[Kazimodo]

Hi, I have a MOEN faucet , ever since I installed it I was never happy with the pressure , now after 8 years it seemed worse so I took it apart to see if the screens were dirty , nothing there , when the handle is not on the flexible hose , I turn on water and I notice that when on the cold side , the pressure is low , but when I start to rotate the temperature handle towards the hot side , the pressure goes up , like "double the pressure" I have on the cold side , could there be something I did wrong when I first installed my faucet??
The handle has a button on it that turns the debit from middle exit ti a sprayer built in the handle , that device doesn't have enough pressure to work properly , I press the diverter on handle but the flow is so low that it does not hold , it goes back to the middle exit of the handle .
Does anybody know anything about the device?? :confused:

[speedball1]

Hi, I have a MOEN faucet , ever since I installed it I was never happy with the pressure , now after 8 years it seemed worse so I took it apart to see if the screens were dirty , nothing there , when the handle is not on the flexible hose , I turn on water and I notice that when on the cold side , the pressure is low , but when I start to rotate the temperature handle towards the hot side , the pressure goes up , like "double the pressure" I have on the cold side , could there be something I did wrong when I first installed my faucet ???
The handle has a button on it that turns the debit from middle exit ti a sprayer built in the handle , that device doesn't have enough pressure to work properly , I press the diverter on handle but the flow is so low that it does not hold , it goes back to the middle exit of the handle .
Does anybody know anything about the device????:confused:

How old is your house and what kind of pipes do you have? Galvanized? Copper? Plastic? My MOEN faucet does the same thing but then I live in a 51 year old house with 1/2" galvanized pipes. Regards, Tom

[Kazimodo]

Thanks for the reply , it may not be your house that affects your Moen in the same way that I'm witnessing , my house is 35 years old but in 1996 , when I bought the house I redid the plumbing from the city's main , new valve and new 1/2 inch copper soldered with lead free solder.
The tubing for the faucet is tiny , when you remove the spout from the hose you can see inside that the actual hole for the water is a little bigger than 1/8 inch , I'm starting to think that Moen wanted to help us to save water , but for the kitchen when you need to fill a big pan to boil it would be nice to have pressure .
I was hoping maybe I gad twisted some tube inside and that was the reason why the pressure was so low , but apparently if you have the same pressure it is the design of the faucet , I am seriously thinking about removing the 2 "washer filters" to see if I will get decent pressure .:confused:

[Holowinko]

Call Moen at (800) BUY-MOEN

Moen products are covered by a lifetime warranty and they will be happy to help you.

[speedball1]

Kaz,

You misunderstood. It wasn't the inlet ports on the Moen cartridge that cut my pressure back when more then one faucet was opened. It was the loss of volume in my 1/2" galvanized pipes,(nowadays we use 3/4" for the mains) due to iron oxcide build up in the pipes that chocked off the flow. We have used Moen faucets in all of our new home and condo installations and in all the hundreds of installations have NEVER got a complaint about a pressure loss. Face it. It's not the product design that's faulty.
I see that you failed to install 3/4" mains when you repiped your home.
Code calls for a 3/4" main with 1/2" branches. You may connect no more then three fixtures off a 1/2" branch. Now count the number of fixtures that are on that 1/2" line in your house. I know, i have the same thing you do only worse with the mineral build up. Let's follow the path of water to your kitchen sink. !/2" main to 1/2" branch and stub out. Choked down to a 3/8ths" seat in the angle stop and supplied with a 1/4"supply to the faucet where it enters the cartridge through a 5/16ths" opening. The only difference between your house piping and a regular house piping are the 3/4" mains that add a lot of volume to the branches. You remark that moving the handle to the middle and letting the hot water run gives you more pressure? BINGO!! Mine does the same thing. Wanna know why? With the cold water on you're getting supplied by one 1/2" pipe. When you open the hot, in addition to the cold, you're getting supplied by TWO 1/2" stubouts. Twice as much volume. More volume= more pressure. I rest my case. No my friend, You're going to hafta look somewhere else besides Moen for the fault. Regards, tom

