A question for those who have replaced faucets

[Doug-P]

I have several Moen faucets throughout my eight year old house. I needed to replace a single handle bathroom faucet cartridge (#1225) and the head of the screw which holds the handle on broke off necessitating replacement of the entire faucet - I couldn't turn the screw out to remove the handle :^( . Two of the other faucets recently needed new cartridges, also #1225. The second bath replacement was about easy as it gets. The kitchen job, not so much. The !*(@#$ screw broke off like the first one. I'm now looking for a new kitchen faucet which is not a Moen.*

In the forum's experience, where do the various brands rank as to long term quality? A quick look at Lowe's shows that all the manufacturers seem to have the same basic technique for securing the handle to the faucet body. Is there something I can apply to the screw threads when it is new so that some years down the road the screw will come out without the head breaking off?

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

* I eventually did get the handle off using a Dremel tool with a small grinder ball attachment. I don't know if there are enough threads left though to make it useful

[HayZee518]

if you have any machine shop skills, get a thread gauge and find out the TPI [threads per inch] of your screws. most are 8-32 or 10-32. use a thread locker like permatex blue or green. stay away from the red or you'll never get it off!
most faucets are either brass-brass or brass and red brass. cartridges are all nylon, a combination of brass and nylon etc.
get a bottoming tap with a corresponding number drill for the thread desired and drill out the old screw.
you're good with a dremel so this shouldn't be a problem for you.

[Doug-P]

if you have any machine shop skills, get a thread gauge and find out the TPI [threads per inch] of your screws. most are 8-32 or 10-32.

I called Moen hoping they had some special way around the broken screw. No such luck. The guy did tell me though that it's a 6-32 followed by UNC.61 - whatever that means. It's an ordinary looking steel Allen screw - probably 1/2" length. I did notice blue stuff on the one screw I was able to remove intact. Moen says the cause of freezing up is likely corrosion due to hard water. Since the screw is well protected and the cartridge wasn't leaking I don't see it. Whatever. I just don't think a $20 cartridge replacement should turn into a $120 faucet replacement.

[HayZee518]

the typical thread designation 6-32 refers to the screw diameter as a #6 with a thread of 32 threads per inch. the UNC 61 means the screw is Unified National Coarse with 61% threaded depth. I believe the UNC is wrong because the 32 threads per inch is National Fine Thread.
Other thread designations are: 4-40 (fine) there is no coarse for this screw. 5-40 (fine) no coarse thread, 6-32 (fine) no coarse thread, 8-32 (fine) no coarse thread, 10-24 - 24 threads per inch. this is a national coarse with a #10 diameter, 10-32 - #10 with 32 threads per inch unf. 12-24 coarse 24 threads per inch [unc] 12-32 #12 screw diameter, 32 threads per inch [unf] thread sizes after a #12 jumps to standard fractional sizes - e.g. 1/4-20. the 20 refers to the threads per inch, 1/4-28 (fine thread) 28 threads per inch - and so on 5/16-18, 5/16-24, 3/8-16. 3/8-24, 1/2-13.
corrosion occurs in every bath or sink faucet application. mineral content infiltrates valves and valve parts.
The blue color is usually from the screw being heat treated or acid etched bluing.

[akaothermick]

Having installed more faucets than I care to remember, and realizing that I just might be back to service them, I always use a never-seize compound on the threaded parts, this has always ensured their quick removal with no problems from corrosion or calcium deposits, also the electrolysis from dissimilar metals is greatly reduced

[Doug-P]

Thanks much! I'll see what they've got at Lowe's when I go for the new faucet. Just speculating but, it seems anything on the threads, even stuff not named as anti-seize, is keeping moisture out and that's how the corrosion is stopped.