Moen 1225 / 1225B, with 1200 / 1200B
Replace a Moen 1225 or 1200 cartridge in a push-pull shower or single-handle faucet
The 1225 sits in Moen single-handle kitchen and bathroom faucets and in Standard and Moentrol shower valves, where the handle pulls out to turn on and rotates for temperature. It is held by a U-shaped copper clip. The brass 1200 is the older cartridge it replaced.
- Shower valvesStandard and Moentrol, push-pull handle
- Sink faucetssingle-handle kitchen and bath, from 1981
- Held byU-shaped copper clip
- Not the same as1222 Posi-Temp, 1255 Duralast
Is it a 1225?
- Shower handle
- Pull out to turn on and set volume, rotate for temperature. Moen lists this action for Standard, Original Moentrol and Moentrol valves, all of which use the 1225.
- Moentrol trim
- Moen identifies a Moentrol by its push-pull handle and an escutcheon plate with screws at the 2 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions.
- Sink faucet
- One handle. The handle screw is under a cap on top of the handle or behind a plug button on the front.
- On the cartridge
- Plastic tabs that line up with slots at 12 and 6 o'clock in the brass valve body, a small notch on the stem that sets hot and cold, and a U-shaped copper retaining clip with a lift tab. A retailer that stocks it describes a clear plastic shell with a brass piston inside.
Moentrol valves have a separate pressure-balance part
A Standard valve controls volume only and does not balance pressure. A Moentrol balances pressure with a separate 1423 balancing spool, a brass part about the size of a quarter at the front of the valve body. If a Moentrol will not get hot enough, Moen's first check is that spool, then the handle travel, then the 1225.
The 1225 also runs the lower handle on Moentrol valves with an integrated transfer valve (3320, 3330 and 3350 series).
| Item | Part | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stem; the small notch sets hot and cold | part of 1225 |
| 2 | Plastic tabs, center at 12 and 6 o'clock | part of 1225 |
| 3 | Cartridge shell with piston inside | part of 1225 |
| 4 | O-rings | part of 1225 |
| 5 | U-shaped copper retaining clip (stays with valve) | reuse; replace if bent |
Complete cartridge 1225 (bulk pack 1225B); brass 1200. Moen cartridge puller 104421. Moentrol balancing spool 1423.
Tools and supplies
- Phillips screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Pliers to pull the cartridge
- Plastic twisting tool from the 1225 kit
- Moen 104421 cartridge puller if it is stuck
- Silicone faucet grease
- Thermometer (shower valves)
- Towel
1225, 1200 or 1222: which one you need
- 1200
- Moen's original single-handle cartridge, brass. Moen titles it "Single-Handle Brass Replacement Cartridge" and its spec drawing gives it as 4 inches long.
- 1225
- Introduced 1981 for single-handle kitchen and bathroom faucets, also used in Standard and Moentrol shower valves. Moen covers the 1200 and 1225 in one instruction sheet with the same removal and reassembly steps, and its Moentrol leak article says to "replace the 1225/1200 cartridge."
- 1222
- A different cartridge for Posi-Temp rotate-only shower valves. It does not replace a 1225 or 1200. See Moen 1222.
- 1255
- On Moen faucets made after 2009, what looks like a 1225 may be a 1255 Duralast. A 1255 is held by a retainer nut, not a U-shaped copper clip. This guide does not cover the 1255.
The B suffix on a 1225B or 1200B is the same cartridge sold in contractor packaging.
Replace a 1225 or 1200 in a shower valve
These are Moen's steps for a Standard or Moentrol shower. For a kitchen or bathroom sink, the cartridge work is the same; the different first steps are below the list.
Shut off the water and confirm it is off
Close the stops for the shower if it has them (often behind the trim or an access panel); otherwise close the house main shutoff. Moen's instruction: open the faucet handle to relieve pressure and make sure the water has fully stopped before you take anything apart.
Safety: Cover the tub or shower drain with a towel so the retainer clip and screws cannot fall in.
Remove the handle and handle pieces
Take off the handle screw and handle, then the trim parts over the stem.
Pull off the stop tube and "D" washer
Pull the stop tube forward until it comes off, then slide the "D" washer off the stem.
Remove the U-shaped copper clip
Lift the tab on the clip and pull the clip out by hand. If you cannot reach it, remove the escutcheon screws and plate first.