[Kazimodo]

Kaz,

You misunderstood. It wasn't the inlet ports on the Moen cartridge that cut my pressure back when more then one faucet was opened. It was the loss of volume in my 1/2" galvanized pipes,(nowadays we use 3/4" for the mains) due to iron oxcide build up in the pipes that chocked off the flow. We have used Moen faucets in all of our new home and condo installations and in all the hundreds of installations have NEVER got a complaint about a pressure loss. Face it. It's not the product design that's faulty.
I see that you failed to install 3/4" mains when you repiped your home.
Code calls for a 3/4" main with 1/2" branches. You may connect no more then three fixtures off a 1/2" branch. Now count the number of fixtures that are on that 1/2" line in your house. I know, i have the same thing you do only worse with the mineral build up. Let's follow the path of water to your kitchen sink. !/2" main to 1/2" branch and stub out. Choked down to a 3/8ths" seat in the angle stop and supplied with a 1/4"supply to the faucet where it enters the cartridge through a 5/16ths" opening. The only difference between your house piping and a regular house piping are the 3/4" mains that add a lot of volume to the branches. You remark that moving the handle to the middle and letting the hot water run gives you more pressure? BINGO!! Mine does the same thing. Wanna know why? With the cold water on you're getting supplied by one 1/2" pipe. When you open the hot, in addition to the cold, you're getting supplied by TWO 1/2" stubouts. Twice as much volume. More volume= more pressure. I rest my case. No my friend, You're gonna hafta look somewhere else besides Moen for the fault. Regards, tom

..
..
Thanks Tom but when faucet is turned all the way to hot the pressure is doubled the pressure of cold , that is why I'm wondering if there is a way to install it wrong , explaining what I may have done wrong :o

[PalmMP3]

I'm going out on a limb here, but this is based on Tom's theory of "overloading" pipe branches. Here goes:

In most cases, the cold line gets tapped into more than the hot. Think about it: while many appliances use both lines (sinks, tub/showers, washing machines, etc.), there are many other appliances that only tap the cold line (toilets, ice makers, hot water dispensers, over-the-stove pot fillers, etc). So it could very well be the case that it is indeed an issue of volume - your hot water line has more volume because it's not losing it to as many appliances along the way.

Just a small thought...
Moishe

[speedball1]

"Thanks Tom but when faucet is turned all the way to hot the pressure is doubled the pressure of cold , that is why I'm wondering if there is a way to install it wrong , explaining what I may have done wrong"

One of the reasons the company I worked for uses Moen on all there jobs is the simplicity of design. Once you've changed then cartridge you have rebuilt the faucet in most applications. I would suggest that you replace the cartridge. A cartridge is the gizmo that mixes hot and cold and if your getting addition pressure when it's all the way over on hot perhaps the cartridge's faulty. Now let me shoot down the last statement I just made. I walked out in the kitchen and turned the just installed, (last month) Moen faucet on to cold. As I moved the handle over to the middle and let hot water in the pressure increased. As I continued to move the handle over to the hot side it acted just like yours did. The increased pressure remained but dropped back down as I moved the handle back to the cold side. Go figure?? Tom

[fredg]

Hi, Kazimodo,
I have the same Moen kitchen faucet, with the sprayer, with the filter in the nozzle; had it now for about 8 years. I have good pressure in the rest of the house, but for about the last year, my kitchen sink pressure is not so good.
There are 2 screens in the faucet, one in the hose going into the faucet itself, and another in the "head" of the faucet. The manual shows both of them.
I have just about "given up" with this mess of a faucet. I am like you, and I believe I will take out the screen, see if I get my pressure back. If that doesn't work, I am just about ready to buy another faucet, NOT a Moen, but a simple "lever" faucet, and place a Filter on the end of it, to filter out the Chlorine from our County Water.
I have used this Moen faucet on both my well pump water, and on the County Water system, with the same lower pressure from each one.
I am adding this just for information, and I do wish you the best.
PS:
I have the same pressure decreases and increases moving the faucet handle from hot to cold, and back. I never had this pressure difference before I installed this faucet. There are no pressure differences like this in the rest of the house.

