Fix bathtub and shower faucets by Mike Quick

I am planning to offer some of the most cost effective things you can do to a home. I start this topic with my number one pick/tip. My first book “OnlinePlumbingAdvice.com” should help you find a trustworthy plumber. Please remember how important it is to focus on details concerning the workers you trust. As you read my pick/tips, you will notice I frequently use the word trustworthy.

Fixing old Moen “push-pull” faucets is at the top of the list. Actually, at the very top of the list is rebuilding a Moen bathtub or shower faucet. If a trustworthy plumber can fix any bathtub or shower faucet, rebuilding is usually better than replacing the whole faucet. This article is about Moen faucets, saving money and learning from my forty five years of plumbing experience.

Old Moen “push-pull” type faucets usually get progressively tight (difficult) to operate. Properly replacing the cartridge with a Moen genuine  1225 cartridge will rebuild the faucet (replace the piston type cartridge and all the rubber connected to it). New handles and other parts are available if needed. After installing the new cartridge, the faucet should work and feel like a brand new faucet (easy to operate for many, many years).

Rebuilding a bathtub or shower faucet is at the top of my list for many reasons. It is usually extremely expensive to replace bathtub or shower faucets. Expensive pipe work inside the wall and the tile/wall repairs that are frequently necessary are usually very expensive. A properly rebuilt faucet will often require less frequent repairs than a new faucet. New handles and other trim can make a rebuilt faucet look brand new.

About 90% of the time, a trustworthy plumber can quickly, easily, replace a Moen cartridge. About 5% of the time, special Moen cartridge puller tools will be necessary and about another 4% of the time, a cartridge (usually a very old one) will be extremely difficult to remove. Depending on the plumber’s experience with extremely difficult cartridges, about 1% of the time, the faucet will have to be replaced.

Some plumbers (including me) have figured out special; secrete (trade secrets) ways to remove the most difficult cartridges. Be aware, once a person starts making attempts to remove a cartridge, most of the time, they cannot stop. The water to that faucet will have to remain off until either the cartridge or the faucet is replaced.

Usually the whole house has to be turned off to fix or replace a bathtub or shower faucet. It is strongly recommended that only a trustworthy plumber try to fix a bathtub or shower faucet.