Home and Garden | Repairing Cartridge-Style One-Handled Faucets - Plumbing

Repairing this type of one-handled faucet usually means replacing the cartridge. It's not difficult, except that you may need to search the faucet for a retaining clip which holds the cartridge in place. Below are guidelines for where this clip might be located, and how to remove the cartridge.

Cartridges aren't all the same, so bring the old cartridge with you to the hardware, home center, or plumbing supply store so they can give you the correct replacement for your brand and model.

PROJECT BASICS

Project: Moderate
Estimated Project Time: Half an hour
Start Tips: Close the water shutoff valves or the main valve before beginning work. If you shut off the main valve, drain the system to the lowest fixture. Open faucets at higher elevations to complete the drain-down task
Safety Tips: Not applicable
Recommendation: Do-it-Yourself

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Flat-bladed or Phillips screwdriver	Needlenose pliers
Allen wrench	Replacement cartridge
Utility knife	O-rings
Adjustable pliers	Petroleum jelly or heat-proof grease

INSTRUCTIONS

Access and remove the cartridge
To access the cartridge, you may first need to remove the cartridge retaining clip.

Fig. 1

1) Look for a retaining clip on the faucet body
Closely examine the outside of the faucet body below the handle for a projecting ridge, which may be the retaining clip. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 4

2) If the retaing clip's not on the faucet, remove the handle
If there's no retaining clip on the faucet body, access the screw securing the handle. It may be under a cap in the center of the handle; simply pry the cap off to get to the screw. (Fig. 4)

Fig. 5

Now that the handle's off, you'll see the cartridge which may be seated inside a decorative retainer sleeve. (Fig. 5)

Fig. 6

If so, grab the retainer sleeve with adjustable pliers and turn it counterclockwise to remove it. (Fig. 6)

Fig. 7

If there is also a retaining clip, remove that as well. Then, remove the cartridge. (Fig. 7)

Once the new cartridge is installed, turn the water on to confirm that hot water is coming from the left and cold from the right. If not, remove the handle and rotate the cartridge 180 degrees.