[Kazimodo]

Must be in the design then , I'm very happy with all the replies I got , it shows that the Moen gives less pressure when the handle is on "cold" and it is not just my faucet that is acting up , I will not buy another Moen that is for sure , the look was great , all white like the rest of my kitchen appliances , and the life-time warranty was what made me buy this unit , but if I would have known that I was going to wait for water every time I was going to fill a pan for pasta I would have selected another life-time warranty product.
..
Again , thanks to all that replied:)

[williep]

Hi, Kazimodo,
I have the same Moen kitchen faucet, with the sprayer, with the filter in the nozzle; had it now for about 8 years. I have good pressure in the rest of the house, but for about the last year, my kitchen sink pressure is not so good.
There are 2 screens in the faucet, one in the hose going into the faucet itself, and another in the "head" of the faucet. The manual shows both of them.
I have just about "given up" with this mess of a faucet. I am like you, and I believe I will take out the screen, see if I get my pressure back. If that doesn't work, I am just about ready to buy another faucet, NOT a Moen, but a simple "lever" faucet, and place a Filter on the end of it, to filter out the Chlorine from our County Water.
I have used this Moen faucet on both my well pump water, and on the County Water system, with the same lower pressure from each one.
I am adding this just for information, and I do wish you the best.
PS:
I have the same pressure decreases and increases moving the faucet handle from hot to cold, and back. I never had this pressure difference before I installed this faucet. There are no pressure differences like this in the rest of the house.

Hey guys
I had a similar problem with decreasing flow, and couldn't figure it out until I read Fred's post and checked both screenes - the one behind the spray head was totally clogged and it solved the problem.

[Kazimodo]

Hi Williep , how did you take the handle apart , maybe we don't
Have the same model , mine is the "all-white " faucet , I can
Unscrew the little filter in the middle but the bigger part that hides the sprayer
Seems to be glued in there , when I remove the handle I still get poor
Pressure from the cold side , and when I move the handle from
Cold to hot (while there is no handle still ), I get enormous pressure
( the kind of pressure I would like to get from the cold side) .
I went to the store where I bought my Moen years ago , and the guy there
Told me it is impossible to have the problem I'm having , As... h.. e !
He gave me a small kit with 3 O-Rings in the bag to stop the leaking
I'm getting from the base of the faucet .
I'm guessing that Moen is crap and the lifetime guarantee is just a
Smoke screen , it worked because that is the reason I bought my
Faucet from them , I guess I got the shaft...

[williep]

Hi Williep , how did you take the handle apart , maybe we don't
have the same model , mine is the "all-white " faucet , I can
unscrew the little filter in the middle but the bigger part that hides the sprayer
seems to be glued in there , when I remove the handle I still get poor
pressure from the cold side , and when I move the handle from
cold to hot (while there is no handle still ), i get enormous pressure
( the kind of pressure i would like to get from the cold side) .
I went to the store where i bought my Moen years ago , and the guy there
told me it is impossible to have the problem I'm having , As...h..e !
He gave me a small kit with 3 O-Rings in the bag to stop the leaking
I'm getting from the base of the faucet .
I'm guessing that Moen is crap and the lifetime guarantee is just a
smoke screen , it worked because that is the reason I bought my
faucet from them , I guess I got the shaft .....

