Replacing A Stuck Moen Shower Valve Cartridge
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- The Moen Posi-Temp shower valves are generally reliable, but eventually the internal cartridge will need to be replaced. Pulling out the old cartridge usually isn't difficult, but sometimes things go wrong! In this video I'll demonstrate the process start to finish in a real bathroom, and show what to do when the cartridge gets stuck and won't come out. This example was for the common Moen 1222 style cartridge, but other styles will be similar.
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amzn.to/3s7BLXB (Moen 1222 cartridge kit)
amzn.to/3DW17dm (Moen cartridge puller)
amzn.to/44c5Z90 (Silicone grease)
amzn.to/3YznPBD (Moen 116653 Shower Handle kit)
amzn.to/47ujoMw (Moen temp stop kit)
amzn.to/47sfwvw (Moen retainer clip)
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Pulled up this video from a search while I was having difficulty removing a Moen cartridge... turns out the problem encountered in this video was exactly what happened to me. Great video!
Glad it was helpful!
I spent twenty minutes thinking I was the problem! After watching this video, I was done in 10.
Same happened to me. I just solved everything and saved me a lot of money! Thanks
When I worked as a plumber they charged a lot for this 5 min job
Same
Most realistic tutorial I have ever seen..thank you sir!!
Your video was step by step and organized. I have been a home inspector for 19 years. I have observed this repair on a different brand. Thank you for small features that would be easy to forget !!
The cartridge I removed from my valve was almost identical to this one except mine had an O ring at the inside end and I could not find one at any stores so I was able to find some replacement O rings and reassemble the the valve after adding lube and I was in good shape after that. It’s like they say, “sometimes there’s no such thing as an easy job”.😅
Excellent detailed video. Actually glad it didn't go smoothly because that's how it goes for a lot of us 😊. I just had a plumber in to replace the showerhead, cartridge and handle. He had a heck of a time pulling out the old cartridge. I wish I could have shown him this video; although, he'd probably have been insulted. The job took him two hours, plus an hour to go to a plumbers' supply store. He didn't caulk the escutcheon far enough to the bottom. I didn't have silicone caulk, so I used a very thin strip of Gorilla tape to finish the seal at the sides, leaving it open at the bottom. Thanks for posting this. I'm saving it for the future.
Got to say this video got me through the replacement. It was stuck 1/4 of the way out and it wasn't going any further. Exact same issue the rubber gasket had gotten ripped and stuck in the cold side. Spun it around clock wise a couple times as i pulled and shredded it enough to pull the cartridge out. Thanks for the video
Took me a while to dig out the 40 year old (at least) cartridge but success. Thank you for this video and detailed directions. Almost called in a plumber, but you got me thru it.
Watched 3 videos-including manufacturers-got confused- yours fixed things. I had the same problem and irritation you did because my faucett was old. Great job, thanks for the honesty when you hit a tough spot instead of trying to make it look smooth and easy always. Thank you, Don McLaughlin
Glad it helped!
Wow! One of the best DIY videos I've ever seen in terms of step by step instructions! Fixed mine for about $100 in parts and about an hour of labor. Thank you for sharing this.
Best video yet showing the right way cartridge goes and to align holes
This was not the first video I clicked on but it was the last. Thank you for making a concise, informative video without extra fillers or distractions. Your walkthrough was easy to follow and I saved the family some money. I too had the stuck cartridge. I probably didnt need to buy the removal tool ($18) but im pretty sure it saved me lots of time and worry vs having to drill it out so glad I did. Again, awesome video!
