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diane_genovese

Moen MotionSense Kitchen Faucet Will Not Work

Diane Genovese
7 years ago

I purchased a Moen MotionSense kitchen faucet for a new house my husband and I had built. We moved in 5 months ago and within the first month we started having issues with our faucet. We checked that the filters weren't plugged, replaced the batteries,etc, etc, At times the faucet wouldn't turn on at all, neither by turning it on manually nor with the motion sensors. I had originally disabled the Ready Sensor (the lower sensor) and was only using the upper sensor. At other times it would work only by using the upper sensor. During this time there were periods where only hot water would come out even if the lever was in the cold position. Everything was connected correctly as for the first few weeks it worked perfectly fine. I contacted Moen and they were very good about sending out replacement parts. The only problem is they do not ship overnight and consequently each time a part was sent out it took 1.5 to 2 weeks to arrive. Each time a part came it didn't rectify the problem and after calling Moen they would send out another part. Eventually they sent us an entire new faucet with all new parts. The new faucet has been installed for less than 3 weeks. Last night I did a bunch of dishes before going to bed and everything was working fine. This morning when I went to turn on the water nothing was working. I couldn't get the water to turn on manually with the handle nor by using the motion sensor. Then out of the clear blue the water came on when the handle was in the shut off position. We unplugged the battery pack, replaced the batteries and plugged it back in. The faucet has been turning on and off randomly for the past 4 hours. Sometimes the water runs smoothly and at other times it just spurts out as though someone is turning the water on and off quickly. At one point it didn't turn off and we had to turn off the cold water supply under the cupboard. After about 15 minutes we turned the water supply back on. Unfortunately it is just continuing to turn off and on with a mind of its own.
It was not a cheap faucet and I am extremely frustrated. Has anyone else experienced this?

Comments (87)

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    5 years ago

    Al: Study the manufacturer's reset instructions then follow them, please.

  • Diane Genovese
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    When we had our faucet nothing worked ... Moen needs to realize that it is a faucet that DOES NOT work in all environments! Good luck on resetting it. I did everything and then finally switched back to a regular faucet. I put money back in my pocket and haven’t looked back. The concept, if it works properly, is great but the last thing I wanted to see happen was to wake up one morning and find my kitchen flooded because someone had left the stopper in the sink and the faucet had randomly turned on during the night. This actually happened with mine and thank goodness the stopper was not in!!
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  • HU-275150242
    5 years ago

    Yes I have the same problem. I had a professional plumber install it so we would not have a problem. I can not get any water from this faucet. I

    returning it tomorrow bc I just bought it and it was expensive. I do not have time for this ridiculous Faucet. It is a bad design. I tried to contact Moen customer service but they don’t work on the weekends. Please save yourself the headache and DONT BUY THIS FAICET.

  • Diane Genovese
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    You are so right about it not being very good... especially for the price. I have a friend that has a Delta faucet that looks similar and you can tap on it to turn it on. It’s just as easy to tap on it with the back of your hand as it is to wave your hand over the motion sensor. She loves hers and has never had a problem with it.
  • Toni Hamlett
    5 years ago

    I had the Kohler Touchless installed and have not had any issues. For install you will need an electrical outlet installed but since I was doing a complete reno it was not an issue as electric is under the sink for dishwasher and disposal. I looked at the battery faucets but decided against as I did not want to get under the sink to replace batteries. To date no issues. When I go away I just turn it off at the sink. Also it can be used either manual or touch-less. If you really want touch free consider another brand. Kohler model "Sensate" come in Chrome $712, SS $854 and Bronze $900. Pricey but when you pick it up and take a good look it is hefty. Good luck

  • Monterey Foxwell
    5 years ago

    I've had the exact same problem. My faucet worked for close to a year and then the same things started happening that you experienced. Moen sent us an all-new faucet, which we just had a plumber install to ensure everything was done correctly. It took him a couple of hours to get everything working as it is supposed to. Finally it is working... for now. I expect that it will die in the not too distant future. Strongly recommend everyone avoid a faucet with any kind of electronics.

  • Gary Piper
    5 years ago

    I never updated, but the 2nd one did have the same issues and we eventually had them replace it with the non motionsense version. That product is just not ready for primetime. Too bad because it was nice when it worked properly, but way too big of a headache when it didn't. So back to a dumb faucet and it's been fine, I guess we should have just started there in the first place.

  • HU-993064493
    4 years ago

    I purchased the motion sense faucet in 2016 and am now on the third time replacing it. When it works it is fine, but considering the price and hassle of dealing with no faucet for two to three weeks at a time, definitely not worth it. Total junk! I don't want to keep replacing faucet every year for life. Moen lifetime warranty is only 5 years. What kind of scam are they doing over there? Do not buy!!!

  • Lani Deimling
    4 years ago

    Yes. Right now! We’ve had it over 4 years but it’s a pain now.

