Corrosion/hard water scale has built up between the slotted shaft and the handle .... "cementing" it in place.
A faucet handle puller may help depending on your design. This video shows how for a 2 faucet sink setup...but your 1 faucet handle should be similar. The puller will ONLY work though if you can access the end of the slotted shaft to get leverage from. Can you remove an end cap from the handle to access the shaft? ...
If the puller will not work ....
You could try penetrating oil (if you can get the oil to the corrosion) ... or if your handle is metal, cover it with a wash cloth to prevent marring and tap with a brad hammer. Sometimes that breaks the corrosion bond.
You could also try heat/cold/heat/cold by heating with a hair dryer followed by a bag of ice water and then repeat. The temperature cycling might help.
In a real pinch ... but you have to VERY careful ... use a pry bar between the escutcheon plate and the handle...go slow .... use cloth protection to prevent marring ... move the pry bar around and rock it....say at 12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock positions around the handle
AND .... when you are successful ... when you reinstall ... put some silicon plumbing grease on the shaft to prevent future corrosion!
SOURCE: Repair cartridge in Moen Monticello single handle lavatory faucet
After some additional experimenting, contrary to information I was previously able to gather, I discovered that the white plastic retainer doesn't (in this type of Moen faucet) actually screw off but rather is held in place by a spring clip inserted from the rear of the retainer (toward the wall side of the basing). Simply sticking a small screwdriver in the opening (approx. 45 degrees downward) and tipping the screwdriver toward the front of the faucet, snaps the spring clip out through the opening.
The plastic retainer than lifts off. Note: the flat sides on the retainer suggest that a wrench will be needed but such is not the case.
SOURCE: leaky moen 2 handle faucet
if memory serve's me,you will need to remove a stem extension,screw in center,and you may need a tool #103462 to remove cartridge.1'st stem ex't is red,(hot) blue (cold), remove, look down,white piece w/ 2 notch'es, this hold's cartridge down, ya might try needle nose plier's to remove,a little lube help's upon re assembly, carefull w/plastic thread's
SOURCE: stiff cold water handle bathroom Hansgrohe
If the handle is hard to turn it is most commonly caused by water deposits in the handle or in the cartridge below. I would try removing the handle to ensure it turns freely when not installed on the faucet. If not you can clean it with CLR to remove the water deposits that are making it difficult to turn. If the handle turns freely when not installed you will need to remove the cartridge and inspect it to ensure it is not broken or damaged in any way. There could be debris in the cartrige that has either made it hard to turn or broken the ceramic disks. Our handles are easily removed by turning the bell shaped ecutcheon below the lever or cross handle. There are not set screws that hold them on. If you need further information feel free to call me at 1-800-334-0455. Press 2 for tech and ask for David Scarborough.
1,258 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×