How to replace a faucet cartridge

This is the hard part and doing it first saves the sink being out of action while you go to a store. Three routes, in order: find the faucet's model number (under the spout, on the back of the body, inside the escutcheon); match the handle shape against the manufacturer's published parts diagram; or remove the old cartridge and take it to a plumbing supplier, which is the most reliable method because a physical part beats any description.

The four valve types and how to tell them apart are covered on faucet cartridges explained. A ceramic-disc cartridge and a sleeve cartridge come out differently, and knowing which you have before the handle is off is worth the two minutes.

A two-handle faucet has a cartridge per side, and the drip tells you which one has failed: shut off the hot supply only. If the drip stops, the hot cartridge is the culprit; if it continues, it is the cold. That test takes thirty seconds and saves buying two parts.

On older compression faucets the equivalent part is a rubber washer on the end of the stem, held by a small screw. It costs pennies, and while you are in there replace the stem O-ring too — that is what stops the weep around the handle base.

Quick picks

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. There are no scores here because we run no test lab — how picks are chosen is published in full on our methodology page.

#	Product	Best for	Our read	Price
1	Moen Arbor 7594 Easiest brand to get parts for	Deep pots and hard-water kitchens	Cartridges stocked for long-discontinued models	Check price on Amazon→ #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
2	Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST Least likely to need this	Most kitchens, one or three holes	Diamond Seal keeps water off the valve	Check price on Amazon→ #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
3	RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench For the rest of the job	Any faucet removal or install	Needed if the faucet has to come out at all	Check price on Amazon→ #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one

• Water seeping from the base of the spout rather than dripping from the outlet: that is a spout O-ring, a cheaper and easier fix.
• Weeping around the handle: the cartridge's upper O-ring, or the bonnet nut simply needs tightening.
• A leak under the sink: a supply connection, not the valve. Check the braided line's nut and the valve body.
• Weak flow rather than a drip: start at the aerator and spray head, which scale up long before a valve wears. See low water pressure.

Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.

1. Easiest brand to get parts for

Moen Arbor 7594

Moen · Best for deep pots and hard-water kitchens

The pull-down to buy if you want the taller arc and a finish that hides water spots. Its 8-1/4" spout height is about half an inch more clearance than the Leland, which is the difference between washing a stock pot and fighting one. The tradeoff is reach: 7-7/8" against 9-3/16", so it works closer to the back of the bowl.

Published specifications

Flow rate

1.5 gpm source

Spout height

8-1/4" counter to outlet source

Spout reach

7-7/8" source

Overall height

15-1/2" source

Mounting

One or three holes source

Docking

Reflex spray-head docking source

What works

• +The 8-1/4" spout height is genuine pot clearance, not decorative arc
• +Power Boost concentrates the stream for filling and rinsing without raising the rated flow
• +Spot Resist Stainless is the single most useful finish choice in a hard-water house
• +Reflex docking has been in Moen's line long enough that replacement wands are easy to find

What does not

• −Reach is 7-7/8", over an inch shorter than the Leland — on a wide double bowl you will notice
• −Moen publishes no independent noise or durability measurement, and neither do we
• −The spot-resist coating is a finish, not armor; abrasive cleaners still dull it

Skip it if

Skip it if you have a wide double-bowl sink and want one faucet to reach both drains comfortably — buy reach instead of height.

Check price on Amazon→

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one

Raw specifications: Moen’s own page for the Moen Arbor 7594.

Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.

2. Least likely to need this

Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST

Delta · Best for most kitchens, one or three holes

The pull-down we would fit in most kitchens, because the two parts that usually fail first on a pull-down are the two Delta engineered around: the docking mechanism and the valve. MagnaTite pulls the wand back into the spout with a magnet instead of relying on a friction collar, and Diamond Seal keeps water off the valve. It ships with a deck plate, so it covers a three-hole sink or mounts through one.

Published specifications

Flow rate

1.8 gpm source

Spout height

7-7/8" deck to outlet source

Spout reach

9-3/16" source

Overall height

14-7/8" source

Mounting

Single hole; deck plate included for three-hole sinks source

Warranty

Delta limited lifetime source

Lead compliance

Meets NSF/ANSI 61 source

What works

• +MagnaTite docking is a magnet, not a friction fit — a wand that stops seating is the most common pull-down complaint, and a magnet does not wear the way a plastic collar does
• +Spout reach of 9-3/16" clears the far side of a standard 22-inch front-to-back sink
• +Diamond Seal keeps water off the valve, which is what the lifetime warranty is really protecting
• +Deck plate in the box, so a three-hole sink needs no extra part

What does not

• −1.8 gpm is higher than the 1.5 gpm most competitors now ship, which matters if your area caps flow rate
• −Zinc body rather than brass — normal at this price, but this is not a forever faucet
• −No independent lab publishes durability figures for this model, so we cannot tell you how the finish looks at year five

Skip it if

Skip it if your sink is a shallow bar sink: at 14-7/8" overall the arc will splash in a basin under about seven inches deep.

Check price on Amazon→

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one

Raw specifications: Delta’s own page for the Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST.

Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.

3. For the rest of the job

RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench

RIDGID · Best for any faucet removal or install

The one tool that decides whether a faucet swap is a two-hour job or a six-hour one. Faucet mounting nuts sit behind the sink where no normal wrench reaches; a basin wrench's spring-loaded head ratchets one-handed in that space. The telescoping shank is what gets you from a shallow vanity to a deep kitchen cabinet.

Published specifications

Jaw capacity

3/8" to 1-1/4" source

Shank length

Telescopes from 10" to 17" source

Jaws

Spring-loaded alloy steel, one-handed ratcheting source

Head

Tension plug holds the head at any angle up to 90 degrees source

What works

• +The 10-to-17-inch telescoping shank covers both a shallow bathroom vanity and a deep kitchen base cabinet
• +One-handed ratcheting matters, because the other hand is holding a flashlight
• +Alloy steel jaws grip a plastic mounting nut without crushing it
• +The head locks at an angle, which is how you reach a nut behind a disposal

What does not

• −A single-purpose tool that lives in a drawer between faucet jobs
• −A badly corroded nut still needs penetrating oil and patience, not a better wrench
• −No substitute for clearing the cabinet out before you start

Skip it if

Skip it if a plumber is fitting the faucet — they own one, and you would use yours perhaps twice a decade.

Check price on Amazon→

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one

Raw specifications: RIDGID’s own page for the RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench.

A genuine cartridge from a major brand is typically $10 to $50, and manufacturers frequently supply one free under a limited lifetime warranty — which in practice is what these warranties do. Against that, a new mid-range faucet is a couple of hundred dollars plus an afternoon.

So: if the body and finish are sound and the brand stocks parts, replace the cartridge. If the finish is failing, the spray face is scaled past cleaning and the docking has given up, the cartridge is not the problem you are solving — and best kitchen faucets is the page you want.