Recently updated on December 7th, 2022 at 11:21 pm
A functional faucet is an essential part of every well-maintained kitchen. A popular brand of kitchen faucet is Moen. The brand offers functional kitchen faucet options in a vast variety. The Moen single handle kitchen faucet is one of these.
The Moen kitchen faucet may get loose over time and may need some care. Read ahead as we discuss how you can tighten a loose Moen single kitchen faucet handle and its base as well.
Tightening a Loose Moen Single Handle Kitchen Faucet
When you think about how to tighten a loose Moen single handle kitchen faucet, there are a few problem parts that pop up. These include a loose handle or loose faucet base. Before you get help from plumbing services to fix these, you may want to first provide a means by which you can do it yourself.
Tools Required
There are a few tools that are required to tighten the handle and base on a Moen faucet. Here is a list of these tools for you.
- Adjustable wrench
- Allen wrench of 3/32 inches or Hex Wrench
- Screwdriver and Pliers
- Basin wrench
- Mini knife
- Hand gloves
- Flashlight
With these ready, you can go ahead and learn how to tighten a loose Moen single handle kitchen faucet.
Tightening the Base of a Moen Kitchen Faucet
Here are the steps to tighten the base of a single handle kitchen faucet.
1.Switch the Valves Off
This is an extremely necessary first step before you begin tightening the base of the loose Moen faucet. Doing this will shut the water supply off. A Moen kitchen faucet will have cold water and hot water valves.
These valves are located at the back of the kitchen faucet. If you find it difficult to find the valves and turn off the water, shine a flashlight on the area.
2.Plugging the Basin’s Drain
As you tighten a loose faucet base, you don’t want any small items like the nut and screw draining out the sink. For this, you will first have to plug the basin drain. Use the drain cover on the basin to close it tight.
If you lose any nuts in the process, you will have to purchase more. It becomes a rather tedious task when you already have to tighten a loose Moen faucet base. Once you find the water supply valves, shut them off.
To do this, you may have to rotate the valve a couple of times in the anti-clockwise direction. If you don’t turn each valve off right, you may be left with dripping water in your workstation. Hence, make sure to turn the valves off right.
You can now turn on the handle of the faucet. If there is no dripping water, it will indicate that each valve is shut off just right. This is important before you take the next step.
3.Clean the Mounting Nuts
This step is not mandatory but is a good idea to clean the nuts that hold the faucet. You can use a toothbrush or a cloth to wipe these clean. Spray a cleaner on the nuts and use it to clean it up.
This will help you see the nuts much better when you work on them.
4.Pry the Water Lines Off
The next step to tighten the base of the loose Moen kitchen faucet is to pry the water lines off. To do this, you can shine your flashlight on the base area of the faucet. You can now use an adjustable wrench here.
Attach this wrench between the water supply lines and the inlet on the faucet. You can now turn the wrench in the anti-clockwise direction to pry the lines off. You want to slip into some hand gloves before you do this.
It will protect you from any mishaps as you fix the loose area.
5.Tightening the Nuts
The loose nuts are the reason for the loosened base. Hence, you can now use a basin wrench to hold onto the nuts and make sure that they are tightened. You will have to apply pressure to slowly tighten each nut.
You can now reconnect the water supply valves and open the faucet. You will be able to see if there is any leakage from the base. This is the general way in which you can tighten the faucets’ base in your kitchen sink.
Once this is done, you can go ahead and tighten the handles on your loose Moen kitchen faucet.
Tightening the Handle of a Loose Moen Kitchen Faucet
When you consider how to tighten a loose Moen single handle kitchen faucet, you will also have to pay attention to the handle. The water leakage may be due to a loose handle.
Follow the steps below to tighten a Moen handle.
1.Turn the Water Supply Lines Off
When you tighten the handle on your Moen kitchen faucets, you will first have to clean the top of your sink area. Don’t let anything that might hamper your work lie around.
By now, you know how to turn the water supply lines off. Employ the adjustable wrench to do this. Turn each hot and cold water valve off as well.
2.Check the Handle on Your Kitchen Faucet
Each Moen kitchen faucet has a certain setup. Depending on the type of setup your Moen kitchen faucet has, you will have to work accordingly. Your faucet may have a hex nut or a screw attached to the end.
It may instead have a faucet handle with a cap on top. Go ahead with each further step depending on the setup on your handle.
3.Remove the Hex Nut or Plastic Screw
You will now have to remove the plastic screw or hex nut from the handle of your Moen kitchen faucet. This is a crucial step when you figure out how to tighten a loose Moen single handle kitchen faucet.
It will help fix the plumbing so that you won’t have to worry about a leaking handle in your kitchen sink. To begin, look closely at the handle of your kitchen faucet. You will see a screw or hex nut right at the entrance.
This nut needs very little time to remove. You can use a fingernail or even a mini-knife to remove the screw. You can even use a pry if you like.
4.Find the Setscrew
Keep your Allen wrench ready in this step. Yes, you can work with a screwdriver or pliers to enter the decorative cap, but it is best to work with the Allen wrench instead. This is the trickiest step but try it out yourself before you feel like you need to call the plumber.
You will have to work the tool to find the setscrew under the cap. The 3/32 size Allen wrench is appropriate to tighten Moen kitchen faucet handle. Enter the wrench straight upwards inside the cap. if you are unable to find it, move it in a different direction.
Examine the parts in a different direction repeatedly until you find the screw. This works in most Moen faucets each time. When you find the one screw, you will be able to feel it.
5.Tighten the Setscrew
In this step, you will have to work the wrench clockwise to tighten the screw. With a few clockwise turns, the handle should be just tight enough. Do not tighten it for a long time as it can get too tight.
This will prevent you from opening the handle as you usually do in your sink for water. Work it just enough fo rit to remain functional. You can now reconnect parts like the water supply valves to make the faucet work well again.
At times, you may need to employ the tools to remove the handle and the collar by rotating the setscrew counterclockwise. You can then tighten the ring on the inside. The ring holds the faucet valve tight.
You can employ a knife or any other tool here. There is no need to tighten the ring in the faucets too much as it can make it difficult to get the Moen kitchen faucet handle to turn.
Purchasing a Moen Kitchen Faucet
You may have tried your hand at fixing your Moen Kitchen Faucet. If the leaking has not stopped, you may need to speak to your plumber to help you fix the faucets you are facing any issue with.
At times, you may need to replace your faucets with new ones. You can look for the best Moen kitchen faucets option through products linking to amazon com. These products are listed on an affiliate advertising program designed to help you find the right faucet.
Endnotes
You now know how to tighten your faucet’s handle and base. By doing so, you will be able to fix it yourself and not spend too much on a plumber. You will also be able to prolong the life of the faucet before you need to purchase a new one.
Like recent posts with copyright 2020, we hope that this post assists you with the need to fix the faucet. You can further send a name email to the manufacturer to help you answer any queries about tightening a Moen kitchen faucet.