  • Barbara SINNOTT
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hmmm. Had random running water day after installation. Installing plumber fixed it in about an hour, no charge. Has been working great for 5 years now.

  • Sheila Hewitt
    4 years ago

    So what did the plumber do to fix the faucet. I am sure we would all love to know and so would Moen.

  • Susan Davis
    3 years ago

    Hey Jack. Success!! I used your fix on my Moen touchless kitchen faucet. When I suggested to my plumber over the phone he laughed at me so I went ahead and tried it myself. I have experience soldering stained glass so was confident in my ability to try your repair. Thanks so much for your post. There was nowhere else this solution could be found. Bravo!!

  • lauraleega
    3 years ago

    We had this issue a few weeks ago, tried all the troubleshooting advice from Moen to no avail. We kept messing around with it and it eventually went back to operating normally. That is until 2 nights ago at 2am, when we woke up to the faucet turning itself on and off again. Finally just had to turn off the water under the sink. I'm going home tonight to try Jack's recommendations re: battery box solder connections. Fingers crossed!!

  • EricInPDX
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I have an Essie Motionsense Wave that I bought two weeks ago and installed last weekend. It turns on randomly about once every two hours. I bought an AC adapter and do NOT use batteries so there is not an issue with the unit not receiving power with a bad battery box/solder joint - the unit gets power all the time. I really like the facet but it turning on randomly is an obvious show stopper. I emailed Moen customer service last Sunday, and received one email reply to "reset the faucet" .. I did that and it fixed nothing. That email reply was Tuesday and I emailed twice letting them know there is still and issue and still no reply. It seems Moen customer service is simply understaffed. Problem with the unit is that you can only get water from the faucet if it is powered up, so I have to unplug the unit whenever I leave the house or go to bed so it doesn't turn on. What a pain. Would simply be great to get a reply from customer service where to go from here.

  • EricInPDX
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    To follow up with my predicament above. I contacted Moen by phone after email got a reply and nothing further. They ended up sending me a new unit and I installed it today to replace the faucet. I also replaced the control unit. They ending up sending me a AC adapter even though I had one. After four hours the unit has worked fine and has not turned on. My fingers are crossed that it simply was a bad sensor on the faucet itself and it will work fine going forward. I'm very happy with Moen customer service, although it would have been nice if I didn't have to call. If It stops working within the next week or months ahead, I'll update this thread.


    FYI - I am not using batteries at all .. just the adapter. In the Moen adapter there is a batter/adapter splitter that uses batteries if you lose power. I might lose power once every three years, so didn't feel the batter pack/splitter was necessary.


    You can buy adapters on Amazon for $15 or so ... not sure why anyone would want to use batteries unless they don't have power under the sink.

  • HU-510275382
    3 years ago

    I am returning mine to Home Depot today and getting a regular Moen without the motion. Had a plumber install it yesterday and it was turning on randomly. I have an AC adapter purchased on Amazon and when unplugged the water does not come on at all. Water is supposed to run without electricity. Very frustrated as I now have to pay a plumber to uninstall and install a new one. These reviews say it all!!! Buyer beware!!!

  • EricInPDX
    3 years ago

    Same thing happened to me. I got a replacement from Moen and it has worked flawlessly. You might want to get a replacement from Home Depot. These really are not difficult to install yourself, and probably easier if you already have one installed, although you need to remove it to bring it back to Home Depot. You might want to contact Moen directly before proceeding.


    What I did before getting a replacement was disconnect the power when not using. It was a pain for a week before I got the replacement.

  • HU-510275382
    3 years ago

    That is exactly what I am doing now - unplugging at night and running back and forth during the day. I am not handy with plumbing and cannot crawl under the sink. It's hard enough for me to plug and unplug now. A lot of the reviews I read had this problem a year or two down the road which I do not want to worry about. The replacement I am getting is without the motion. I only wish I read the reviews before buying the first time. Still frustrated!!


  • EricInPDX
    3 years ago

    I would plug the adaptor onto a switch that has an on/off switch. You can buy extension cords that have switches, or a power strip that has a switch. I did that for a week before I got a replacement from Moen. I can see your predicament if you needed someone to install it ...


    Once I got a replacement from Moen I have had no issues. Good luck.

  • HU-510275382
    3 years ago

    That's a great idea and I have an extension cord with a switch. Would have been very helpful. Plumber is coming this morning!!

  • HU-661903016
    3 years ago

    I had the same problem as describe above. However after troubleshooting the problem was the sensor. 1. check the volts from the battery unit. 2 replace control box but it did not fix the problem. 3. Before taking old faucet out, I pull the control box out where I can connect the new sensor cable to it( leave the water connection to the old fauset.) , the faucet worked this time. reverse the sensor cable back to the old faucet but it will not worked. Now that I narrow down the issue replace faucet and everything is working again.

  • Tim Guther
    3 years ago

    Same frustration here with Moen Delaney faucet. Had it approximately 7 years and I've replaced the control valve 3 times and now waiting for a second motion sensor control pack to be sent out. Never buy another with motion sensor.

