first, the cartridges were out in short order. Thanks again.
THANK YOU so much!! You are a lifesaver! We had the same problem and this worked for us! after spending many hours struggling. Love your pictures and excellent instructions!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much! This worked for me. However It would not budge at first, so I added vinegar and let it sit. Finally after I boiled vinegar and let it sit for an hour it came right out with this method. Also, my neighbor is a plumber and he tried before going to work and couldn't get it!
I think I have a better method. This appears to be the only technique for removing a stuck Moen 1224 cartridge. However, I found that it is awkward and using the vice grips destroys the red or blue fitting. An easier method is to use a relatively long metal screw approximately the same size as the screw that in the cartridge. Screw it in and then use a small pry bar on a block of wood to pull the cartridge out much like one would a nail.
Hello Bob, thanks for the helpful tips! Definitely help out! I have a couple of suggestions that may help. Since I was in a time crunch I didn't want to destroy the plastic extension splines. I got an extra long screw with an oversize washer and screwed it into the existing cartridge. I then used a wooden spacer and a little crowbar to extract the cartridge. The other thing I had to do was to ream out the housing since the cartridge would not seat properly, it was hanging up right as I tried to insert it. I didn't want to force the cartridge so as not to ruin the o-rings. To resolve this I got a 3/8 wooden dowel and cut a slit down the dowel and wrapped some sandpaper around it. I installed the dowel in my drill and just lightly ran the sandpaper until the cartridge slid down with just a slight resistance. Again thanks for the tip!
I've got a similar faucet with the red and blue stem extensions and the hot one had a stuck cartridge nut and the blue one had a stuck cartridge. For the red one, I ended up chiseling out the old cartridge nut that sits deep in the cartridge recess because the official Moen tool stripped the notches. I first tried making new notches and using needle nose pliers but the corrosion was too much. Thankfully the chisel worked and I just had to clean out the corrosion with some vinegar before installing the new cartridge and other parts I had to destroy to remove. For the blue one, the cartridge nut came out fine but the cartridge itself was still stuck just like in your video. I tried your method but wouldn't you know, the stem extension cracked and I lost a chunk. Also, the screw that holds the extension to the cartridge had rusted and when I tried to loosen it, it stripped. So, I had two options. I could try drilling out the screw head holding the stem extension and pulling on the remaining screw. But I also had a thought to drill a hole in the side of the stem extension at a downward angle. This way I could slip in a tip of needle nose pliers and lever it out using the edge of the brass fitting as a fulcrum. This latter method worked perfectly. Just thought I'd leave this comment in case anyone else comes across a similar situation.
Thanks for posting this video. I ran into exactly this same problem. I was smart enough to think of using leverage and I tried some things, but not in the configuration that you presented. Once I used your technique, it did indeed pop out.
Great tip, Damon. By removing the extension (and using a long screw attached to the cartridge) you can attach the vice grips to the screw and save the splines on the extension. Awesome.
Great video both in quality and content. The old Monticello trim is one of Moen's most attractive, imho - I've used them in all my houses since the '80s. In the worst case, you can replace the whole valve body [hot: 100742, cold: 100743] for around $30 (each).
I had the same issue it was stuck like a rusty screw ugh .....I had to lube it and tinkered with it then watched your video, I was able to man handle it out though, before I tried your way, but I'll do your way first next time to ensure I don't scratch up the hardware or damage the threads.... the rubber gaskets are smaller than my supply ...home Depot in the morning....thank you for your vid thumbs up.....
Oh My G-D!!! It worked!!! I could hardly believe it. I tried so many other methods to get these damn things out but nothing worked. Your method, however, was easy-peasy - I am elated. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Great idea and this leverage method worked well. When finally got it out a piece of the old black rubber square flange in the hot side was stuck into the supply hole. Flushing it didn't work. I just put the new cartirdge on anyway. The hot flow is slightly reduced but not noticeable. Don't know how you could of removed that piece. Thanks again for posting!!!
