During the lifetime of a faucet, many leaks occur. As a homeowner, it is your job to fix them. Whether the leak occurs along the spout, or on the hot side handle, a proper plan of attack is needed. Fixing handle leaks on either side requires just the basic skills and a few tools.
Why Leaks Occur
Most leaks start along the spout and the water from these leaks ends up in the sink bowl. Other leaks occur in the handles. These leaks are a result of problems in the cartridge inside your faucet's handle. The cartridge is no longer water tight, so water is leaking through it. Fortunately, this type of leak is easy to fix. Just remove the handle and replace the cartridge. If the leak occurs on the hot side handle, you will be performing the repair on that side. The same is said for the cold side handle.
Taking off the Handle
Once you have focused on the hot side handle of the faucet, it is time to start the repair. First, remove the handle by unscrewing the set screw on top of the handle with an Allen wrench, and then pulling the handle off. If there is a cap on the top of the handle, take this out with a flat head screwdriver first. The set screw is underneath it. If the handle has a long base, turn the base counterclockwise to unscrew it and remove the entire base to access the cartridge.
Removing the Hot Side Cartridge
Take off the cartridge on this side of the faucet by removing the packing nut. This is a small round nut fitted on top of the cartridge and underneath the handle. Use pliers to take these parts off if necessary. It is the only part on most faucets that holds the cartridge in place. Some Moen faucets use a clip instead of a nut to retain the cartridge. Remove the clip with pliers by sliding it out of place.
Cartridge Replacement
Replace the cartridge by lifting it out of the base of the handle with your fingers or a pair of small pliers. Insert a new one after lining up the grooves on the cartridge with the slots in the faucet base. It must be the exact same cartridge, designed just for your model of faucet. After it is inserted all that is left is to rebuild the faucet by replacing the bonnet nut and handle.
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