Safety: Keep a hand under the clip; one that falls into the wall means no water until you replace it.
Loosen and pull the cartridge
Fit the plastic twisting tool and turn the cartridge a quarter turn in either direction. Remove the tool, pull the stem out until it stops, then grip the stem with pliers and pull the cartridge out. If it is stuck, use the 104421 puller: pull the stem to full open first, then seat the tool.
Clean and flush the valve body
Moen highly recommends cleaning and flushing the valve body before the new cartridge goes in. Wipe it out, then open the supply in short bursts with a towel held over the opening.
Insert the new cartridge and center the tabs
Slide the cartridge into the brass valve body. Use the twisting tool to center the plastic tabs on the slots at 12 and 6 o'clock.
Slide the clip back in
Push the copper clip in on top of the cartridge without forcing it. Resistance usually means the tabs are not aligned. If the clip cannot be fitted, do not turn the water back on.
Set the stem notch down and refit the stop tube
Rotate the stem so the small notch faces down. Refit the "D" washer and the stop tube, then the handle.
Check hot and cold, and the hottest temperature
Turn the water on. On most Moen valves, left is hot and right is cold; if yours is reversed, rotate the cartridge stem 180 degrees. Then run the shower at full hot and read a thermometer in the stream. Keep it at 120°F or below, Moen's scald guidance.
On a Moentrol, the handle should reach the 9 o'clock position at full hot. Moen's instructions call for repositioning the temperature limit stop if it does not. A Standard valve has no pressure balancing; if full hot reads over 120°F, the hot water is too hot at its source.
Safety: If full hot reads above 120°F and you cannot lower it at the valve, have a plumber check the water heater setting. CPSC recommends 120°F at the water heater.
Look for leaks now and in 24 hours
Check the spout, showerhead and escutcheon with the shower off, and again the next day.
Sink faucets: the different first steps
Sink faucet notes
Close both stop valves under the sink by turning them clockwise until snug, then open the faucet to confirm the water is off and to relieve pressure. Put the stopper in the drain. Pry off the cap on top of the handle, or the plug button on its front, to reach the handle screw. Lift off the handle and the parts above the cartridge in the order your faucet's instruction sheet shows, then remove the U-shaped clip and pull the cartridge as in steps 5 to 9 above. Faucets with a 360 degree spout (Moen's 7300 kitchen and 4400 and 4500 bathroom series) have extra parts between the handle and the cartridge.
Safety: If a stop valve under the sink will not turn, or turning it starts a drip at its stem, stop and use the house main instead. Do not force a corroded stop.
Stop and call a plumber if
- The stop valve or main shutoff will not close, or drips at its stem when you turn it.
- The retainer clip falls behind the wall and you cannot retrieve it. Moen says not to turn the water back on until a clip is in place.
- The cartridge will not come out with the twisting tool and pliers, and a 104421 puller does not free it either. Forcing it can damage the brass valve body, and replacing the body means opening the wall.
- Water shows inside the wall or behind the escutcheon, or the wall around the valve feels soft.
- With the new cartridge in, water at full hot still reads above 120°F on a thermometer and you cannot lower it at the limit stop.
- Supply lines or valves under a sink are green, crusty or bulging. Do not reuse a corroded line.
Troubleshooting by symptom
| What you see | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Shower keeps running or drips with the handle pushed in | Moen: replace the 1225/1200 cartridge. |
| Water leaks from the handle | Moen: replace the 1225/1200 cartridge. |
| No warm water, only hot or only cold | Moen: replace the 1225 and flush the valve body. |
| Moentrol never gets hot enough | Check that the 1423 balancing spool moves freely, then that the handle reaches 9 o'clock, then replace the 1225. |
| Hot and cold reversed after the repair | Rotate the cartridge stem 180 degrees. |
| New 1225 will not fit a post-2009 faucet | It may take a 1255 Duralast, held by a nut instead of a clip. |
| Showerhead drips only while the tub spout fills | Stacking, a piping or diverter issue, not the cartridge. |
Official parts and warranty
Moen's lifetime limited warranty covers the original consumer purchaser for as long as they own the home: the faucet should stay leak- and drip-free in normal use. Moen supplies warranty replacement parts by phone at 1-800-BUY-MOEN (1-800-289-6636) and asks for the original receipt. If you bought the fixture, call before you buy a cartridge.