40 MC 20 Needs More Info on Moen faucet

[frank1492]

I'm aware that questions about the faucet have been asked before. This is one of the first faucets made by Moen and it did not have a cartridge. Leaky o-rings have been reported but my problem is that every year when I return to my summer cottage, the hadle movement gets stiffer and stiffer. This year great effort is required. One year I tried to lubricate with WD-40 but I now realize that was the worst thing I could have done. Could someone please suggrst an alternate lubricant? I know that if this faucet fails completely I would probably have to junk the whole sink/washer as I could not find a new faucet or another used one. Just FYI the dishwasher was removed completely many years ago and replaced with a new one. The original was of course a Hotpoint. Thank you for your help! Frank

 

[ea56]

If you can take it apart try silicone grease, if no the try spraying silicone spray in to  and around the ball that handle attaches to the faucet handle.  Silicone won’t damage the rubber O rings.  The silicone grease doesn’t wash away and keeps lubricating for a long time.

 

Eddie

 

[frank1492]

Thanks Eddie. I will attempt to disassemble the faucet but first: The sticky part is actually around the stem. I need to move the stem up and down while attempying to get the silicon around it. (I can remove the top of the faucet.)

 

[tomturbomatic]

If worse comes to worst, Delta does make a wall-mount single lever faucet that might be a suitable or at least functional replacement.

 

[swestoyz]

Faucet Grease

Most hardware or big box stores will carry faucet grease. This should do the job nicely. Make sure to clean all surfaces of any left over residue from previous grease or lubrication attempts, and I'd suggest throwing a new set of o-rings in, as well.

Ben

https://www.amazon.com/WM-Harvey-JBX1032-Faucet-Grease/dp/B000FKF5UK/ref=asc_df_B000FKF5UK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198079373928&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15754673065296028427&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9057531&hvtargid=pla-318015728782&psc=1

 

[rp2813]

Faucet grease sounds like a good solution.  Otherwise I was going to suggest bearing grease for boat trailer wheels which are regularly submerged in water.

 

We had a 1960 Moen pull-out faucet on the tub/shower in one bathroom when I was a kid.  It became difficult to pull out in short order.  I think the cartridge was replaced only once between 1960 and 2018, but toward the end (when the house was sold) it started to put up a bit of a fight again.

 

[ea56]

I discovered silicone grease when I had to replace the Price Pfister faucet cartridge  for our tub/shower several years ago.  It has lubricated the faucet cartridge so well that always pulls in and out without any effort at all.  And like I said in my previous post on this thread, it won’t harm the rubber O rings like a petroleum based lubricant would.

 

Eddie