DIY Stiff / Sticking Faucet Handle Repair
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- The handles for our Moen faucet working very stiff/hard to turn. By disassembling the handles and applying some grease you can get them feeling like new.
Many manufacturers will offer free handles as a replacement. If you do decide to do that, I would recommend disassembling the new ones and apply and grease before installation.
Dude, you saved me from buying a new faucet. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to get that handle off. Thanks!
I had a Moen Widespread (EVA) similar to yours, this fix was beyond helpful and saved me hundreds of dollars, even doing my own repairs since these fixtures are so costly. Anyway, I wanted to share that my fixture was so fused, is that I had to soak it in vinegar overnight. I then soaked all the pieces again after I pulled everything them apart, used plumbers silicone lubricant and everything works perfectly now. THANK YOU for creating this video!!!
Your video is excellent! Thank you so much. Also, the comment about using white vinegar was very helpful. I soaked all the components for about 30 minutes and everything was restored to a like-new condition. Thanks again!
That is a great tip about the vinegar! Hopefully others read that!
Saved me from paying $186 for a new faucet. Thank you!!
Excellent explanation and tutorial. My wife now has access to the hot water again in her bathroom sink. Thank you!
Unless I am mistaken that “corrosion” is hard water deposits or “calcification.” Spray a bit of white vinegar on the calcium deposits and let it sit for a few minutes. Then brush with an old tooth brush or parts brush. You could follow up with a thin layer of silicon based grease, though it probably isn’t necessary. I’d be concerned about the petroleum based grease deteriorating the plastic/nylon components.
To prevent future deposits, consider a whole house water softener.
A regular maintenance refining (every 3-6 months) to open up, inspect, and clean/repair the faucets can help prevent them from becoming overly damaged.
Great tip!!!
What are some brand names of the “silicon based grease” you reference? I think I have this issue w/2 faucets and I’m a tad fearful of screwing something up.
@@janeallen1303 Sil-glyde is one brand of silicone grease. Also any weak acid will help break down the calcium, phosphoric based or citric acid. Coca-cola would even work, but I use Lemi-shine as it doesn't smell like vinegar!
Yeah man. It was bothering me hearing “corrosion” so many times, knowing it was calcification/mineral deposits.
Do some research before installing a whole house water softener. They waste water and you’d be pumping salt into your water which can lead to health problems down the road.
Awesome, you saved me from buying new stuff...it was just as you showed
Just performed the exact repair on our cold valve. Got tired oh using hot water on my toothbrush. The procedure went perfectly and now the cold water handle turns smooth as butter. Thank you for the walk-through video Colin, appreciate the informative content.
Thank you for taking the time to post this. I have the same faucet and it was driving me crazy trying to figure out how to get the handle off. Glad you also added to take the center out by taping it with a screwdriver. After I was done it worked like i first got it. Honey do #10,896 done!!!! Thanks again!
Thank you so much for posting this! Thanks to your detailed explanation, I was able to disassemble, clean, and fix my faucet handles which had become frozen.
Although my faucet is a single handle Moen, it was terrible to pull up and down. I'd get it up and the water would splash all over. After watching your video, I knew I was on the right track but with the wrong 'stuff'. I used WD-40 and that helped for about 2 days! So after watching, I located some lithium grease in one of my tool boxes and used that, worked up and down and turned right and left. It works GREAT now. Thanks!!
Huge help buddy. I took care of this problem myself thanks to you. Saved money today by not calling plumber....and white vinegar helps big time
Glad I found this because I was about to call a plumber. Will try it out this coming weekend. Thanks!
After I watched this video and read the comments I decided on a radical approach. Pour VINEGAR over the stiff handle. If hard water entering the crevices of the handle caused internal corrosion… wouldn’t just spritzing or pouring vinegar to enter those cracks dissolve the corrosion inside? Without having to take anything apart? Well.. that is what I did. After 30 minutes, a little less stiff. 2 hours…doing better. And now 10 hours later….no stiffness AT ALL!!!!!! Ladies and gents: don’t knock yourselves out!!! Possibly lose tiny screws or bust a valve!!! Do what I did. Pour vinegar over the handle. Make sure it goes in the cracks and turn the handle to assist. Then wait. Repeat if necessary.
Great idea! I'm sure others will have great success with this trick. And worse case you have to take it apart if this doesn't work. Worth a shot!
@@colchilibeck thank you so much for your video anyway. I am determined NOT to call a plumber unless I have a problem I cannot solve through watching a RUclips video, consulting a how to book or getting some handyman help and advice. Next time… try my method!!!! Thanks again!
I have the same model widespread Moen faucets. In my case the rubber O-rings in the Moen cartridge had been so compressed that they leaked and caused this exact same problem for me. You can confirm this after removing your handles and drying any water out from the cartridge recessed area, you will see more water eventually leak into the recesses. Moen has a lifetime warranty on these cartridges and will send free replacements if you have your receipt for proof of purchase. They sent me replacement cartridges but would not send a removal tool unless I purchased one separately. They told me to use needle-nose pliers to unscrew the plastic cartridge but that only damaged my cartridge where I could not remove it even with a tool, so they ended up having to send me the whole entire replacement valve assembly. If you order a cheap generic removal tool that just looks like a cylinder with two notches, it did not work for me, and slipped and damaged the two tabs on the plastic cartridge nut more. The proper Moen tool from a plumbing supply house is about $40. I found one that looks the same with a big nut and t-handle on it at Home Depot for about $18.
great video, the only one I can find about handle not cartridge fixing.
Very helpful I have the exact same Moen model. FYI Moen says to only use silicone grease. Petroleum grease may harm the plastic parts.
