How to Replace a Grohe Kitchen Faucet Cartridge

Grohe is a major manufacturer of high-end appliance and kitchen hardware such as sinks and faucets. Their work appears in many major hotel chains as well as luxury apartments. Grohe uses a cartridge system inside its faucets that creates a seal to prevent water leakage while controlling flow. These cartridges eventually become coated in lime and other deposits and must be replaced to maintain optimal water pressure. Replacing a cartridge can be done independent of changing the hardware, meaning you can just replace cartridges every three to five years.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat-head screwdriver (1/4")
• Hex key (3/16")
• Channel locks

1. Turn the main water knob to the off position. This knob is typically located under the sink attached to your pipes by a flexible metal tube. It should take one half of a turn to lock the water off.

2. Pop the cap off of your faucet handle using the flat-head screwdriver. As faucets vary, you will be looking for the top of the faucet or in the case of a single handle, there will be a small metallic dome set to the right side of your faucet. You will see a small crease at the top where you can use the flat-head to pry open the top.

3. Turn your hex key five to seven times counterclockwise inside the proper slot. The slot will be located inside the faucet handle or the small metallic dome and will be shaped like a star. This is the locking mechanism that holds the faucet cartridge in place.

4. Attach your channel locks to the faucet cartridge. Make sure to tighten your channel locks by turning the knob at the base of the handles once you have attached them to the cartridge.

5. Turn your channel locks counterclockwise while slowly pulling the cartridge out of the faucet. Be careful not to scrape up the hardware of your faucet as it is difficult to remove or fix scratches.

6. Place the new cartridge into the slot you have recently vacated.

7. Lock the new cartridge into place using either your hand or the channel locks by turning clockwise. Then make sure to use your hex key to tighten it into place (clockwise again).

8. Replace the faucet cap and turn your main water knob back on.

Tips & Warnings

• After turning off the main water knob in step 1, you can use the faucet as you normally would until it runs out of water. This will empty any residual water from the pipes and hardware, making it much drier to work with. Do not use the faucet once water stops flowing as this will cause some strain on your pipes, resulting in creaking noises.
• Do not forget to turn the main water knob off in step 1. This is the most common mistake and will cause water to shoot all over your faucet area since it is under pressure.

References

• Grohe Product Support