I would love to buy you and Archimedes a beer! I had removed the extension and was trying to lift out the assembly with needle-nosed pliers. My wife and I took turns with no avail. So I googled and found your video. Of course! Re-attach the extension. I couldn't get the vice grips to hold so I drilled a hole through the extender and ran the screwdriver through it. My wife summed it up best with "Ba-bye, Bee-otch!"
Your little tip with the piece of wood, screw driver and vise grips was brilliant! It worked like a charm! However, the very bottom of my cartridge (with the lower O ring attached to it) separated from the cartridge, and now I have that stuck in the bottom of the faucet handle hole. Grrrr.. Not sure how I am going to get it out. I can grab it with needle nose pliers, but it won't budge. Thanks for your help though. That tip was great!
Hilarious, but true! Everyone who has ever (me included) went to change the Moen cartridge quickly found out if it had been in there for years it was going to be very difficult to remove! Unlike many online videos where they just easily slid apart! I would pour oil on it and tap it! I figured it would either work when I tried to pull it out or I would tear it up! Some oil with the technique you have shown in this video from years ago will still actually help!
Thanks, that worked, but it took a taller fulcrum piece of wood and a stronger screwdriver. Also had a hard time removing the base trim first. Channel lock pliers eventually broke it loose. It turned of counter-clockwise.
Thanks. That technique got mine loose and out of there. Then I had to get a hammer and use the screwdriver blade like a nail-setter to drive the new cartridge down into the slot--using very light taps, of course. But all is well now. Thanks again.
Getting ready to swap my cartridges out and that is a great tip if they won't come out I will be looking into that for sure thank you thank you thank you
Demetria HappyHuman Hi All The reason it is so difficult to pull the cartridge out sometimes is because of the pressure build up in the pipe. I pulled so hard, I actually broke the stem off and pulled the casing off. The rest of the cartridge was still stuck. I disconnected the water line under the sink to run a dowel up the through the valve seat to find it came out with very little effort. I realized I was pulling against the pressure, or, suction built up. Good luck fighting against physics, right? Hope this helps!
Waving a warm or hot hair dryer over the stems might work on these as well. I have used oil and a hair dryer on Moen's 1221 and 1225 cartridges that were hard to get out. After putting the screw back onto the stem and yanking vigorously on the screw with some locking pliers ( screw might bend but can be bought at home depot ), the cartridges would finally come out. Just something to keep in mind, as I've had great success this way.
This is exactly the way I had to remove mine recently. It would not budge otherwise. I am doing this again on another newer sink and the Moen rep did tell me to use a 50/50 mix of warm water with vinegar and let it soak for an hour.
In my case it was a stuck Moen cartridge 1224 in a 2 handle shower. I attempted to remove the cartridge with a pair of pliers. Wouldn't budge, in fact one of the cartridges cracked in half. In the end I resorted to rotating the cartridge to the close position, removing the retaining nut, and briefly turning on the main water valve to the house. The cartridge just popped out from the water pressure. Take proper precautions because the water will shoot out of the opening. In my case, my regulating valve for the house doesn't allow water pressure to be relieved until a faucet is opened. So the residual pressure in the water line was enough to work. If your system is different. Have a helper at the operating the main valve. It's a little messy but sure beats breaking the cartridge if the op's method doesn't work.
Mine was extremely stuck. I used a screw, wooden block and a small pry bar. After some going, the cartridge came out and when I compared it to the new one, I thought Moen had sent me the wrong one as they didn’t look the same on the bottom. Turns out, the very bottom is held in place by two tiny plastic tabs and it stayed in the facet and separated from the body of the old cartridge. I had to use several sized screw drivers and a needle nose pliers to get it out but I finally got it. Check the bottom of the old one because the new one won’t seat all the way down with the bottom plastic piece of the old one still in the facet.
Your video saved me! The red plastic stem extension on my faucet had broken. The Moen instructions were not adequate and talked about using a needle nose pliers. It was not happening. One of the comments below mentioned using a longer screw into the cartridge and then a vice grip with a block of wood as a fulcrum. That worked great. I used a paper towel to absorb some of the water and cleaned up the area. Then everything went back together quite well. Thanks again.
