How to identify a Moen faucet cartridge

Look at what the handle does. Moen's PosiTemp shower valve, which takes the 1222, turns to open and to set temperature, and the handle doesn't pull in or out. A handle that turns and also pulls out for volume control, as The Shower Head Store describes it, belongs to a 1225 style valve, and Moen publishes separate 1225 articles for its Standard and Moentrol shower valves. Treat the handle test as a first guess, and confirm it once the handle is off.

Confirm with the cartridge. Moen's 1222 article names three things to look for:

• A hot and cold tab. Moen's instructions say to install the 1222 with the "H and C" tab pointing up and flush with the valve body.
• Rubber ovals. The cartridge has oval rubber grommets on each side. Moen warns that they aren't permanently attached and can fall off, so don't rotate the cartridge as it goes in.
• A retainer clip that slides up. The 1222 is held by a clip that slides up and out of the top of the valve body. Moen says to use needle-nose pliers and to be careful not to drop it behind the wall.

The 1225 looks different in the valve. Moen's 1225 shower articles describe a U-shaped, copper-colored retaining clip, plus a stop tube and a "D" washer that come off before the cartridge does. The cartridge stem has a small notch that sets hot and cold, and the plastic tabs on the cartridge line up with slots in the brass body at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions.

That's the practical split. A 1222 has ovals, a slide-up clip and an H and C tab. A 1225 has a copper clip, a stop tube and tabs at 12 and 6.

That depends on when it was installed. Moen's article on older bathroom faucets is titled "1225 Cartridge: Single Handle Bathroom Faucets (Prior to 2009)." For newer faucets, Moen has a separate article on telling apart the 1255, 150257 and 160657 cartridges. It sets four conditions for a faucet in that group:

1. 1It has one handle.
2. 2The name "Moen" is on the front of the faucet.
3. 3It was installed after 2009.
4. 4The supply lines coming out of the bottom of the sink are flexible braided material.

Answer yes to all four and you're choosing among those three. If any answer is no but you still see Moen on the faucet, Moen says to contact them for help.

The trick is that all three kits use the same cartridge, the same handle screw and the same hex wrench. The only difference is the retaining nut, and Moen states plainly that the nuts are not interchangeable. Pick the wrong kit and the nut won't fit, even though the cartridge inside looks identical.

Take the handle off first. The steps come straight from Moen's article:

1. 1Turn off the water supply valves. Our page on how to shut off water to a fixture covers that.
2. 2Cover the sink drain so nothing falls in.
3. 3Find the access hole with the handle screw. It's on the front or the back of the lever. Some models have a plug button over the hole, so pull that out gently.
4. 4Use a 3/32-inch hex wrench and turn the screw counterclockwise. You don't need to remove it completely, only loosen it enough to lift the handle off.
5. 5Shine a flashlight inside and look at the nut.

Moen lists the three nuts this way:

Snap a photo of the nut before you leave for the store. It's the fastest way to avoid a second trip.

Then identify the whole faucet instead of the cartridge. Moen's article suggests two routes.

Use the paperwork. An invoice or receipt, the installation sheet or the original box can all lead you to the model number, collection name, SKU or UPC. Search that on moen.com and the product page lists the replacement parts, including which cartridge service kit it needs.

Use the Faucet Finder. Moen says it will match an uploaded photo to a model number if the picture is clear, the faucet is the main subject and the product is a Moen. If neither works, Moen's phone line is 1-800-BUY-MOEN.

Some valves are neither of these. Moen's library also has articles for the 1214 M-CORE cartridge and the 1224 two-handle widespread valve, so a shower with several outlets or a two-handle setup may use a different part altogether. Don't force a 1222 or 1225 into a valve that wasn't built for it.

Get the number from the valve, not the shower head. A shower head is often replaced without touching the valve, so the brand on the spray doesn't prove the valve is a Moen. Identify what's behind the wall.

Check the warranty first. Moen backs most of its faucets with a limited lifetime warranty. A leaking or dripping cartridge may qualify for free replacement parts, and our page on whether Moen has a lifetime faucet warranty lays out what it covers and what it doesn't.

Flush the valve body. Moen's articles recommend cleaning and flushing the valve body before the new cartridge goes in. Phoenix water leaves scale on everything, and scale is a common reason an old cartridge won't come out or a new one leaks. Our page on how hard water damages plumbing explains why.

### What if hot and cold come out backward after the swap?

That's a stem position, not a bad part. Moen's separate 1222 hot and cold article says that if hot and cold are reversed, the supply lines are swapped or the cartridge went in upside down, and the fix is to pull it and rotate it 180 degrees. For the 1225, Moen says the notch on the stem sets the hot and cold side. Turn the handle left and you should get hot on most faucets, right for cold. If it's backward, rotate the stem 180 degrees. On the older 1225 sink faucets, Moen has you set the notch facing forward, and the same 180-degree turn fixes a reversal.

If you'd rather not fish for a retainer clip behind the wall, HQ Plumbing & Air can identify the valve and replace the cartridge for you. We're licensed and insured, we give free estimates, and the price is upfront before work starts. For the full swap on a shower, see how to replace a shower cartridge. For a faucet that drips, start with how to fix a dripping faucet.