Moen Two-Handle Faucet Cartridges: 1224 or 1234? How to Tell Which One You Have

Your Moen faucet has a hot handle and a cold handle, one of them drips or has gone stiff, and the parts listings all say “Moen two-handle cartridge.” The trouble is that Moen sells several of these, and they do not all interchange. Moen’s own pages state that the 1224 is not interchangeable with the 1234. So the right way to choose among Moen two-handle faucet cartridges is to look at the part inside your faucet, not at the listing.

The short answer for sink faucets: take the handle off and look at the stem. Moen’s identification guide says the 1224 has a white plastic stem and the 1234 has a stainless-steel stem (Moen: 1224 or 1234 cartridge). This page walks through that test, a chart of the cartridges Moen documents, and the traps that get people the wrong part. It is the two-handle companion to our Moen cartridge identification guide, which covers single-handle faucets and shower valves.

Check the Stem First

Shut off the water, open the faucet to release pressure, and confirm the flow has stopped. Moen’s 1224 instruction sheet says to open the faucet after shutting off the supply and to check for complete shutoff, so turning the stop handles alone does not finish the job, according to Moen’s INS745C sheet.

Then remove the handle and the pieces of the handle mechanism that cover the cartridge. Do this before you compare anything, because a handle adapter or extension can hide the cartridge. Moen’s 1234 centerset instructions show both a direct-stem arrangement and a red/blue extension arrangement (Moen: 1234 centerset instructions). The color of the extension, or how long the assembled part looks, does not tell you which cartridge you have.

What you are looking for is the stem itself:

• White plastic stem: the 1224.
• Stainless-steel stem: the 1234, a Duralast cartridge.

That is the primary test for sink faucets. The chart below shows where each cartridge is documented, and what Moen says it does not fit.

Moen Two-Handle Faucet Cartridges: The Chart

This chart is a compatibility guide drawn from Moen’s own pages. It is not permission to substitute a cartridge that looks similar, and it covers the documented examples, not every Moen faucet ever made.

Part	Standard or Duralast	Documented applications	Visible identification and exclusions
1224	Standard	Specified two-handle kitchen and bathroom faucets; separate-hot/cold tub/shower assemblies; certain garden tubs	White plastic stem. Not interchangeable with 1234 (identification, kitchen, tub)
1224B	Standard; bulk-packaged 1224	Same underlying cartridge as 1224	The “B” marks bulk packaging, not another generation or a separate hot/cold part. Moen directs individual purchasers to the 1224 (Moen)
1234	Duralast	Specified two-handle centerset and widespread bathroom faucets and kitchen faucets	Stainless-steel stem, sometimes hidden by an extension. Not a 1224 substitute; excluded from Moen’s documented four-inch mini-widespread category (identification, bathroom guide)
1248	Standard	High-flow Roman tubs, including documented versions of the 4796	Tell it from the 1258 by the installed mechanism and the parts diagram; they do not interchange (4796 specification, Roman-tub guide)
1258	Duralast designation not established	Specified Roman-tub and other two-handle tub-filler applications	Not interchangeable with 1248; model-specific generations matter (Roman-tub guide, 9793 diagrams)
14891	Legacy service cartridge; Duralast designation not established	Older garden-tub applications; the S664 pot filler	Keep the service number 14891. Do not assume “1224 design” means an ordinary 1224 purchase (Moen catalog, S664 diagram)

Three verified examples show why the faucet’s own parts document matters more than its name. Moen’s documents list the Solidad CA87015 and the Adler 84433 with the 1224, and the Weymouth S73204 with the 1234 Duralast (CA87015 diagram, 84433 specification, S73204 specification). Those are specific models, not whole collections.

Two notes on materials and sides. Moen’s specifications describe the 1224 with nonmetallic and stainless-steel cartridge materials, so “all plastic” or “solid brass” are both inaccurate descriptions (Adler specification). And Moen sells the 1224 as a hot-or-cold part (Moen: 1224B), but its 2000 to 2014 widespread procedure has you rotate the stem to the correct position for the side you are working on, and the 1234 widespread procedure turns the stem extension to “off” clockwise for hot and counterclockwise for cold (1224 widespread, 1234 widespread). So one part number for both sides does not mean both handles open the same way.

A 1248 found in a valve is not always a Roman tub. Moen’s ExactTemp instructions use a 1248 as a lower flow-control cartridge in discontinued half-inch 3301 and 3321 valves, introduced in 2000 and retired in 2006 (Moen: ExactTemp 1248).

