Moen 1200 One-Handle Kitchen and Bathroom Faucet Cartridge Replacement, Brass

Good product

The item I received from Amazon was as expected: Moen brand, sealed in original packaging, and all-brass. (However I did later find the same thing at *one* of the local big-box stores, where you can see what youre getting. Slightly cheaper, too. But perhaps about to be discontinued there, as it has been at another big store?) The part comes with a small plastic tool to let you rotate the cartridge, to help free it. You might be able to pull it out using strong pliers on the knob-shaft, but generally I think its a lot easier with one of the extraction tools you can buy separately. (I had kept a tool from the last time Id replaced our two bath/shower cartridges, 22 years ago, in our nearly-50-year-old faucets). Or you could probably make a simple tool: a T-handle and longish screw that screws in where the handle-attaching screw goes. (BTW a big thanks to Moen for still supporting such old plumbing!) I did not attempt to clean out the recess where the cartridge fits, as some reviewers did (note that the cartridge does not move, once installed). It felt smooth enough to my finger, in spite of our fairly hard water. It installed easily with no leaks, as did two others I recently installed (one for a neighbor), and the two Id installed years ago. As for keeping hot and cold directions straight, just note the orientation of the diagonal rubber seal on the old cartridge (dont turn it too far while removing it!), and copy that. (It *may* be possible to reverse hot and cold directions by just removing the knob and rotating the inner part of the cartridge 180 degrees, rather than removing and re-installing the whole thing. But I did not need to try that.) I also replaced the brass clip that holds the cartridge in place, but dont think that would usually be necessary. And theyre not cheap! BTW one of the trickiest steps was removing the old clip, to allow the old cartridge to be removed. Only a tiny portion of the small hole in the top of the clip was exposed, so I needed something with a sharp but strong point to lift it out. A sharp awl did it (Swiss Army knife to the rescue again!), followed by small pliers, once it was loose. When you put the clip back in, make sure it goes in all the way (youll hear it click).

The unit advertised was MOEN brand (original brand) but the one they sent me was generic-- no maker name on package, unit, nor instructions. Seller offered to accept the unit for return, but I said no. Seems to work when first installed. We shall see. LATER: Well, its been in use a few weeks and its getting hard to operate. If you buy one, make sure to get a genuine MOEN brand unit. Mine is not MOEN, and I regret it.

My Moen 1200 shower control valve started leaking after twenty-one years in use. After trying to locate a replacement cartridge locally failed I found the original item on Amazon and purchased it. The item arrived in good condition and on time. I replaced the old cartridge with the new one without problems and it works like a charm. I am thankful that I was able to source the part through Amazon since the alternative was to change out the entire shower valve at great cost and inconvenience. The project was a DIY. The only reason that I did not give a rating of five stars is because the replacement cartridge did not include the retainer clip. Fortunately for me the old retainer clip was not damaged when I removed the worn out cartridge.

Moen original equipment, and the best.

Corrected leaky faucet. Fits older faucets. Mine are 48 years old. 1200 is the perfect fit for older faucets.

Was sent an after market copy. Real Moen have the name engraved. Sent it back

I bought this part in 2011 and had it sitting around for quite a while before changing the cartridge in a shower yesterday. I didnt notice that is replacement for the Moen part. The O-rings on the outside of the part looked loose, but what do I know. I installed the new part and the shower leaked. When I tried to pull the cartridge to look it over, the stem pulled out of the body. I got the body out and saw that one of the O-rings had split in half. So I had a part that didnt work and came apart. The genuine part I bought from the store for a couple of bucks more worked perfectly. Not a well made part.

Product is working fine only time will tell if it will last as long as the original that failed/leak after 29 yrs. Moen is replacing the old ones under warranty as Im the original homeowner, however they are sending the plastic version 1225B. Rather have brass should last much longer than plastic one. At least Ill have a spare for backup. Watched YouTube videos on how to and sprayed cartridge with PB Blaster prior to using the tool to twist it right n left till it broke loose and then slowly removed it. Greased the inside of the water pipe and the O-rings on the new cartridge with danco waterproof grease.

Great Moen quality. Sale price was less than my plumber friend could get it for!