Yes - only use silicone great - petroleum grease will harm the o rings in the cartridge in the long run
@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters Agreed. The petroleum grease will hopefully not get into the cartridge as it is only applied to the handle components. If someone has to buy grease I would suggest SuperLube.
Great video , i need to try this out i have same problem.
Just a feedback , i am corrosion eng and what you have is not corrosion , it is calcium carbonate build up , most likely due to water hardness. Calcium carbonate y soluble in an acid solution, so use some lemon jouce or viniger to clean the scale build up.
Thanks
Your video helped me. I didn't know how to remove the handle.
Thank you so much, this helped me a lot to fix mine!
@John T McQuay commented that spraying or soaking the corroded parts in vinegar will help with removing the corrosion. It is a great tip and hopefully will help others!
Those are actually more like deposits, and yes an acid (citric or vinegar) would definitely help.
Great video. Thank you, exactly what I was looking for.
Great to hear!
Thank you for the video!
I really think Moen has a design issue in the first place. The water should never reach these parts inside of the faucet! In my case, the cold valve became so stiff that eventually we couldn't turn the handle one year after the installation. The base was like rusted from inside and there's no way to screw it off. I had to spray some WD-40 or vinegar to loosen up the handle.
Thanks for this video! I have the exact same problem, the handle is so stiff it actually rotates with the base. I may have to use a strap wrench to try and get it off. Now I know how to fix it though thanks to your video. I have the same comment as others- use silicone grease.
Were you able to fix this as i have the same problem and struggling to remove the handle?
@@arivualagan1193 yes I was, but it's been so long I forgot what I did. I know the strap wrench did not work, not enough grip. I believe I wrapped the base with a towel and used channel locks to hold in place. Then I twisted handle until it broke free. When I took it all apart, there was severe calcification. I soaked with vinegar to get it all out, disassembled, cleaned and greased. The handle works fine now. But the plastic retaining piece is still in the pipe. It was so calcified I could not get it out to change the filter. I tried using the Moen tool to unscrew it but it just stripped the retainer.
It would be a good idea to turn off the water supply from under the sink. Twisting the faucet back and forth may loosen or break a seal underneath, not to mention, it saves water.
How in the love of God do you remove the actual handle from the base that you’ve unscrewed? Even in your video you say you take it apart and then put it back together but don’t actually demonstrate it. I am unable to pull the handle off the base even once the phillip screw is removed:( Thank you for the video though. It did help.
Tap gently with a hammer or dip the entire thing in CLR or vinegar and then try
I have this exact faucet and the same problem. Even with a whole house softener and iron filter, it gets stiff. I clean with vinegar but I think a layer of silicone plumbers grease may mean I don't have to deal with it as often. It builds up so fast.
Is not corrosion, it’s mineral sediments from the tap water
Like many others, my faucet handles are completely calcified, so much so that the handle turns the base and right now there is no hope of removing anything. I've soaked it in-place before overnight in Vinegar (in a plastic bag), but it is hard to know how much of the vinegar made it into the fixture. I've only had this thing a few years. Seems like I had the same problem with last Moen set. I'll try the vinegar for a few days and see if I can get anything to move. Moen warns me that I'm ruining the finish on the fixture, though, with anything other than soap and water (ha!).
How did you remove the handle from the stem so I could take it apart? I removed the screw from inside and the handle wouldn't separate. I soaked it in vinegar overnite but it seemed to be glued. Any ideas?
Thank you, helped a lot! Cheers!
Thanks Dude, hard water ruins ever
Grease is the word, is the word, is the word.... I have a BRAND NEW installation on my tub but the cold water handle is extremely stiff. Pristine condition. Maybe behind the tub something got cranked too tightly?
nice video! would you happen to have any advice where the top lever swivels together with the bottom when turned on and off? I thought it was the silicone/caulking in the crevice but have heard that's not going to fix it. any thoughts?
Warm vinegar to remove the build-up
Thanks...how did you clean off the corrosion?
I can't get mine to come off. Will only turn a little bit. Then frozen.
I have seam problems. Thanks you are video. But I could not take off the handle? Any idea?
Thank you
it's calcium deposits from hard water - do not use grease, soak the parts (not any rubber washers) in CLR lime remover
How did you remove the plastic part? It is very stuck!!
Could you describe the process to unscrew the faucet handle when it's very tight ? I'm fairly strong but cannot seem to unscrew the base. Thank you
Unfortunately if you use any sort of tool it will probably ruin the handle. A trick that you could trade is wearing some sort of nitrile or latex glove. The type of gloves that a dentist or doctor would wear. That way you’ll have a much better grip and may find you’re able to get it off.
@@colchilibeck I put my channel locks into a rubber coated glove. It works great grabbing and not scoring the handle. Thanks for the video, really helped me.
What model of Moen is this faucet, please ?
Excellent video! BTW: What brand faucet was that?
That was a Moen.
I would use silicone based lube instead of oil based, oil will crack plastic over time but silicone won't.
Googled this and I have the exact same faucet.. ugh
That's not corrosion which would cause permanent damage to your hardware.
The white stuff is mineral deposits
darn. no screw in mine to disassemble it.
I have a newer faucet set and I've been through two handles so far from them going stiff but only on the hot side. The cold side is as smooth as the day I installed it. Any idea what could be causing the handles to go bad only on the hot side?
Heat may cause the corrosion process to speed up maybe?
A bad cartridge leaking slowly into the handle mechanism
Wheel bearing grease is petroleum based and probably harmful to humans I would use silicone based food grade grease or plumbers grease as I have children in my home and of course I would not want any of that hazardous grease in any of my plumbing
👍could be calcium, soak in vinegar
Soak them in vinegar
have someone else film so you can actually use both hands terrible!