OnOtto
Menu

How do you replace a faucet cartridge?

Updated August 2026

30–40 minutes · Moderate DIY

← All how-to guides

A dripping single-handle faucet needs a $10 to $40 cartridge, not a $250 faucet, and the swap takes 30 to 40 minutes. The cartridge is the plastic or brass valve body under the handle that blends hot and cold; its internal seals harden and score after 5 to 10 years, and the spout starts to weep. The only genuinely tricky part is matching the replacement, because Moen, Delta, Kohler, and Pfister each build several designs that look alike and interchange with none of them. Carry the old one to the counter.

What you need

Before you start: Verify the shutoff before the handle comes apart. Open the faucet after closing both stops and watch for a dribble, because a stop that only mostly closes will spray 120°F water at your face the instant the cartridge clears the body. Those old multi-turn stops are also the part most likely to start weeping once you disturb them, so know where your main shutoff is before you begin. Keep a cartridge puller square to the faucet as well: a sideways yank cracks the cast body, and that does turn a $20 repair into a full faucet replacement.

Steps

  1. Close both angle stops under the sink, then open the faucet to bleed the pressure and prove nothing comes out. If a stop refuses to close, shut the main instead.
  2. Plug the drain with a rag or the stopper. The retaining clip that holds a cartridge in place is a small piece of bent brass wire, and it wants to go down that hole.
  3. Pry the decorative cap off the handle with the small flathead, back out the hex or Phillips screw underneath, and lift the handle straight up and off.
  4. Remove the retaining nut or collar, then pull the horseshoe-shaped brass clip with needle-nose pliers. Photograph the assembly before anything else moves, including which way the notch on the cartridge points.
  5. Pull the cartridge straight up while twisting slightly to break the scale loose. When it will not move, a brand-specific puller threads onto the stem and jacks it out without damaging the faucet body.
  6. Match the replacement by brand and model rather than by eye. The old part in your hand at the parts counter beats any online guess, and most major brands will mail you a free cartridge under a lifetime warranty if you call them.
  7. Grease the new O-rings with silicone plumber grease, seat the cartridge in the same orientation as your photo, push the clip all the way in, and rebuild the handle.
  8. Open the stops slowly, run hot and cold for 30 seconds each, and check the spout base and handle for weeping. If hot and cold come out reversed, the cartridge went in 180 degrees off: pull it and rotate it.

Or hire it out

A plumber charges $150 to $300 to replace a faucet cartridge, nearly all of it labor. A new mid-range faucet is $100 to $400 plus $150 to $350 to install, which is why the cartridge is always the first move.

Done. Now the part everyone skips: doing it again on schedule. Log it in OnOtto and the next reminder for cartridge replacements sets itself.

Log this task, get the next reminder

Frequently asked questions

How do I know it is the cartridge and not something else?

Location tells you. A drip from the spout with the handle off means the cartridge or the seats. Water appearing at the base of the spout only while running means the body O-rings, a $5 kit. A puddle in the cabinet is the supply line or the angle stop, not the faucet at all. Weak flow at one faucet with no drip is almost always a scaled aerator: see how often to clean a faucet aerator.

How do I find my faucet model number?

Look under the sink first, since many brands stamp or tag the model on the faucet body or the shank. Failing that, check the original paperwork, the sticker that came on the spout, or the sink cutout for a brand name. Every major manufacturer runs a support line or app that identifies a faucet from a clear photo of the handle and spout, and they are good at it. Universal cartridges from a big-box bin fit poorly and drip again in a year.

When is it smarter to replace the whole faucet?

When the faucet is past 15 years, the finish is flaking, the body is pitted or corroded at the base, or the cartridge has been discontinued. At that point you are paying $30 in parts and an hour of your time to postpone a purchase you will make anyway. Weigh it with how long a faucet lasts. Waiting is not free either: a drip at one per second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, as covered in the cost of ignoring a dripping faucet.

Related