Finally someone who knows what he is doing, and can show you and tell you too
Thank you, Thank you!!! This video gave me the confidence to know that no matter what I might encounter going into replacing my cartridge there was a solution to getting it out. We did not realize the original cartridge was bad from the day the house was built 7 years ago. It was always fairly difficult to turn and given it was difficult from day one we thought that was normal. It caused me to have to constantly retighten the screw holding the chrome handle on because we had to muscle the handle to turn on and off the shower. On my last adjustment I tried messing with the core not knowing it could be replaced and got in a situation where I could not completely turn off the shower. Fortunately I found this video. I did not have the issues you encountered with the core in the video, as my old core was only as difficult to remove as it was to use it with the handle to turn on and off the water. The whole job took about 20 minutes, maybe less. The only problem we encountered was my wife almost breaking her arm testing the fixed unit. She was so used to the amount of force needed on with the old core that when she applied that same force with the new core and it was so friction free she ended up flinging her arm into the shower door. The new core also fixed an issue we always had with the old core, that there was a spot in the rotation where the water was not quite warm enough and moving the handle only a bit further the water was to too hot. There was no in between. Now we can micro-adjust the temperature with just a tiny tap of the finger through the full 270 degrees of rotation. Again, thank you.
Glad it worked out!
Everything that happened in this video is exactly what I encountered. This video was incredibly helpful and made it easy with the step by step instructions(p.s…don’t drop the pin!)
Not only was this instructional video helpful, I saved myself hundred of dollars a Plummer would have charged me.
Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video! Exactly the issue I was dealing with and you walked us through it perfectly!
Thank you! I'm glad the video was helpful.
This is my exact shower handle. I’m glad I came across this video!
I’m glad you explained the lubrication part because I was having trouble earlier when I was trying to reinstall a new Moen cartridge at my sister-in-law’s house. I decided not to go through with it though because there were some extenuating circumstances that came up and I told her at this point, it’s better to bring in a plumber to take care of the problem. Awesome video, thanks for the great work.
Thanks for doing a real video, as this does really happen on a few occasions, REAL LIFE !
Amazing help!!! Just had this issue tonight with the cartridge and was finally able to figure out how to remove it. Much appreciated for all the help and knowledge you've provided not just myself but all of us. Very easy step-by-step instructions and for that we're all thankful. Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you! We just struggled with replacing our moen cartridge, but before replacing it, sat there dumbly looking at it. Your video successfully helped us through it, but we don't like another very much right now. 😅
Thanks!! Had a little trouble seating the new cartridge and get the pin to drop back in… also used graphite automotive anti-sieze/ anti corrosion along with the lube that came with the replacement kit. We have hard water but I think the issue was just that the oval seal got dry and folded to the point where it ripped when we kept rotating the handle… it went from super hard to turn to - easy- and I knew something had broken! Thx again!! No drips anywhere!!
This video was perfect. The rubber broke for me as well and this gave me confidence to just brute force pull it out and I did successfully.
thank you so much, im a young person trying to help their dad out during a tough time and while it’s not emotional help it’ll definitely keep the water bill down
Sometimes that's all you can do--good luck!
Thanks, man. You're a prince for uploading the whole process.
Thx for sharing your experience with meon cartridges
Thank you so much for this great video. I managed to replace my failed cartridge with the help of your instructions, thanks again!
Thanks so much for another fantastic video. They're always super informative and straightforward. As frustrating as it must have been, it was really good to see a 'worst case scenario' in terms of removing the old cartridge - because it's the kind of situation I always find myself in. Thank you!
Yeah, the worst case seems to follow me around too. If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all!
Excellent write t up and video!
I've owned a mechanical company for over 25 years and have been in the business for 35 and out of these Moen 1222 and 1225 cartridges I must be the guy that has the worst look in the casino. I have gotten more out without using a puller than with a puller and I broken pullers on some cartridges. The reason why I'm posting today is I'm helping a neighbor out and he's got one that's been in there since 1974 so 50 years I had to literally break this thing out by piece by piece and now I'm stuck at the end is a cap looks like stainless, I am going to use the torch to heat it up and see if I can get it out no way I can grab it with a needle nose I'm afraid to chisel to make a spot for the needle nose without gouging the body. I'll keep you informed. Unless you have a better idea lol
Heat can sometimes work. If you can contain the water in the shower or tub, you might try turning the water back on and see if that helps dislodge whatever is left. And sometimes it works better to just fiddle with a piece using a machinist's pick rather than bang on it with a screwdriver. You're this close, so I'll bet you'll get it out!