Model Numbers, Parts Diagrams and Faucet Generations

The stem tells you what is in the faucet now. The model number tells you what Moen documents for it. Use both, because the same model can come in two versions.

Moen’s 9000/69000 widespread rough-in diagram contains both a 1224 version and a 1234 version, with different extension kits (Moen: 9000/69000 diagrams). The 4796 documentation likewise contains a 1248 version and a 1258 version (4796 specification). Matching the collection name is not enough; match the generation you have installed.

Where to find the model number is less settled. According to Moen’s model-number FAQ, the original box and instruction sheet are the places to look, and some newer faucets have a tag on the supply lines; a number behind a non-pullout spout may identify only the general family (Moen: finding a model number). Moen’s sink-identification article adds receipts and installation guides, and mentions numbers behind kitchen spouts and under the front curve of bathroom spouts. It also notes that the number A112.18.1, which can appear on the spout, aerator or spray wand, is not a model number (Moen: sink identification). We found no single location that holds for every faucet, so do not count on a tag being there.

With a model number in hand, Moen says to search moen.com by the model number and visit the page for your product to find a full list of replacement parts (Moen: FAQs). For a cartridge replacement, find the cartridge in that parts list. If the model is unknown, Moen’s sink-identification article points to 1-800-BUY-MOEN with whatever component numbers you can read. Our suggestion, not Moen’s: photograph the whole faucet and the exposed mechanism before you call.

What Duralast Does and Does Not Tell You

Duralast is Moen’s name for its ceramic-disc cartridge technology; according to Moen’s Duralast overview it uses a freestanding stem and fewer parts (Moen: Duralast overview). It is not a compatibility number. Danco’s 12104, marketed for Moen Duralast faucets, says it replaces the 1255 in single-handle applications, which does not make it a 1234 match (Danco 12104).

There was no single date when Moen switched. The sources give category-by-category boundaries:

• Eight-inch widespread bathroom: 2014 in Moen’s bathroom guide; the dedicated 1234 procedure is titled “After Dec 2014.” Treat those as boundaries within each guide (bathroom guide, widespread instructions).
• Four-inch centerset bathroom: both 1224 and 1234 used beginning in 2015, so you still need the stem test.
• Selected two-handle kitchen models: 1234 use beginning in 2018 (kitchen guide).
• Deck-mounted Roman tubs: both 1248 and 1258 used beginning in 2017. That is an overlap, not the introduction of the 1248 (Roman-tub guide).
• 9793: the diagram labels the 1258 version for parts made after 2/2018, while another version uses the 1248. That is not an installation-date cutoff (9793 diagrams).

A Darcy 84551 diagram revised November 2014 already identifies the 1234, so “everything after December 2014 is Duralast” would overreach (Darcy diagram, Home Depot-hosted). Age gives you a hint at best. The stem decides.

Also, do not treat a newer cartridge as an upgrade. Moen’s sources do not support swapping a 1224 for a 1234, or a 1248 for a 1258, on the strength of the number alone; match the valve’s service cartridge (Moen: standard cartridges overview).

Look-Alikes, Removal Tools and Wrong-Part Traps

Read past the listing title. Go by Moen’s diagrams and the stem. For the same reason, do not read “1248 fits all Roman tubs” as settled: Moen’s broad overview and its dedicated guide differ, and the specific guide, which separates 1248 and 1258 assemblies, is the one to follow (Moen: Roman-tub guide).

1225, 1222 and 1200. “Shower means 1222” is misleading: Moen documents 1224 cartridges in two- and three-handle showers (Moen: two- or three-handle shower).

The retainer tool. Moen’s 14272 releases the retainer; its product title names the 1224, 1234 and 1248, and Moen’s 1258 instructions and 9793 diagram add the 1258 (Moen: 14272, 1258 instructions). It is not a screw-driven puller. Moen’s 104421 tool is documented for the 1200, 1225 and 1222, not for these residential two-handle families, so do not present it as the prescribed 1224 tool (Moen: 104421). We did not find reliable support for the claim that forcing it onto a 1224 cracks the valve body, so we are not making that claim. For a Roman tub whose long 182500 extension has separated and left the 1258 inside, Moen documents a separate fishing tool, the 192731 (Moen: 192731).