Great suggestions. I have a couple of additional hints to consider. First, put some penetrating oil, such as PB Blaster, around the cartridge and let it soak in for 10-15 minutes. Instead of grasping the stem extension with vice grips and potentially damaging it, I removed the extension and screw and inserted a 2 inch, coarse thread drywall screw into the stem screw hole which fit well. Then I grabbed the screw shaft perpendicullarly with vice grips and used a block of wood as a fulcrum under the vice grips much like Bob did with the screw driver. By pressing down on the vice grips over the block of wood, the cartridge slid right out.
The PB Blaster (or something similar) made the difference. Thanks for the supplemental instruction.
I used that screw method like you did and used a small pry bar using the curved side and applying rags underneath the curved pry bar side and popped out the cartridge no problem
Thank you for this video it worked perfectly. Had sooooo many calls to Moen and could not get an viable answer on how to remove a STUCK cartridge. They had no clue of what would work. Most of customer service reps just assumed it would just pop out. I don’t think I ever had that happen. Yet I saw a video saying a 12 year old can replace a cartridge - I would have loved to see them get mine out. Thank you again for sharing a creative way to solve a difficult problem.
I don't ever comment on YT videos, but after nearly giving myself an aneurism pulling on the stick cartridge, I found your video. Work like a charm on the first pull. Thanks so much.
Great job and for me a DIYr, didn't have to hear why the earth revolves and got the basics of replacing the valves. Thank you.
Your procedure worked like a charm with one modification, I took off the extension, screwed in a long screw, then grabbed the top of the screw with the vice grips and the rest is as you show. Thanks.
This video has been a tremendous help. I tried several different approaches before coming to UA-cam and finding this video. Using this method I did free up my stuck cartridges. I can safely say that, considering how much leverage my hot-side cartridge required before it budged, I never would have gotten the cartridge out using my previous methods. Thanks for posting the video.
This is where I found out about the notched cartridge locking nut. Had looked all over for how to replace the 1224 cartridge in the mPact base. This tip gave the information that got the job done. Thanks!
I didn't have that little device that fits inside to unscrew that locking nut that you talked about . . . So I simply made one out of a piece of PVC that fit perfectly down in between to two slots and was able to unscrew the nut.
I also had the same problem pulling out the cartridge.
Thanks so much for the information, a life saver.
Thank you, thank you!! This is genius and helped me replace the cartridge by myself!! I had called a plumber to fix this dripping faucet and the shower valve that was sticky and hard to regulate the temperature. He replaced the cartridge in the shower valve but didn’t want to fix this faucet for some vague reason and told me to just let it drip, which is unbelievable. So I did some research here and found out how to do it myself. I called Moen for the parts and your video helped me with the toughest part of it. You also saved me about $135! Thanks again!!
Bob, Thank you so much! I'm so glad I came across your video with this genius solution! It's the only thing that worked for me after being frustrated over not being able to get that darn thing out!
Thank you for the video as it fixed my problem. My 1224 cartridges were 22 years old and wouldn’t budge. I tried everything I could think of and the two cartridges were welded in place by mineral deposits. I tried your method with the vice grips, block of wood and a long screwdriver and both popped out. Putting new 1224 cartridges in wasn’t a problem. I had had a hot water leak. I turned on both waters and not a leak. Taking things apart gave me an opportunity to clean things as well as you can 22 year old faucets.
Thanks for the video. It's great to share this tip on how to apply extra leverage in a controlled manner!
One thing that none of these video seem to point out is the differences among the various 2-handled Moen faucets. The colored (red, blue) extensions are on one faucet style where the spacing between the center line of the spout and the center line of each valve assembly is around 4 inches. Since the 1224 cartridge on these is deeply recessed, removal tends to be more difficult. On another variant, the distance between spout and valve center lines is only ~2 inches. These don't have the plastic extensions above the 1224 cartridges which are not recessed. These cartridges can still be 'stuck' but are easier to remove because you can gently rock the old cartridge with pliers or lever it out with a flat blade screwdriver between the lower flange on the 1224 and the brass cylinder it sits against.
