How to stop a Moen shower head from dripping (Step by Step process)

by turning off the main water valve. Generally, if the valve handle is parallel, it’s on. So you need to turn it off by turning it perpendicular.

After you have your water off, you are going to go ahead and open up the cartridge. Turn on the shower valve and just let the drain out if any water has inside this. 

Now, for taking a shower handle off, you need to take the 7/64 force screw from the Allen wrench. So go ahead and take the handle off by this 7/64 force screw. 

Now take a number two Philips screwdriver to remove the screw in the middle point of the valve. Then you will get the temperature restrictor and take off that.

You see the excursion tube inside and pull it out from there.

Now, we are going to remove the screws of the cover plate. Clear the silicon caulk around the cover plate. You can use a razor knife or putty knife to do this.

You must remove the remaining caulk after removing the cover plate. For this, you can use a flat blade screwdriver. But you must be careful about scratching the wall during this job.

Now, take a limen plier to take off the little u-clip of the cartridge.

Grab the cartridge by the limen plier and give it just some easy twists back and forth to loosen up. Keep twisting and pulling until it comes out.

You must remind the position of the cartridge. There is a symbol of HC (stand for Hot, cold) and a dash. Remember, this mark of the cartridge is up or downside in your stem when you pull it out.

Now, we are going to take the new cartridge. In this project, I bought the Moen 1222 cartridge and got a silicone lubricant/sealant with it. If you also have the lubricant, lube up well the new cartridge.

When installing the new cartridge in the stem, make sure you install it the way your old one was. In my case, the HC mark was down. 

So put the new cartridge back the way you found the old one installed. Push it inside with your thumbs gently.

Now, push the u-clip back in. Just slide it from the top to down and make sure that the legs of the u-clip go through all the way.

If the u-clip has a bit curvature, insert it facing back towards the back side of the valve. 

Then put the excursion tube back on as it was installed before. 

Before you put everything back together, turn on the water supply and turn the stem from bottom to up if there is any dripping. Try the stem from low temperature to high (6 O’clock position is cold and 9’O clock position is maximum temperature). Double-check if there are any leaks and as well as the stem is in proper position before putting everything back together.

Now, if everything is ok, then put back the cover plate with screws. Then you’ll reapply the silicone caulk around the plate. Then tighten the screws. Put the rubber gasket behind the plate.

Then put back the temperature restrictor and handle mounting piece and tighten the screw.

Then install the handle and finished tighten up the set screw on that handle. Don’t strip it out but make sure it’s on there so that the handle doesn’t come loose. Finally, you are all done.