Over time, your Moen bathroom faucet base may become loose, causing the entire faucet to pivot or wiggle. A loose faucet base may also cause unwanted problems, such as water seeping out near the base of the faucet. The faucet in your bathroom is an important fixture, and when it decides to loosen or leak, it can be problematic.
Luckily, the fix is straightforward and shouldn’t take long. Continue reading for a quick guide on how to tighten a loose Moen bathroom faucet base.
Moen Bathroom Faucet Types
Moen offers bathroom faucets in multiple different styles and designs. There are dual-handle faucets and single-handle faucets. Some two-handle faucets are centerset, where the handles and faucet spout are connected on a single baseplate.
For example, the Moen 4570 bathroom faucet is a common choice, which features the handles set a small distance on either side of the faucet body.
On the other hand, Moen also develops single-handle single-hole bathroom faucets with a single point of contact with the countertop. Fixing your faucet’s loose base is dependent on the type of faucet you have.
Centerset Faucets
Moen’s two-handle center set lavatory faucets are a common choice. The entire fixture sits on a single, interconnected baseplate, making the tightening process easy. For this process, you’ll need:
- Basin wrench
- Adjustable wrench
- Gloves (optional)
- Towel
Clear Out The Cabinet
To start things off, clear out the cabinet beneath the sink (if applicable). The space underneath most sinks is cramped enough already, so removing all items from the area will give you as much room to work as possible.
Shut Off The Water Supply
Then, shut off the water supply to the faucet you’re working on. There should be water shut-off valves beneath the sink itself. If there’s not, you may have to shut off the main water supply to the entire house. Ensure you let everyone know you’re shutting off the water if you have to resort to the main shut-off valve.
Open the faucet handles to drain any excess water in the supply lines. This will also help release any residual pressure. Once you verify that the water supply lines are empty, continue with the process.
Remove The Water Lines
Locate the base of the faucet beneath the sink. Remove the water lines from the faucet base using the adjustable wrench. This will give you extra room to work, which is helpful considering how restricted the space near the faucet base is. If you’d like, you can wear gloves to protect your hands. Soak up any water drops with the towel.
Tighten The Nuts
Now that the water supply lines are out of the way use the basin wrench to grip the loose nuts that fix the base of the faucet to the sink. Once you have a good grip on it, gradually apply pressure to tighten each of the loose nuts at the bottom of the basin. Usually, there are two nuts holding the faucet into place on a center set Moen bathroom faucet.
Check Your Work
After you tighten the loose nuts, check the sink base above the countertop to verify that it is snugly in place. Reattach the water supply lines, then turn on the water supply. Check for leaks near the base. If everything looks good, you’re finished!
Single-Handle Single-Hole Bathroom Faucets
Moen single-handle single-hole lavatory faucets are very simple to install, uninstall, and tighten. These faucets are held in place by a crescent-shaped mounting bracket with an integrated elastomer gasket. The mounting bracket sits snugly against the bottom of the deck on a threaded rod. A mounting sleeve, which easily threads onto the rod, holds the bracket in place.
Moen Mounting Tool
Moen developed a specific mounting tool to access the mounting sleeve, which, of course, is only available through them. The mounting device looks like a long hollow looking tube with a hexagon-shaped opening that fits around the mounting sleeve.
While it is easy to use and makes the process of installing and tightening the sink quick, you may not have this specific tool. A basin wrench should be able to tighten the mounting sleeve just as quickly.
Gather Your Materials
Given the simplicity of the mounting system, tightening the faucet is quick and easy. Here’s what you’ll need to tighten the mounting sleeve:
- Mounting tool or basin wrench
Shut Off The Water Supply
As with any plumbing project, start by shutting off the water supply to the sink you’re working on. You may be able to get away without removing the water supply lines, as the process is straightforward. However, if the space is cramped and you can’t reach the threaded rod, go ahead and remove the water supply lines.
Remove The Water Lines If Necessary
Follow the procedure we outlined above: shut off the water supply, drain pressure from the lines by turning on the faucet, and disconnect the water supply lines from the faucet base under the deck.
Tighten The Mounting Sleeve
To tighten the mounting sleeve, fit the mounting tool over the threaded rod. Rotate the tool to tighten the sleeve. If the mounting bracket has slipped down, push it up the threaded rod until it sits tightly against the sink deck. Then, tighten the mounting sleeve. If you don’t have the specific mounting tool necessary, a basin wrench will do the trick as well.
Loose Moen Bathroom Faucet Handle
Loose handles are another common issue with faucets. Repairing a loose handle may be as simple as tightening the screws that fix the handle in place. To tighten the handle, you need to find the screw holding the handle snugly in place, then use a screwdriver to tighten it.
Of course, the process varies slightly depending on the type of faucet you have. For example, if you have a widespread Moen faucet, the handles themselves twist off.
To remove them, you simply turn the entire handle clockwise, and it should come right off. Since the handle isn’t held in place with a screw, check the ring in the middle. If it wiggles, you’ll need to tighten the screw with a Philip screwdriver.