Thank you so much ! This is the exact situation i am also dealing with, along with the shutoff valves down below leaking because they are old. This is the best bit of information i could find on sticking cartridges (very surprised there wasn't more info on this on line to look up). Not being a plumber, it gets frustrating shopping for parts, then returning them because its the wrong part, then realizing you need a special tool to remove the inside sleeve (you were right---needle nose pliers were never going to remove that sleeve locknut ----in fact i tore up the piece pretty good just trying to turn it with the pliers), then a week has gone by, then the piece you ordered to remove the sleeve locknut wont work because the sleeve is too damaged from using the needle nose pliers, so i have to take a small screwdriver and hammer and actually chip away little by little that sleeve locknut, then once thats removed, you can't yank the cartridge out because its frozen, so you go back on the internet searching and searching for this particular problem-----and then i come across your video !!! My faucet is the monticello one where the cartridge is buried deep within, so its a REAL pain in the neck. Thank you for your time and effort in posting this video. Really appreciate it. Nice job on it! By the way, in my next life, i'm going to make sure at least half of my friends are plumbers !!! LOL
"Give me a lever long enough, and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world" - Archimedes
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! This method of using leverage is the key!!! It made it so easy. Could not have replaced the cartridge without your suggestion.
Exactly what I needed. I was trying for leverage before and having trouble, this was the perfect solution. Out popped the cartridge with less force than expected. Thanks so much for posting this!
This also worked perfectly for a stuck Moen cartridge in a single-handle kitchen faucet. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for making a video that saved me at least 1/2 day of frustration . Had the exact same problem here when attempting to extract the cartridges. Not until I watched your video was I finally able to remove them! Thanks again!
This lever with wood method worked for me. I'm not very strong and the angle on my faucet makes pulling it straight up very hard. I was able to work the cartridges off gently without damaging or marring anything. THANK YOU.
I'm a gal with zippo upper body strength and I couldn't budge these cartridges if my life depended on it. I tried everything! I am so glad I came across this video - worked awesome! thanks so much for sharing
Thank you so much for posting this! My cartridges were buried deep within and brass fitting. I screwed the long handles screw into the top of the cartridge and use your leverage trick. It popped right out! I tried everything I could think of and could not pull out the old cartridge leverage trick!
Great video - worked perfectly - As an FYI, and I am in Canada, and with the Moen warranty, these are generally provided free from your local retailer free of charge - just needed to bring in the old one - no faucet purchase receipt necessary - Home Depot / Canadian Tire
Thanks! Your comment about Moen supporting their products reminded me that I needed to call them since my handle had broken in a different way.
Your video was extremely helpful. In my case the needle nose pliers loosened the nut. If it wasn’t for your video I wouldn’t have known about the nut. Once I had the nut off I poured hot vinegar onto the 1224 valve and that dissolved the minerals and pulling on the stem not the spline it came right out. Thanks again.
Thanks for the advice to grip the stem extension. I used channel locks with a block of wood fulcrum and screw driver lever. I was afraid it would destroy the extensions. They are scored but they still work fine. By the way, Moen replaced the cartridges on my 15 year old faucet and it was good to be reminded they would replace the stem extensions as well.
Thanks for posting. I am in the same spot. I will let you know how I come out. (later) My faucet is a one spout. Had to use a larger piece of wood, bigger screw driver, and really lean into it. It came out. The rubber on the bottom of the valve was torn. I suspect that is where it was leaking. 20 yrs old. This was a great idea. Thanks again.
Bob, thank you so much - your technique worked perfectly to remove my stuck Moen cartridges!
Bob, your leverage trick worked like a charm! Thanks!
Bob, thank you. This solved my problem. You’re a true hero.
