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

I replaced this easily enough but within a month it failed and started leaking again, stiff to open and close, etc.. Still fresh in my memory, lets have a look. I went to pull out packing and only the inner stainless shaft came out, the outer brass valve stayed inside housing. The spring steel (outer) C-clip failed. Fortunately Im only out the $25 I paid for this Chinese Moen knock off. Also check your review, whoever monitors this likes to change your 1 star rating 5 stars.

The all-brass Moen 1200 is the way to go. Avoid the plastic 1225 or allegedly compatible replacmets. The genuine Moen product is fairly well made, but it seems not quite the quality now as years past, but this is still your best bet for a replacement part. You’ll be surprised at how much more smoothly your fixture operates after you replace the cartridge. Probably the most difficult part of the project is getting the old cartridge out. Read the directions which come with the cartridge before you start working, you’ll thank yourself, trust me. Remove the retainer clip first! The replacement cartridge comes with a plastic nut which fits over top of the stem and between the ears of the old cartridge. Turn the nut 1/4 turn each way to loosen the old cartridge. You can then usually pull the old cartridge out by pulling on the stem with pliers. If the guts of the cartridge pull out leaving the body stuck in the fixture you can still get it out. Run a 1/2 inch thread tap in the body of the stuck cartridge; it is perfect fit. Place an 11/16ths inch socket over the stuck cartridge with the open end of the socket facing the fixture. Screw and slowly tighten a matching 1/2 inch bolt through the square hole in the socket into the cartridge. The stuck cartridge should pull out of the fixture into the socket pretty easily. I’ve had to use this trick several times to get really stuck cartridges out. Use dielectric grease liberally on the body and O-rings when you put the new cartridge in to hopefully prevent future sticking. Don’t forget to reinstall the retainer clip.

This item I bought is listed on Amazon as Moen 1200 One-Handle Kitchen and Bathroom Faucet Cartridge Replacement, Brass. The part is indeed brass, is properly stamped MOEN, and came in original, sealed Moen packaging.

So far so good, smooth as butter

Perfect part to get my older Moen hand held shower up and working.

This is just what I needed to replace the old shower unit which was leaking. The brass is solid and seems like it will last better than the plastic ones I have seen in stores. I works perfectly after I replaced the old one.

Perfect fit - we have 4 faucets that use these. If youre a DIY person you need a cartridge removal tool. Makes the job simple, less than 6 minutes.

The packaging should be easier to open. Reduce the amount of points melted and make the back side longer by 1/8 inch that way a man with gloves on can run their thumb over the top to separate the back from the top packaging and they can then grip the back and open the package without spilling the contents out. Small thing to make an excellent product even better.

This item worked exactly as I hoped it would. There were no hitches at the time I used it, and it made my plumbing project proceed smoothly.

These cartridges are great but the stem does need lubrication from time to time in order to work easily. Did have to replace the original after 30+ years. Good price at Amazon.