@enduringcharm I just got back home. First of all I forgot to mention that he did have a plumber that was a friend and started the job he took all the finished trim off and when I got there the guts of the cartridge we're missing I found them in the trash so all that was left was the white plastic tube with the rubber side gaskets. I was able to break pieces off slowly and then took a half inch drill bit and was able to get it into that stainless cap and it's spun itself loose but all the time I was thinking I wish I had a set of pics lol that wouldn't work better just like you said
Anyhow I cleaned everything out no scratches and I said let me crack the water because maybe some debris broken pieces of plastic what not got into the holes on the side of the shower body. Sure as crap a lot of crap came out lol
Put the new cartridge in after I lubed it up real good and everything worked out well. From now on I'm keeping that half inch bit in my toolbox and definitely going to get a set of pics. Thanks again I really appreciate it
Nice, glad you got it sorted!
This video was crazy helpful because I thought an O-ring or something came loose in there I'm not a plumber and I didn't think there was any way to get that thing out without destroying it so thank you for clarifying and showing how to put it back in LOL great content you did great at explaining
Great video. Took me a whole hour to get every bit of it out. Flat screwdriver and a set of needlenose pliers to remove bits at a time. Your video game me the confidence to do it. Now I have to go get a replacement.
Glad it helped!
@@enduringcharm Got it finished. Working great now. I am in quite an old house, so was wondering if it could be something to do with the older pipes. Interestingly enough, I lubed up the new one, but it still felt really tight in there. Still it's all working, thanks again.
I just got a free replacement cartridge by emailing Moen 👍
THE VERY BEST TUTORIAL I'VE EVER SEEN! Keep up the good work. Excellent presentation skills! THANK YOU!!!
Glad it was helpful!
You are a teacher. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Sent $10. Thank you for the video. ALMSOT had to do what you did with breaking up the cartridge, but was able to work it out. But one of those black rubber pieces was starting to tear.
Thanks for an excellent video. Replacing my shower cartridge in the morning!
this is literally the best video ive seen on this !! THANK YOU
Great tutorial, fixed my shower leak with no problems thanks bro
Your video saved me 250 dlls. Thank you!
John ... this was the best explanation I watched yet on how to do this repair! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Glad it helped!
Perfect video thx for sharing
This was great! First timer to replace our shower and I'm replacing our Moen control with another Moen.
Very helpful. Mine was so stuck that I had to use a flat screwdriver and heat the tip to cut the nylon and work it out in pieces. Took about 3 hours as I was being careful not to ruin the value body.
Sir thank you for the great video. 🎉🎉. Very helpful and well oriented. Very good details and very professional. I ran into the same problem yesterday. It took roughly about 3 hours to get the job done Bc the cartridge broke in half. I used a screw driver to break it into little pieces until I was able to removed the remaining half.
It can be painstaking, for sure. If you don't scratch the housing, though. a new cartridge should solve your problem.
Thank you! Very helpful. Mine also would not come out so had to take it out in pieces. Would not have had confidence to do so without your video.
Thanks a lot for this. I really hope you read the comments. I did a combination of several methods but in the end, this is it. I had to break it apart and on the 2nd day, I replaced it. Good thing for me none of the 3 plumbers I called on Sunday were willing to do the job. Saved me money.
Glad it worked out! Sometimes a little patience goes a long way.
Just had to deal with this exact scenario, my dad brother and I really appreciate this video! Helped a lot :)
Very clear and easily followed steps, thanks!
Thank you very much! Started leaking this morning, didn't know what i was doing. Now i won't have a problem next time!
Glad it was helpful!
This is great and very realistic. The shaft snapped on mine making it even more difficult. But at least I know my struggles getting it out is not just me
Always great to find a DIY with the exact weird issue that you thought only you had 😂 thank you!!!
Thank you for this video brother. Mine did the exact same thing, and I found this extremely helpful.