Hi Kazimodo
My model is Moen Extensa. At the back of the sprayer handle I was able to unscrew and clean screen. However, it doesn't make sense if you have good pressure from hot, because by the time it gets to the sprayer it would affect both sides equally. My guess is either major corrosion (and blockage) in galvy pipes in the cold side only, or perhaps the pressure thing the other guys talked about (although I'm not sure how thatwould get worse overtime unless you added fixtures). I took my whole fixture apart before I figured it out from Gregs comment. It seems well made with few parts to go wrong. The cartridge could also be blocked on one side I suppose. Try pulling the cartridge out if youhave the time. You are supposed to use a special tool that costs $15, but if you remove the little clips carefully, you can pull it out with a pair of pliers. I had a Moen bathroom shower faucet that leaked a lot (got worse) and I finally pulled it apart, replaced the cartrdige and it fixed it fine.

Good luck

Willie

[Kazimodo]

Thanks for the reply Williep , I got copper pipes , no galvanized pipes ,
Since the first day I was never impressed with the cold water pressure
From this faucet , and it cannot be because of too many faucets being used
At the same time , it is a bungalow with only this one faucet being used
I hate to imagine what it would be like if I had other faucets turned on at
The same time.
I will take the whole thing apart soon , and see what is going on in
The cartridge area , there is got to be something wrong , I should at
Least have enough pressure to hold the button down when I select
The sprayer instead of the regular faucet , I looked at the models on
The moen web site , and mine would be more like the Collonnade
Than the Extensa , that would explain why there was no way to take the
Handle apart on mine and you have a screw to do so on yours.
When I finally do it , I will post results.:(

[Kazimodo]

<< OK >> after a few months (( 2 1/2 years))of enduring the low pressure
I decided to attack this problem again , seriously this time ,
Determined to find the problem , the result was 2 problems ,
When unhooking the water lines from both cold and hot water
Going to the Moen cartridge , I tested one line at a time , when
I renovated my house 12 years ago I put valves on each line
Under the sink going to the faucet , then tested ""hot "" ,
Shooting the flow in a big glass jar, pressure excellent , when
I tested the cold , I got a little trickle going to the jar , I
Found a valve on the cold line , the old original valve from
40 years ago going to the kitchen sink ,it is a reverse valve
You open it by going clockwise and shut the water off by going
Counter clockwise , I removed the top of that valve and there
Was a big chunck of whatever blocking tha cold water line ,
After that I had a great flow to the glass jar ,when I reinstalled
Everything back the flow was still unacceptable from the handle
Of the Moen so I removed the handle and got BIG pressure
From the hose , so I took the drill and using a 13/32 drillbit I
Drilled into the handle and entry point , using the shop-vac to
Suck as much plastic as possible , not to leave crap in handle
To obstruct the flow again later , after a few turns of the
Drillbit ,a part of the handle got stuck to the drillbit and it came
Out , it is the water conservation feature I guess , now I have a
Moen faucet on steroides , fantastic pressure , no more problems.
FIXED... :)

[cwilken]

I fixed mine tonight!

When I installed this faucet I was initially happy with more pressure than my last faucet. After one year it suddenly lost pressure to about 10%. I went to the moen website to get disassembly instructions:
http://www.moen.com/consumer-support/installation-help/tutorial?id=moen0133 (generic)
using a small allen wrench I removed the handle. Then I put masking tape around the decorative top cover and removed it with a pipe wrench. Then I used my water pump plyers to remove the big brass nut. Now my cartridge would just pull up and out. The problem is the ports down on the bottom where the cartidge seats. The water out port gets a little grit on it and there goes all the pressure. I cleaned the port with a small artist paint brush and reassembled. You can test the port by putting the supply water on a hair and covering the top of the faucet with your hand. If clear the water will now come out the back hole port and not the top. It works great again.

[speedball1]

Hi cwilken and welcome to the Plumbing pageat at AskMeHelpDesk.com. You piggybacked on an a 6 year old dead thread. In the future, before you post, look in the upper left hand corner for the date.
Good post! Very informative. We thank you for the input. Tom