Thank you for your video! I struggled with removing an ancient cartridge today and didn’t want to buy the Moen cartridge puller tool. Used your fulcrum idea and voila! It worked like a charm. Thank you!
Glad it worked out for you! Archimedes would be proud...
I wish I had seen this before attempting to remove my cartridge on the same faucet. After 45 minutes of pulling and trying different ways and using some bad language I decided to drive a long screw into the cartridge after removing the extension. I then pulled it out with channel locks and a block of wood to pry on. Thanks for posting this. these sites really are helpful!
Thanks for the tip. Since my 1224 was so deeply recessed, and I didn't want to destroy the plastic extension by locking it in the Vise grips, I removed the extension and inserted a long screw so that I could grab it with the Vise grips.
Thanks Bob used your procedure today and it worked great. I was ready to order a new body. Thanks
Thanks so much for the post. I was at wits end and this procedure saved the day! 👌🏼
Excellent!!!.....worked perfectly with little effort.....and I have a bathroom cabinet that isn’t flush to wall and protrudes over the faucets... thanks for making this so easy.
Thank you so much! After an hour + of manhandling, I found your video. Then after misplacing the block/fulcrum at first, the cartridges were out in short order. Thanks again.
Thanks for your video. We are so happy to able to pull the cartridge out. Thank you!
Mine were stuck and I couldn't get them to budge. Your tip worked like a charm, thank you!
Bob is a very patient man indeed.
Thank you for the solution.
It did wind up working… and yea, brother; your taking the time to post this was a blessing. 👊🏻👊🏻🤣
THANK YOU so much!! You are a lifesaver! We had the same problem and this worked for us! after spending many hours struggling. Love your pictures and excellent instructions!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much! This worked for me. However It would not budge at first, so I added vinegar and let it sit. Finally after I boiled vinegar and let it sit for an hour it came right out with this method. Also, my neighbor is a plumber and he tried before going to work and couldn't get it!
I think I have a better method. This appears to be the only technique for removing a stuck Moen 1224 cartridge. However, I found that it is awkward and using the vice grips destroys the red or blue fitting. An easier method is to use a relatively long metal screw approximately the same size as the screw that in the cartridge. Screw it in and then use a small pry bar on a block of wood to pull the cartridge out much like one would a nail.
Hello Bob, thanks for the helpful tips! Definitely help out! I have a couple of suggestions that may help. Since I was in a time crunch I didn't want to destroy the plastic extension splines. I got an extra long screw with an oversize washer and screwed it into the existing cartridge. I then used a wooden spacer and a little crowbar to extract the cartridge. The other thing I had to do was to ream out the housing since the cartridge would not seat properly, it was hanging up right as I tried to insert it. I didn't want to force the cartridge so as not to ruin the o-rings. To resolve this I got a 3/8 wooden dowel and cut a slit down the dowel and wrapped some sandpaper around it. I installed the dowel in my drill and just lightly ran the sandpaper until the cartridge slid down with just a slight resistance.
Again thanks for the tip!
Hi Francis - excellent suggestion to ream the bore of the faucet body! Glad it all worked out for you, too.
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar! Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for posting this video. With the right leverage, it worked.
Thanks for posting this video. Great solution to a problem I am sure a lot of us have (or will have) to deal with.
👍
Wife and I (me 🤷♂️) having fits getting the cartlidge, until your tutorial. Worked like a charm. Thank you!
Cheers 🍻
Super, Bob! Much appreciated. You saved the day for me.
I've got a similar faucet with the red and blue stem extensions and the hot one had a stuck cartridge nut and the blue one had a stuck cartridge.
For the red one, I ended up chiseling out the old cartridge nut that sits deep in the cartridge recess because the official Moen tool stripped the notches. I first tried making new notches and using needle nose pliers but the corrosion was too much. Thankfully the chisel worked and I just had to clean out the corrosion with some vinegar before installing the new cartridge and other parts I had to destroy to remove.