Thanks John. I replaced my shower valve cartridge a while back and forgot to check if I had it oriented correctly... lol. Now our shower turns hot to the right and cold to the left. After getting it all back together I really did not want to flip it and just have gotten use to it...
I've actually come across this before in client houses, and even having the hot and cold flipped on the vanity.
My cartridge was very hard to get out 😂 thanks for the video!
My plumber hooked the removal tool to the assy. and it wouldn't budge. He suggested going in from the back, cutting a large hole in the drywall and replacing the valve and installing hot/cold cutoff valves. Then attaching a easy access cover plate. I spayed vinegar all around it, hoping to get some penetration before trying the tool in the morning. I might try removing the stem, like you did, piece by piece, and see how that go's before the plumber arrives in the morning.
The next morning I went in and everything worked out perfectly, exactly as the video showed. Took me maybe two hours.
In fairness, sometimes a plumber just doesn't have the time to mess with it, which is why he suggested replacing the whole valve. However, if that is on the table anyway, you might as well give a try to removing it piece by piece. Just remember to turn the water off!
Excellently recorded and clearly explained. Thank you,
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much for this, brother. Was exactly what I needed. Had the same exact problem as you with it being stuck and not coming out and had to bust it all to pieces to get it out. You let me know that that was the right thing to do. Thanks!!
Glad it helped!
I’ve replaced a sink cartridge but now my bathtub won’t shut off. The cartridge will turn without shutting the water off. It’s crazy stuck right now, so I’m probably going to have to chip it away and buy another cartridge tomorrow morning. Great video.
If you are the house's original owner, the faucet is covered by a lifetime warranty. Call Moen, and they will send you the cartridge at no cost after asking some questions to verify you are eligible for the warranty.
Yep. Great video. My son and I learned together how to attack this plumbing challenge. On subject of worst case scenario, we had a stripped set screw. Only way to remove it was to drill out the screw which is always intimidating and the last resort after trying a few other tricks. It all worked out in the end.
Thank you this was so helpful.. 🙏 Very easy to follow step by step.
Thanks so much for the thorough explanation.
Mission complete, although I did have to use a hammer to get the new cartridge seated all the way in. I didn't see a hammer in your tool list. Lol. Thank you so much. Saved me about $200.
I just now looked at the Home Depot price (12-28-23) and there are 3 different cartridge pullers for the Moen 1222 cartridge, priced from USD $15.98 to $27.99. Go get the puller and save yourself a head ache that won't go away any time soon. You are already at the store buying the new "Moen Brand" cartridge any way.(That's a tip people). Get it BEFORE you start the job and have it with you if you need it. If you don' t use it you can return it the next day for a full refund in most cases.
To be clear, using a cartridge puller doesn't necessarily save you from the type of problem shown in this video. If the rubber seals come loose and get jammed, you'll have the same problem no matter the removal method. And a puller doesn't prevent the rubber seals from coming loose.
@@enduringcharm True that, but it it will prevent a lot of other problems and keep you from breaking tile due to pulling on the cartridge (because many valves are not anchored to the wall like they should be) where the puller only applies pressure to the valve cylinder.
I took an old Moen cartridge and I cut off the bottom (perfectly even cut). I then cut it in two at the 1/3rd mark (Again a perfect cut). Now if I experience the dreadful "Rubber Seal Lockup" I simply use the puller until it reaches the maximum pulling length. Then I remove the puller and install the shortest section of the old valve cylinder and reinstall the puller. I pull it again until it reaches the maximum pulling distance. Then I remove the short 1/3rd section of the old valve and install the long section.(2/3rds) I reinstall the puller and pull out the old cartridge as far as it will go. Then, you guested it, I add the 1/3rd section and go to town until the old cartridge is free of the valve. No chance of damage to the cylinder or the tile and it really doesn't take as long as breaking off the old cartridge.
Appreciate you brother. You got me through a jam sir.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
Thanks for this. Exactly same stuck portion happened. Had to drill out too
Great camera work! Only comment I have when I did this replacement was application of the grease. Did I put on to much? Too little? Put it somewhere I shouldn't have?
