Shower valve won't stay shut off

Question

I have an old Moen shower valve (not sure of the exact model, but it appears to be several decades old) that won't stay shut off. If you push in the knob to shut off the water, it opens itself back up within a few seconds.

Some online sleuthing suggests that taking out and cleaning or replacing the cartridge might fix the problem, but I'm unable to figure out how to remove the cartridge (maybe there is no cartridge). Here's a photo of what it looks like with the knob removed:

There is a clip (visible in the photo above) that holds the valve stem in place, but even with that removed I still can't figure out how to disassemble the valve any further. Nothing seems to move if I put a wrench on it, and I can't wiggle anything out of place.

Any tips on how to proceed with the disassembly, and/or other ideas on how to get the valve to shut off properly again? Should I give up and just replace the whole valve?

DrMoishe Pippik · Answer

Just pull out the clip and the cartridge should pull straight out. You might need to screw on the handle to get sufficient grip to remove it.

BTW, I've seen the same issue of the handle popping back out, after changing the cartridge. I assume there was air caught inside, which slowly worked its way out after using the valve for a while. Pushing in the handle all the way and holding it there, while turning the handle clockwise and counterclockwise repeatedly helps. If the only issue is popping out, you might not need a new cartridge... try the "push and wiggle" method to get rid of trapped air, perhaps from the plumbing system being drained and refilled.

Shower valve won't stay shut off

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