turning off water requires careful "tuning" of the faucet

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mckern

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I replaced the cartridges in the bathtub/shower to deal with leaking and now I have a new problem. Both faucets handles can be turned in complete circles--cutting the flow of the water requires very precise positioning of each faucet handle.

If I take off the faucet handle and simply turn the cartridge, there is a built-in stop/off position (the water supply was off when I did this, so I'm just assuming that the stop position turned off the water flow).

The instructions, which I no longer have, were very simple, so I can't imagine what I screwed up (e.g., no extra parts left over when I was finished).

Thank you
 

Jimbo

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Some pictures would help. There is usually some kind of mechanical stop involving the handle, the cartridge, and /or some part of the body. Something is either broken, or just not put together correctly.
 

mckern

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Unfortunately, short of an emergency, turning the water off isn't an option today because it would be an inconvenience for my neighbors. I'm in a condo building and there is no local shut-off valve.

So, I can't show you the actual faucets, but I have an illustration of the faucet and cartridge. This might be a long shot, but perhaps there is some common error or tip regarding replacing the cartridge in this particular faucet that I can check later this week.

The illustrations are from this website: http://www.moen.com/consumersupport/installation/moen0132/moen0132.cfm

The arrow is pointing to a clear plastic piece that did not come with the cartridge, but is part of the faucet. When the cartridge is in place and this clear piece is attached to the cartridge, the cartridge cannot be turned in complete circles, i.e., the plastic piece comes to a stop in the cartridge.

The faucet handle seems to fit snugly over this extension--in fact, if I remember correctly, the plastic piece actually fits into interlocking grooves within the faucet handle.
 

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Brownizs

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You should have a shut off somewhere by the Water heater. Worst comes to worst, let your neighbors know that it may be a while before turning back on, and fix it. Otherwise, you will have water waste.
 

mckern

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Replacing the cartridges fixed the leak. In the process, I've done/not done something that makes turning off the flow a bit tricky. The faucet handles can be turned round and round in either direction, but there is only one position that will actually stop the water. Once I find the sweet spot for each handle, the water is off.

Replacing the cartridge involves few parts and not many steps, i.e., there's just aren't that many places to screw up. I'm thinking that my error may be something that experienced people might think too obvious to mention. (No, there were no extra screws or parts when I finished. I'm not a complete idiot, but I do have my share of less-than-glorious moments.)
 

hj

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stop

The "pin" on the extension is the stop. With lever handles you should have a red and a blue one. IF it stops without the handle, unless you are doing something to lift it out of its recess when you install the handle, there is no way it cannot stop with the handle installed.
 

mckern

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Update/clarification:

The above description applies to the cold water faucet, i.e., the faucet has an "off spot". When the water is on, I can turn it clockwise to get to that spot or counter-clockwise--and if I miss the spot, the I can continue endlessly in one direction or the other. This is not true for the hot water handle.

Turning the hot water handle counter-clockwise turns off the hot water--and once the water is off, it won't come back on with further counter-clockwise turning. Similarly, clockwise turning starts the water--which cannot be turned off with further clockwise turning. As with the cold water, the handle can be turned endlessly in either direction.

Thanks for the advice so far. I'm going to schedule a water shut-off time for the building for Tuesday or Wednesday.
 

hj

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faucet

The stop on the cold water side has broken. Since this is two parts, the stop on the stem and the catch on the handle adapter, you have to see which is broken.
 

DCpete816

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I have these types of Moen faucets on the bathtub and sink in our guest bathroom. I truly detest them and regret ever buying them. They have all stripped over time and you can't find the spare parts at places like Home Depot. What a pain. I replaced the sink faucet with a run-of-the-mill Delta and am much happier. I'm doing a new remodel and doubt I will choose Moen again.

Chris
 
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