Did You Have Trouble Replacing Your Moen Cartridge?

Some people have great difficultly replacing their moen cartridge and resort to either breaking the shower or faucet valve or having to call an expensive plumber. Do you think there is a better way that Moen could fix the faucet cartridge replacement process or do you think it should stay the way it is? If you have any other moen cartridge questions, Please feel free to ask them as well, and I am sure someone will respond rather quickly! Question) I do have problem with my Moen 1125 cartridge where I noticed a continuous leaking issue from the very top of the cartridge. Sometimes I have hard time opening and closing the single handle faucet. Eventually I called up Moen customer representative and they recommended me to replace the cartridge unit. Now the original issue seems to be fixed, but there comes a new one where the trace of leak at the very bottom of the faucet, and also through the mounting hole in the counter top. Then I called the company’s support line again and the support person says I will have to purchase air gap repair kit. Well, this is all of my responsibility and I already know what needs to be done. But do I absolutely need to buy this new kit with extra money or is it even worth it? If anyone has any similar experience, Answer 1) First off I would suggest you to look at the model number and part description, and ensure if yours has the pullout spout part. If it is, then check if there is any leak around the connection area where the hose and pull out spray part touches each other. Usually you can spot the leak through the hollow part that leads to under the sink, and you may use your hands to tighten the screw or joint bolts there. Another possibility is that there could be a trapped air gap between your every single part. Therefore dissemble all of them and reattached by placing them into air tight location when pressing them together. That way you can make sure there is no temporary loosen part between parts and joints. This is more of assembly area issue, not the manufacturer part issue. Answer 2) Before you start disassemble parts, did you have a well written down procedural instruction to follow? Whenever you inspect this kind of issue, you will have to flush out the system before you even try replacing the cartridge with new one, because there will be a chance of losing a tight seal between the parts by many factors: such as scale fragments, oil grits and loosen O-rings parts, etc. Whenever you flush out the system, get a handful of towel by you in case you need to wipe them out. If it still leaks, then inspect if the cartridge itself is having the issue. By holding the stem down by your hands, try turning water on and feel if there is any noticeable leaking around the area. If you don’t see any water drips, then it can be assumed that the part is not bad. Then the next spot that you need to check is the connecting area where the lever and valve stem that is made of plastic materials. It can wear over the time, so the wearing portion can be amended by inserting a thin layer of plastic ring or cap between those two.