I wouldn't worry about too much grease. The danger would be not enough and the dry fit causes the rubber to tear or not seal.
Excellent tutorial!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This is exactly where I am and I was starting to panic. So it’s cool to see that as long as I don’t harm the housing then I’m ok. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
HEY BROTHER REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP YOU GOT ME THRU THIS HEADACHE AND SAVE ME ALOT OF MONEY I HAD IT CHIP IT ALL OUT BUT THANKS TO YOU I GOT IT DONE THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!!!
I'm glad it was helpful!
Your video was a great help. I ran into the same problem you showed here and your step by step instructions made the job much easier. Thanks a lot.
By the way you’re a great teacher as well as plumber.👍
Glad it helped!
One thing that really helped me was using special puller and some Kroil…
You're my hero! Thanks for the video.
You saved my afternoon 😂
Great video and it worked like a charm!! Thank you!!!
Great to hear!
Excellent video - Thank you!!
Thanks boss this helped a lot with my first time doing this. I was trying to save the old cartridge so i could see exactly which one i had but looks like I'm going to end up having to break it out 😅
See this webpage for help with the ID: solutions.moen.com/Article_Library/Faucet_Cartridges%3A_Shower
Patience is another tool required 😂 If I can do this....y'all can too!!
Unfortunately my old cartridge wasn't sticking out enough like yours, I decided to break it apart as you show anyway and just made it so much worse. Got a Taskrabbit Tasker coming in the morning. God I pray they can get it out!
It can sometimes be a struggle to get out the pieces and perhaps somebody with more experience will approach the task with different technique. I suspect it will eventually break free, but worse case you can always just replace the whole valve.
@@enduringcharm that's what I'm afraid of and that will require an actual plumber. Do have any clue what that might cost, if it comes to that? I'm in San Antonio, TX.
If you need to replace the entire valve with a new one the cost will depend on many factors, including physical access to the valve, whether you have tile or a plastic/fiberglass surround, the type of pipes you have, and the labor and availability of plumbers in your area. You should be able to get a free estimate, though. Probably just the cartridge can be removed by somebody with a little more experience, I suspect.
Thank you for your wonderful video!
Man!!! Thanks so much for this video.. gonna tackle this project tomorrow
Excellent video you're a great teacher and have a lot of patience. seems like the majority of the videos for the Moen is a nightmare. I just thanked God I have a Delta . 😂
Thank you for the kind words. As far as Moen, though, I'm actually a fan of the brand. Probably you see lots of videos about Moen problems just because people without any problems don't have a reason to post! In my experience over decades, though, Moen faucets and valves have an excellent track record. And the company stands behind it's products with parts and service. Every brand has issues from time to time---that's the nature of mechanical things--but Moen is one of the better brands.
I was gonna call the plumber because I have a couple of other small jobs to do in the house but when they quoted me $360 for just replacing the shower cartridge I almost had a small heart attack 😂 thank you for making this video. Mine is 11 years old and I’m sure it’s gonna be stuck. We have very heavy water in Texas.
Great tutorial
if you follow the instructions from Moen, use the plastic tool to hook in and then 1/4 turn to remove the cartridge. Can be difficult if you have hard water.
Thank you for this video
Thanks for this great video. Exactly what I needed. Both black rubber pieces on the sides of the old cartridge came off and got lodged in the hot and cold water lines. I was able to pull them out with some needle nose. I will say that the notch on the replacement cartridge needed to be down (16:08 in the video); otherwise, the water wouldn't turn off.
Thanks my stem broke and then the cartridge got stuck so this was very vhelpful.
Glad it helped!
I had to use a 1/2 inch bit to drill out the middle. The the plastic behind the last o-ring was also stuck. I used an 1/8th inch with an extension bit to drill through it to the brass is several spots. Be that weakened it enough that I was able to break it loose with a flat head screw driver.