For the blue one, the cartridge nut came out fine but the cartridge itself was still stuck just like in your video. I tried your method but wouldn't you know, the stem extension cracked and I lost a chunk. Also, the screw that holds the extension to the cartridge had rusted and when I tried to loosen it, it stripped. So, I had two options. I could try drilling out the screw head holding the stem extension and pulling on the remaining screw. But I also had a thought to drill a hole in the side of the stem extension at a downward angle. This way I could slip in a tip of needle nose pliers and lever it out using the edge of the brass fitting as a fulcrum. This latter method worked perfectly.
Just thought I'd leave this comment in case anyone else comes across a similar situation.
The block of wood/screwdriver trick worked perfectly just minutes ago!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Thanks for posting this video. I ran into exactly this same problem. I was smart enough to think of using leverage and I tried some things, but not in the configuration that you presented. Once I used your technique, it did indeed pop out.
Great tip, Damon. By removing the extension (and using a long screw attached to the cartridge) you can attach the vice grips to the screw and save the splines on the extension. Awesome.
Bob Salatiello Thanks so much for this tip! Worked exactly as described!
Thanks for sharing this ,,I was dealing with a frustrating extraction of a Moen cartridge ,,followed your procedure and It worked !!!
Your brilliant!. I had to replace six cartridges, and each needed the fulcrum technique. Great idea instead of having to buy some one use tools
Surprisingly, well done video. Real good demonstration and explanation....good job.
YOUR A SAINT !! WAS TOTALLY IN A PINCH AND I FOUND YOU AND TOOK YOUR ADVICE. ALL GOOD NOW. THANK YOU !! :)
Great video both in quality and content. The old Monticello trim is one of Moen's most attractive, imho - I've used them in all my houses since the '80s. In the worst case, you can replace the whole valve body [hot: 100742, cold: 100743] for around $30 (each).
I had the same issue it was stuck like a rusty screw ugh .....I had to lube it and tinkered with it then watched your video, I was able to man handle it out though, before I tried your way, but I'll do your way first next time to ensure I don't scratch up the hardware or damage the threads.... the rubber gaskets are smaller than my supply ...home Depot in the morning....thank you for your vid thumbs up.....
Oh My G-D!!! It worked!!! I could hardly believe it. I tried so many other methods to get these damn things out but nothing worked. Your method, however, was easy-peasy - I am elated. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Your video saved me. The cartridge was not coming out. Thanks for the video.
Great idea and this leverage method worked well. When finally got it out a piece of the old black rubber square flange in the hot side was stuck into the supply hole. Flushing it didn't work. I just put the new cartirdge on anyway. The hot flow is slightly reduced but not noticeable. Don't know how you could of removed that piece. Thanks again for posting!!!
EXCELLENT TIP! Worked like a champ.
YAY! this worked on the first try! I had tried so many things and watched so many videos and was just about to give up. Genius! THANK U
Muchas Gracias Mr. Bob. Excellent idea. It popped right out. Thanks again.
This video was so helpful! Thanks for sharing your technique! It worked like magic!
I bought that same tool. It's for the shower cartridges. I used this trick and got my stuck 20 year cartridge out. Faucet is like new again!
I would love to buy you and Archimedes a beer! I had removed the extension and was trying to lift out the assembly with needle-nosed pliers. My wife and I took turns with no avail. So I googled and found your video. Of course! Re-attach the extension. I couldn't get the vice grips to hold so I drilled a hole through the extender and ran the screwdriver through it. My wife summed it up best with "Ba-bye, Bee-otch!"
Your little tip with the piece of wood, screw driver and vise grips was brilliant! It worked like a charm! However, the very bottom of my cartridge (with the lower O ring attached to it) separated from the cartridge, and now I have that stuck in the bottom of the faucet handle hole. Grrrr.. Not sure how I am going to get it out. I can grab it with needle nose pliers, but it won't budge. Thanks for your help though. That tip was great!
This was a life saver. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Bob, this video really helps. Keep up the good work.
