Home projects that make me scream.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Today's delight of a project was changing a bath tub faucet hot/cold water supply. Sucker dripped all night last night. Drove me crazy.

Seems easy enough. Extract old cartridge, insert new cartridge. Done.

Nope. The force is NOT with me on this. In my experience, the old cartridges never want to come out. The rubber grommets tear on the way out getting stuck in the hot/cold water supply lines, so you have to fish those out. Then you go to lowes and they are out of the moen cartridge but have an offbrand cartridge that states it is compatible, but is not. Another trip to home depot produces the right cartridge, which tears the new rubber grommets as it is inserted. Trip #3 to home depot produces another cartridge, which I insert and it leaks worse than the original drip. Removing these things (even new ones rip the rubber grommets about 50% of the time. Each trip to the box stores is about $30 to $50 a piece. All this while the family is without water.

Frustrated and cussing like a sailor, As I readied to pull the third one out, removing it about 3mm from seating caused the seals to bind and it works like a champ. There is nothing securing the insert in, mind you, since pulling it out ever so slightly prevents the securing pin to fit, but screw that... but I ain't touching it. No way in hell.

I don't know what I am doing wrong. I sand the corrosion off the inner copper insert holder, and lubricate the assembly with soap before assembly.

I also put new rotors and pads on the front of the SC today. And stained the boards on a trailer. Guess which project took longest.

Mission accomplished, but there has got to be a better way (like- call a plumber)

[aigel]

I paid a plumber for this job. Money well spent!

There is a thread here fairly recently, where a member pretty much had to burn out and chew up the inside to get it out ...

G

[LEAKYSEALS951]

holy crap... That sucked. I'd like to know the trade secret of doing this.
There has got to be a secret. Plumbers would have a high suicide rate if there weren't some secrets.

edit- I completely understand having to drill the cartridge out. The last time I did it, that is just about what happened. This morning I drenched the assembly in PB blaster. Wife was NOT impressed with the smell of PB blaster in bathroom. I don't know if it helped, but the cartridge wasn't completely frozen, as were the other cartridges in the house I have replaced. It just ripped the seals when pulling it out.

I went back to the bathroom and looked- still no drip.

Opening bottle of wine. Man, I'm getting old. That kicked my butt.

[aigel]

Moen Cartridge Replacement He11

[LEAKYSEALS951]

how did I miss this?!?! LOL

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Your username is "leakyseals" and you expected a different outcome here?

[Bill Douglas]

Jeeze, I'll do your plumbing if you do my brakes.

As strange as it sounds I like doing plumbing. Too much meccano set as a kid I guess.

Handy helpful hint. Don't buy Chinese mixers/cartridges. Pay a whole lot more and get the European ones. The don't have the huge failure rate of the Chinese made ones.

[Baz]

I can relate. I changed out my bath sink faucet assembly and it was a huge PITA!

Later after I completed the job I was in HD and noticed they make specialty tools for doing this job.

In retrospect, I would buy these tools next time in a heartbeat!

You would think plumbing would be fairly straight forward......but it isn't!

[legion]

Been there. Had this exact thing happen multiple times.

I took to cleaning out the housing with a stiff plastic brush. Then I put glycerin on the seals--it's the ATF of the plumbing world.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by bill douglas

jeeze, i'll do your plumbing if you do my brakes.

deal!!!!!!!

[aschen]

I use the plumbing seal grease they sell in the big box stores (silicone based?), it seems to make reassembly easy enough. Extraction seems like the biggest PITA for the ones I Have done. I bought the special tool last time which required a bit of modification but eventually worked. It makes harbor freight tools seem like top quality though.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

...... Then you go to lowes and they are out of the moen cartridge but have an offbrand cartridge that states it is compatible, but is not. .....

I hate plumbing also, especially dealing with older connections.

I gave up with the box stores for stuff like this, I order through Amazon, get it in 2 days.

[stomachmonkey]

Plumbing sucks.

Especially under sinks.

Never enough room to work and everything is always stuck.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Plumbing sucks.

Especially under sinks.

Never enough room to work and everything is always stuck.

And the old lady stores EVERYTHING she can think of under the sink!

[reachme]

a simple temptrol shower/tub valve change turned into a day long exercise in frustration. Finally got a plumber, he banged at pulling it for about 15 minutes and started cutting. He sweated in new fittings and was done in 20 minutes.

Taught me to set a time limit on the "easy way" before I start the hard way.

[scottmandue]

Yes, plumbing is at the absolute bottom on my list.
Unfortunately my dad educated me on plumbing so I am handy at it, (and I'm a cheap b-stard)
Fortunately I have good 'ol boy neighbor (Texan) who is a professional plumber/carpenter and when I get in over my head I go running to him like a little baby.
However when the old cast iron sewer line broke I called a plumber.

[TerryH]

PartsmasterPro 1/2 oz. Silicone Faucet Grease-58352B - The Home Depot

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by TerryH

PartsmasterPro 1/2 oz. Silicone Faucet Grease-58352B - The Home Depot

Get a good bit more - lasts forever and has a thousand uses around the house...
https://www.amazon.com/Dow-Corning-O-Ring-Silicone-Lubricant/dp/B00CTUJNU2