I just used a $15 cartridge puller. SO much easier. 😅 Maybe run water after removing, to chase out the broken rubber pieces out. 🚿 ❤
The commercial pullers can sometimes work, but not always. If the rubber gets dislodged it really won't matter. As far as running water to get the pieces out, that's a little risky. The water could easily run down the back of the wall and cause trouble.
Awesome video!
Great video
Thank you!
I'm there right now with it. The thing won't budge.
That set screw for the handle needs a 7/64" allen wrench, I found by trial and error.
I hesitate to note details like that because the manufacturer may well have changed the spec over the many years the item was produced. But, trial and error always works!
@@enduringcharm You're right of course, although I think Moen is pretty good at keeping consistency, at least if we're talking the same model handle set. And I got it wrong anyway, double checked it's a 7/64" (not 7/16 as I originally wrote - I corrected my original post, nice that YT allows edits - ! My bad.) My repair was a trial as the contractor put the valve in and the tile guy brought the tile too tight to it so I had to do some serious cutting to get it where I could get that little clip clear of the overhang. And pulling the cartridge out needed all of my strenght, plus some WD40! You have the best video on this procedure that I have seen. Thanks for the comprehensive DYI procedure.
Very helpful. 1 hour later and I am done.
Perfect thank you man you just made the job easier:).? Richard Texas
Thank you 🙏
The plastic "tool" that comes with the cartridge is useless. Mine won't budge, I'm in the process of drilling the plastic. Also picking up a Danco puller.
Extremely helpful sir!! THNX
Thank you!! Great video! Ours is making a humming noise. Any idea why it’s making a humming noise? Its no air we ran all the sinks to get the air out and still makes the humming noise
It may not be your shower valve at all. A very common issue with noise in a shower is with the diverter on the spout. When the diverter is pulled up the seal it makes can vibrate from the water pressure. This is caused when the diverter seal gets worn, or has build up of water deposits. Often you can wiggle the diverter handle and the vibration or noise will change. The sound can vary from a very low groan to a high pitched squeal, depending on the circumstances.
If your valve itself is truly making the noise, it could be a poor seal inside the housing, or a problem with the cartridge itself. In that case all you can do is remove the cartridge again, look for debris in the housing, check for something obviously amiss with the cartridge, and then reinsert the unit using plenty of grease.
Thank you for the reply! So, the handle got really hard to turn and then when I was in the shower it loosened up and the water wouldn’t turn off. We googled it and replaced the valve. The water would turn off but when it’s all the way on it makes a humming noise and it didn’t do that before. It stsrted after the valve was replaced. We called Moen and they are sending us a new valve and we were going to try that instead of using after market. Not sure if that could be why. What do you think?
It is entirely possible that the cartridge itself is the cause. Any time you have a component which vibrates under pressure a sound like a humming or a whistling can be created. Since you used a third party cartridge the quality may be questionable. When you get the new cartridge, pull out the defective one and really takes some time to look inside the housing with a flashlight. You don't want to see any debris in there or heavy scratches. If it looks good, then grease up the new one thoroughly and see if the better quality cartridge does the trick.
I did this repair today on my Moen shower faucet, but I bought the tool and the cartridge before I started man am I really glad I bought the tool Ace Hardware 15 bucks …. Get the tool people it makes a job so much easier… and by the way, I’m a paraplegic in a wheelchair…😂😂😂
Thanks
Very helpful 😊
Everything done perfectly, your video was just like my situation. I still have a slow drip after completing everything. What next?
One possibility is that the new cartridge is faulty, which is more common if you bought a third party cartridge. Another possibility is that you missed some debris when you put it back together, which may be preventing a good seal internally. A third possibility is that you damaged the housing internally. I'm afraid all you can do is take it back apart and examine everything closely for the problem.
Thanks for the detailed video, I did everything as you showed but water isn't coming out of the shower at all, what is the problem?
Have you turned the water main back on and confirmed that there is water pressure elsewhere? Are you certain you have the new cartridge fully seated, in the correct position, and nothing was left behind from the old one?