Turn off all water to the bathtub at the house's main water valve. Turn on another water faucet in the house to relieve any pressure in the pipes before continuing.
Pry off the small plastic cap in the middle of the water control handle. Remove the small screw in the middle of the handle, which was covered up by the plastic cap. Slide the handle off the spindle.
Unscrew the metal sleeve on the spindle by turning it counterclockwise. Remove the escutcheon by first removing the two retaining screws, or pull out the retaining clip from the spindle using pliers if there is no escutcheon present.
Remove the plastic cartridge left in the water pipe. If the cartridge does not come free easily, use a pair of pliers to turn it counterclockwise. Back it out of position in the water pip
Install a new cartridge and reassemble the assembly in the reverse order of how you took it apart. Turn the water back on in the tub to make sure you put everything back correctly.
I now only get hot or cold water but not both.
It is possible that the balancing spool is stuck due to non-use. Replace the cartridge to correct this situation. To prevent future issues, use the faucet at least once a week.
Why does my PosiTemp® shower, with waterdrop knob, only give me hot water or cold water, and not a mixture?
In most cases, the knob has been installed upside down. To correct this simply:
- Remove handle cap and the Phillips screw under the cap.
- Pull the handle off the faucet.
- Now replace the handle, only this time, make sure the point of the waterdrop handle is pointing downward to the six o'clock position.
- Replace the Phillips head screw and handle cap.
Can I change the trim (showerhead, arm, flange, escutcheon, handle/knob and tub spout) without changing the valve in the wall?
Replacing the trim on an existing Moen tub/shower can be accomplished by first determining what kind of valve is in the wall. For many years Moen tub/shower valves have been manufactured using one of three valves. These valves are Standard, Posi-Temp and Moentrol. Although the look is similar, the trim is not necessarily interchangeable.
To determine if the trim can be changed without changing the valve in the wall, the first step is to identify what type you have. This chart(section) shows the differences.
Note:Posi-Temp trim and Moentrol trim are not interchangeable.
Figure 1 shows that the screw holes at the 5:00 and 7:00 position. This is a Standard valve that features a pull on/push off operation and turns left and right for hot and cold.
Figure 2 illustrates the pressure balanced valves. Models that have a lever or knob that rotate only are called Posi-Temp. This "cycling valve" handle is pointed towards the 6:00 position when off, rotates to the 3:00 position for cold, 12:00 for warm and 9:00 for full hot. If this is the way your Moen valve operates, any Posi-Temp trim will fit.
The other valve mentioned in Figure 2 is Moentrol. Moentrol is also pressure balanced and includes the pull on/push off volume control feature. The screw holes are at the 2:00 and 7:00 position. If your valve operates this way and has these screw hole locations, any Moentrol trim will fit.
A recent innovation now makes it possible to retrofit Moentrol trim to standard valves. Service kit number 145058 (shown below) can be ordered to make the change.
Shower arms are usually threaded into an elbow behind the wall. Rotate the shower arm counterclockwise to remove. The new shower arm and shower head should be sealed using several wraps of thread seal tape. The shower arm flange is usually sealed by using Plumber's putty.
The final consideration is the tub spout. Moen makes two versions. The IPS (Iron Pipe Size) version (below left) is threaded and screws onto a ½" pipe that has male threads.
The other style is the slip fit tub spout (above right). It attaches to ½" copper tubing by slipping on and tightening with a hex wrench. Both tub spouts will have a cut out on the underside near the wall as shown above. If the cut out has a place to insert a hex wrench, you have a slip fit. If the cut out does not have the hex wrench opening, your spout is a threaded (IPS) version.
Unscrew the shower head from the curved pipe in the wall by turning the shower head counterclockwise. Dump out any loose sediment inside the shower head, then submerse the shower head in a mineral remover solution in a small bucket. Allow the shower head to sit overnight, then rinse it with water and reinstall it on the curved pipe.
Turn off the flow of water going to the faucet by closing the main water valve in the house. Turn on another faucet at a lower level of the house, if possible, to release pressure from the plumbing
Remove the faucet's handle by backing out the retaining screw, located either underneath a plastic cap in the middle of the handle or in a small hole on the side of the handle. Use an appropriately-sized Phillips screwdriver or Allen wrench, depending on the type of screw in the handle, to remove the screw without stripping it.
Remove the metal pin in the middle of the valve cartridge, or the horseshoe-shaped clip in the side of the cartridge, using a pair of needle-nose pliers. Slide a Moen cartridge remover tool over the cartridge, then twist it counterclockwise until the cartridge comes free of the water pipe.
Screw the new cartridge into the water pipe, using the Moen cartridge remover. Replace the other parts you took off the faucet, then turn the water back on.
