You just installed a Moen shower faucet and now you’ve noticed something bizarre.
Your Moen shower handle seems to be sticking out 2 inches more than it should be.
This can be quite an issue.
What to do if the Moen shower handle sticks out too far?
It’s very unfortunate but it’s fine if it’s sticking out too far. There’s no technical issue with it. You might still want to do something about it. In that case, you can move the shower valve back. It’s a long procedure but it works.
Don’t worry it’s a problem a lot of people face.
We did come up with a solution and we’ll walk you through it.
Give this article a read!
Why Is Moen Shower Handle Sticking Out
There are two reasons why your Moen Shower Handle may stick out. One might be because the valve wasn’t placed properly on the wall.
Another one is the Moen Shower Handle which has had this problem for 5-6 years. The valve sticks out so the handle sticks out as well. But do know the average size of the valve.
It doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing. The handle should stick out a maximum ¾ of an inch. But because of being misplaced, it sticks out 2 inches more. But technically there’s nothing wrong with it.
The valve handle will stick out too. In this case, the valve body is fitted with the plaster ground flush with the completed wall. The plaster ground refers to the white or black plastic component that comes with the valve. It’s intended to be the gauge for adjusting the valve’s depth in the wall.
Moen is wrong regarding the thickness of the plaster ground, in my opinion. It should be 3/8″ thicker than it is now.
Installing the valve body with the plaster ground 3/8″ back from the finished wall is a good way. This would leave an acceptable 1/8″ gap between the rear of the handle and the escutcheon. Sometimes people want to caulk the gap.
What To Do If Your Moen Shower Handle Sticks Out
To fix this, you have to rip out the whole finished wall and install the shower faucet again. The entire procedure has been split down into five steps. Take a look at it-
Step 1: Get Your Moen Shower Valve Ready
The Moen shower valve requires some preparation work. A plastic cartridge is usually found within a Moen shower valve. The plastic cartridge must be removed; else, it will be damaged in the next procedures.
Solder a copper cover to the aperture of the bottom valve. Simply apply soldering paste to all of the pipe sockets on the valve at this point. When soldering the cap, make sure it doesn’t become too hot. As this might result in warping or harm.
In case you need a good soldering paste, here are some of our recommendations-
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Step 2: Insert The Valve In
Your wall should already be exposed because this is a rough-in. If the shower valve somehow doesn’t fit, you can cut it into the wall using a reciprocating saw. All you have to do now is connect the Moen shower valve to the shower riser pipe.
This is the most important step for you. Because this is where you’ll make the change. Push the valve back in ⅜ inches back from the wall. That way, the handle won’t stick out.
After that, connect the hot and cold water pipes to the shower valve’s inlets. Solder the copper pipes to the shower valve’s inlets after they’re in place.
Again, keep this process brief since overheating it can cause irreparable damage. Then the purchase of new inlets or potentially even new pipes will be necessary. This only applies in severe circumstances.
Step 3: Tighten Up The Joints
Now, carefully solder each of the joints that are connected to the shower valve. It is important that each junction be soldered all the way around.
Otherwise, you can’t be certain that the seal is complete. Using a mirror double-checks your work to ensure that each soldering is complete.
Step 4: Re-insert The Cartridge
It’s now time to reinstall the cartridge you took out previously. Allow 2-5 minutes to ensure that the metal has completely cooled after the soldering process. Ensure the cartridge fits back into the shower valve, in the same manner, it did the first time.
Turn the water supply back on once you’ve replaced your cartridge in the valve. Do not turn on the water until the valve handle has been installed.
Step 5: Install The Handle
By pressing the handle right onto the cartridge, it will fit. Make sure it’s pointing in the proper direction.
Insert the handle screw into the cartridge through the hole in the handle. Screw it in firmly, but don’t over tighten since too much effort will easily shred the screw threads.
Place the screw cover cap on the handle and tighten it. On both edges, it should snap in nicely and evenly. Turn the shower on and off a few times to check sure it’s operating properly and the handle doesn’t need to be tightened anymore.
You may face this issue in Moen as well as Pfister showers. That’s all you need to know about this issue. Follow our instructions properly and fix your shower handle.
FAQs
Question: How do you adjust a Moen shower valve?
Answer: With the handle removed, loosen the adjustment hex screw with a 7/64″ hex wrench and push the screw downward to adjust the Temperature Limit Stop. Replace the hex screw and tighten it. Check the temperature of the hot water (it should not exceed 120°F).
Question: Why is my Moen shower handle loose?
Answer: The most frequent cause of a malfunctioning shower handle is normal wear and tear. Remove the screw cover and tighten the handle screw if the shower handle becomes loose. Keeping this screw tight can extend the life of a shower handle.
Question: How do you fix a tight shower faucet?
Answer: If the handle is stuck, try adding lubricant or prying it out with a flat-head screwdriver one step at a time. Plumber’s grease is also recommended by Leak Geeks. If everything else fails, go to a hardware shop and get a handle puller.
Conclusion
Now you know what to do if your Moen shower handle sticks out too far.
Make sure to follow our instructions properly!
Good luck with your experience and take care!