LuckyDad

Hello everyone. New member here, but I won't be a "one & done". Going to be doing a lot of work on my house, so I'll be in and out for a long time.

I have a quick shower faucet question. I bought my house 3 years ago, but it was built in 1982 (in New Hampshire). Recently, the shower faucet refused to go all the way back in. So, I tried taking the cartridge out. It was really, really stuck in there. Finally, after some vinegar and liquid wrench, I got it out.

I need to replace it, but when I brought it to Lowes, they didn't have anything remotely like it. It's not a stem sliding in a body type (can't get that lucky). It's a single piece of brass that's hollow and has strategically located holes with screens to align with the feed pipe entries inside the valve itself.

I have no idea who makes this thing. It wasn't on the knob or the estuchion. Nor is there anything written on the valve. I believe the valve is brass.

The feed lines are offset about 1.5 inches from the vertical run to the shower. It has two screw heads in line on the entries that look like they might shut the feed off.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

inspectorD

Take it to a plumbing supply house and take a picture along as well. Those guys know what parts go where. This is your best option.
Welcome.

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LuckyDad

Well, file this under "Good News/Bad News? You Decide":

I took the faucet cartridge to the plumbing supply shop. The reason I'd never seen a faucet cartridge like this one... it's not the cartridge. It took them a while to figure out what I had handed them, but apparently, I do have a Moen 1200 series faucet. What I had in my hands... was the piston. I had ripped it out of the cartridge. Apparerently, the cartridge body is still embedded in the faucet.

This is good news in that "IF" I can get the body out (which is now a cylinder in a cylinder), I have the replacement. It's that tricky if part that's the rub.

I'm hitting it with liquid-wrench every ten minutes. But I'm afraid to apply too much torsion on the "ears" with the white plastic cap, as I've already broken one.

Any suggestions on getting the old cartrdige body out?

Thanks!

Nestor_Kelebay

There is also a Moen single handle lever cartridge puller tool available if you have trouble getting the old cartridge out:



http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/Moen-104421-Cartridge-Puller-For-1200-1222-1225-Single-Handle-Cartridges/55168/Cat/662

From what I can see, this tool allows you to both twist the cartridge (cuz of the hex on the tool) and pull on it at the same time. That SHOULD be more successful than either separately. And, given the size of the hex, you could turn it with a wrench and apply considerably more torque to the cartridge than you could with the plastic cap.

PS: For others in here with Moen single handle cartridges, this web site shows step by step instructions as well as multimedia movies for removing Moen single lever cartridges:
http://www.moen.ca/installation/moen0133/moen0133.cfm#watch

Nestor_Kelebay

Yeah, I wrote that before I realized that he'd already broken one of those plastic cap wrenches trying to rotate that cartridge body.

Redwood

Pasco Specialty makes one that works once the center stem has been pulled out...
Pasco P/N 7040 in the catalog I wish I could link below link below.
Silly rules make it difficult to help here...
There are better ways to fight spam
4 more posts and I'll stop grumbling...

Google pasco specialty
and click/ products / catalog / tools & Electrical C / it is in there
They are available at many plumbing supply companies...

Use the notched end to rotate the remaining part of the cartridge first then use the end with the button to pull the cartridge out.
This is a do or die tool!

Either the cartridge is coming out or the tool and cartridge are stuck and you are installing a new valve.

handyguys

Lucky - Did you get it out? My guess is that its not corroded in there but that its not aligned correctly to remove it or your doing something wrong. Maybe check with Moen for some documentation on how to remove the cartridge. They have good customer service.

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Redwood

Check out page 4 of the catalog linked below.
http://pascospecialty.com/catalog/PASCO_CATALOG_C.pdf

It is the Moen Cartridge removal tool I spoke of in the post above...

MACPLUMB

go with the "pasco" tool it is cheaper to buy for your limited time
use around the house, and it works just as good as the moen tool

NHMaster

Here's what I use

Moen Strikes Again