Moen’s own procedures differ. For the documented 2000 to 2014 widespread 1224 assembly, Moen permits a long wood screw driven into the old white stem for grip. That applies to that procedure and gives no authority for drilling into a stainless-steel stem (Moen: 1224 widespread). Whether a 1234 replacement always needs a new retaining nut is also unresolved: Moen’s MF854 booklet says to replace the cartridge and nut, while the widespread procedure directs reinstalling and tightening (MF854, 1234 widespread). Professional opinions vary on technique, but here the variation is Moen’s own, assembly by assembly. Follow the instructions and the service kit for your installed assembly.

Aftermarket Cartridges and the Warranty

Aftermarket cartridges are sold as 1224 replacements, with different levels of support:

• Danco 18526B (3J-8H/C): Danco lists a plastic hot/cold stem for two-handle Moen kitchen and bathroom faucets, without naming the OEM 1224 on that page (Danco).
• Kissler 46-0024: F.W. Webb cross-references it to Moen 1224, 13895 and 91096 (F.W. Webb).
• LASCO/Larsen S-441-3: a retailer lists it as replacing the 1224 (Hardware World).

A 2016 Danco catalog cross-references a different part, 18326B (6S-1H/C), to the 1224 (Danco catalog). Do not swap 18526B and 18326B for each other. We found no controlled comparison of lifespan, leakage or operating torque against genuine Moen, and no clearly documented Danco cartridge cross-referenced to the 1234.

On the warranty: Moen’s warranty sheet says qualifying original consumer purchasers may obtain covered replacement parts without charge while they own their home, subject to proof of purchase and the stated terms. It applies to faucets bought after December 1995. It excludes damage caused by nongenuine parts, which is narrower than saying any aftermarket part voids coverage (Moen warranty). Check with Moen before you buy, because you may qualify for a free replacement cartridge. Model documents set their own terms; the S73204 and 4796 specifications describe different coverage for homeowners, multifamily and commercial owners.

If You Still Cannot Tell

Gather three things: a photo of the whole faucet, a photo of the exposed stem with the handle off, and the old cartridge itself if it is out. Then look the model up in Moen’s parts diagrams, or call 1-800-BUY-MOEN with whatever numbers you can read. If the stem does not match either description in the chart, or your tub filler is a Roman tub, go to the model’s own diagram, not to a general rule. Not every two-handle fixture falls under the 1224 and 1234: Moen’s commercial catalog lists other hot/cold cartridge pairs for specific lavatory assemblies, which we have left out of the chart (Moen commercial catalog).

What to Do Next

Write down the stem material, the faucet’s model number if you can find it, and which version of the parts diagram you match. Then confirm the service number against Moen’s diagram before you order. If you are not sure which faucet you own at all, use our faucet cartridge finder or start at the faucet repair hub.

Sources

• Moen: 1224 or 1234 cartridge
• Moen: 1234 centerset instructions
• Moen: 1234 widespread instructions
• Moen: 1224 widespread instructions (2000-2014)
• Moen: Faucet cartridges, kitchen
• Moen: Faucet cartridges, bathroom
• Moen: Faucet cartridges, Roman tub
• Moen: 1258 cartridge replacement
• Moen: ExactTemp 1248 instructions
• Moen: Two- or three-handle shower and 1224 cartridge
• Moen: Using a 104421 cartridge removal tool
• Moen: Using a 192731 cartridge removal tool
• Moen: 14272 removal tool
• Moen: 1224B
• Moen: Finding a model number
• Moen: Sink faucet identification
• Moen: FAQs (model numbers, replacement parts and support)
• Moen: Standard cartridges overview (Moen Canada)
• Moen: Duralast overview (Moen Canada)
• Moen: 9000/69000 parts diagrams
• Moen: 9793 parts diagrams
• Moen: 4796 specification
• Moen: Adler 84433 specification
• Moen: Weymouth S73204 specification
• Moen: Solidad CA87015 parts diagram
• Moen: S664 parts diagram
• Moen: Replacement parts catalog
• Moen: Commercial catalog
• Moen: MF854 replacement booklet
• Moen: INS745C instruction sheet
• Moen: Warranty sheet
• Moen (Home Depot-hosted): Darcy 84551 diagram
• Danco: 3J-8H/C hot/cold stem for Moen faucets
• Danco: Cartridge for Moen Duralast faucets 12104
• Danco (PSCIA-hosted): 2016 catalog
• F.W. Webb: Kissler 46-0024
• Hardware World: LASCO/Larsen Moen twin cartridge

Educational content only. Not a substitute for licensed professional advice. Local plumbing codes vary by jurisdiction. Use of any guidance from this guide is at your own risk.