Hilarious, but true! Everyone who has ever (me included) went to change the Moen cartridge quickly found out if it had been in there for years it was going to be very difficult to remove! Unlike many online videos where they just easily slid apart! I would pour oil on it and tap it! I figured it would either work when I tried to pull it out or I would tear it up! Some oil with the technique you have shown in this video from years ago will still actually help!
Very informative and useful. Thank you!
Thanks, I struggled for hours. Life saver and
Anger reducer
Thanks, that worked, but it took a taller fulcrum piece of wood and a stronger screwdriver. Also had a hard time removing the base trim first. Channel lock pliers eventually broke it loose. It turned of counter-clockwise.
Thanks. That technique got mine loose and out of there. Then I had to get a hammer and use the screwdriver blade like a nail-setter to drive the new cartridge down into the slot--using very light taps, of course. But all is well now. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for posting this video - your technique worked perfectly for me too!
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed!
Thank you Bob - solved my problem exactly as described , on the first try :)
Getting ready to swap my cartridges out and that is a great tip if they won't come out I will be looking into that for sure thank you thank you thank you
Saved me from calling the plumber!! Thank you!
Brilliant! It worked! Thank you so much for the video!
Thanks for that. Procedure worked here.
Yesssss I needed this video!!! Thank you so much!!
Demetria HappyHuman
Hi All
The reason it is so difficult to pull the cartridge out sometimes is because of the pressure build up in the pipe. I pulled so hard, I actually broke the stem off and pulled the casing off. The rest of the cartridge was still stuck. I disconnected the water line under the sink to run a dowel up the through the valve seat to find it came out with very little effort. I realized I was pulling against the pressure, or, suction built up. Good luck fighting against physics, right?
Hope this helps!
Yep, that did it. Thanks for sharing the video😀
Ingenious solution! Thanks for sharing!
THANK you, The information was very helpful.THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE POST (VERY NICE)
Worked like a charm! Thanks!
This worked!! I did it! Thanks for the clever tip!
Thank you, worked like a charm!
Waving a warm or hot hair dryer over the stems might work on these as well. I have used oil and a hair dryer on Moen's 1221 and 1225 cartridges that were hard to get out. After putting the screw back onto the stem and yanking vigorously on the screw with some locking pliers ( screw might bend but can be bought at home depot ), the cartridges would finally come out. Just something to keep in mind, as I've had great success this way.
This is exactly the way I had to remove mine recently. It would not budge otherwise. I am doing this again on another newer sink and the Moen rep did tell me to use a 50/50 mix of warm water with vinegar and let it soak for an hour.
Thank you sir, I used your technique and it worked for me too.
Thank you, so easy when you know how, it worked.
nice video! great explanations
In my case it was a stuck Moen cartridge 1224 in a 2 handle shower. I attempted to remove the cartridge with a pair of pliers. Wouldn't budge, in fact one of the cartridges cracked in half. In the end I resorted to rotating the cartridge to the close position, removing the retaining nut, and briefly turning on the main water valve to the house.
The cartridge just popped out from the water pressure. Take proper precautions because the water will shoot out of the opening. In my case, my regulating valve for the house doesn't allow water pressure to be relieved until a faucet is opened. So the residual pressure in the water line was enough to work.
If your system is different. Have a helper at the operating the main valve. It's a little messy but sure beats breaking the cartridge if the op's method doesn't work.
One correction: to remove the faucet handles you must turn the base piece COUNTER CLOCKWISE, not CLOCKWISE as I said in the video.
This saved my bacon! Thanks very much!!
Mine was extremely stuck. I used a screw, wooden block and a small pry bar. After some going, the cartridge came out and when I compared it to the new one, I thought Moen had sent me the wrong one as they didn’t look the same on the bottom. Turns out, the very bottom is held in place by two tiny plastic tabs and it stayed in the facet and separated from the body of the old cartridge. I had to use several sized screw drivers and a needle nose pliers to get it out but I finally got it. Check the bottom of the old one because the new one won’t seat all the way down with the bottom plastic piece of the old one still in the facet.
Thank you. Worked perfectly. 5:50