How to Take Apart a Price Pfister Bathroom Faucet

You can take apart a Price Pfister bathroom faucet (now sold under the brand name Pfister) to access and repair the cartridges inside the faucet handles. These cartridges hold back water when the faucet handles are in the off position and control the flow of water when the handles are turned to the on position. Cartridges can wear out or get clogged with mineral deposits, which can lead to dripping faucets, leaking handles, or hard-to-turn handles. You can also take apart the drain stop mechanism or the aerator depending on your repair goal.

Always turn off the hot and cold water supply valves located underneath the sink before disassembling any faucet. Some Price Pfister bathroom faucet handles are very easy to remove. Here's how:

1. Simply twist the base of the hot or cold handle counterclockwise and lift it to reveal the cartridge.
2. If the base feels stuck, you can get some leverage with a pair of tongue-and-groove pliers. Be sure to wrap the handle in a thick towel first to avoid scratching or denting the finish.

Other Price Pfister faucets will have a setscrew located on the back or top of the handle. They may require a Phillips screwdriver or a 3/32-inch hex key.

1. Once the handle has been removed, you should see a threaded pipe, a large retainer nut and finally the cartridge.
2. Use tongue-and-groove pliers to remove the retainer nut by turning it counterclockwise.
3. Then, pull straight up on the cartridge to remove it.
4. If it's stuck, wiggle it around a little to loosen any debris (such as mineral deposits) that may have hardened on it over time.

Older Price Pfister drain stops have a lift-rod assembly that connects to the drain stopper, pulling the stopper down to form a seal or lifting it up to allow water to drain. To remove this type of drain stop, here's what to do:

1. Look under and behind the sink bowl for the rod extending down from the faucet and the connecting lever attached to the drain.
2. Start by locating the retaining nut that secures the lever to the back of the drain and turning it counterclockwise to remove it.
3. Then, undo the clip that connects the lever to the rod.
4. You can now pull the lever all the way out of the drain and remove the drain stopper from the sink. You may have to use your fingernails to lift the edge of the drain stopper because it will be in the down position.
5. The lift rod is still attached to another piece that allows the lever height to be adjusted.
6. Loosen the setscrew that secures these two sections by turning it counterclockwise and then lift the rod straight up and out of the faucet.

Some modern Pfister drain stops use a pushbutton mechanism rather than a lift-rod assembly to form a watertight seal in the sink bowl. Because there are no exterior parts to mess with under the sink, push-and-seal drain stops are very easy to remove. With the push-drain in the upright position, grasp it and turn it counterclockwise until it pulls completely up and out of the drain.

Pfister aerators are located at the tip of the spout. Some aerators will twist off by hand. Simply turn them counterclockwise and use a rubber jar grip if it needs a little coaxing. Avoid using hand tools, which could damage the finish.

Some contemporary Pfister aerators feature a recessed slot in the center. Place a quarter in this slot and twist counterclockwise to remove the aerator. Others require a special tool to grip and turn the aerator, which should have been included in your faucet packaging.