    The help line is so busy they ask you to leave a number and then call you back 3 hours later, but not on a weekend, because plumbing only happens Mon to Fri I guess.

    Could have bought a cheap faucet if I wanted to be crawling under the sink every year to waste a Saturday trying to stop a dripping tap. Thanks Moen!

  • PRO
    company name
    3 years ago

    I'm on my second one since the first one stopped working and the second one is not working! Don't buy this faucet!

  • HU-88529107
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I bought a new house that previous owner had installed new kitchen complete with a Moen MotionSensor faucet (less than 9 months old). Faucet either won’t turn on, manually or otherwise. Or, it comes on randomly and I can’t get it off. Very frustrating as Moen won’t help due to me not being original owner. I’ve tried replacing batteries etc. Moen advised me to replace with a more reliable faucet - it will not be a Moen faucet! Poor customer service with extremely slow response times to emails.

  • HU-510275382
    3 years ago

    I would call Moen back and tell them you are the original owner. You do not have a paper trail because you ASSUMED this would last for YEARS. Sad they will not stand by their flawed product.

  • Tricia
    3 years ago

    Bottom line. This faucet is a piece of junk. I have had mine for a year and it has never worked properly. Now I cannot even turn off the sensors. I switched from batter pack to a plug-in power source and the faucet still turns on and off on its own. Moen, you owe us!

  • HU-88529107
    3 years ago

    Sad that they won’t stand behind their product. I’m about to renovate 3 bathrooms and will never buy Moen again.

  • Steven Grant
    3 years ago

    Mine worked fine for 4 years and the sensors went out. Moen sent a replacement. Eight months later the replacement just died and Moen is sending me an entirely new faucet. If this one goes then I will not be using a Moen again.

  • rhonda lamb
    3 years ago

    Help! I bought the ac adapter and replaced batteries. My faucet works perfectly manually but with the sensor it only trickles.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    3 years ago

    There's a video about rebuilding the alternator in these faucets somewhere. That could be it.

  • Sandy V
    3 years ago

    I had a Delta touchless for 5 years in my last house. Only had to replace the batteries twice. Loved this faucet!

    We are going to replace the faucet in our current house with a Delta. We could have bought Moen on sale but I read too many negative reviews.

  • jachuel
    3 years ago

    I have had the Essie single sensor faucet for about 1.5 years. No problems when I had to change the batteries the 1st time. About 2 weeks ago, I had to change the batteries again. Since then, the unit doesn't work anymore. The sensor completely stopped working and I'm lucky if the manual lever produces water. If it does, it will automatically shut off after 10 seconds. Or it doesn't work at all and the sensor flashes a rainbow of colors--red, yellow, green, blue, pinkish/purple. It also will randomly start to spit out 2 quick spurts of water, stop and continue with that pattern till I pull the plug on the battery pack. After contacting Moen and going back and forth a bit, they sent me a new faucet. I tried installing the new battery pack and the "black box" with no success. I'm wondering if I should even bother trying to change the faucet part of unit--my sink is a huge inconvenience to get under the faucet to change it. We had to call a plumber the 1st time. Plumbers are not cheap, not sure if this is worth it if I'm going to continue to have problems. What I truly don't get is why any manufacturer would make a faucet that manually won't work unless power is supplied to it. I truly believe that if I understood that when I first bought the unit, I would have went for another brand.

  • Amol Kench
    2 years ago

    This faucet is poorly designed. It won't operate manually if there is no power supply provided to the sensor electronics. I've been dealing with the same issue where the faucet randomly spits 2 quick squirts of water which won't stop until I remove one of the batteries. I replaced the batteries and even replaced the battery housing to rule out any connection issues. It worked for couple of hours, but then same problem started again. It's random and frustrating. Has anyone figured out a solution for this? Is replacing the entire faucet the only option? It's been one week already and Moen hasn't shipped new faucet yet. Apparently they don't have these in stock, but local Home Depot shows them in stock.

  • Tricia
    2 years ago

    I am currently using mine without the sensor. It is still plugged in because if it isn’t it doesn’t provide water. Unplug everything. Turn the faucet in the off position. Then plug everything back in. Don’t wave your hand in front of the sensors. It will spirt a couple of times. Now it should work without the hand sensor and work like a regular tap.

  • EricInPDX
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Tricia, it is not necessarily a bad design, but I believe the sensors are poor quality.

    While I waiting for a replacement from Moen, I hooked my faucet to a power strip that had a switch. You are absolutely correct the faucet needs power to operate. My suggestion is that you buy a AC power adapter for it and forgo the batteries.

    When I replaced the faucet with a new one from Moen, it has worked flawlessly since then. I believe that the sensors on many of these are faulty and that they trip inadvertently causing the faucet to turn on randomly. I put the faulty one in a garage sink, and it works perfectly when the garage door is closed, or at night. Once you open the garage door and sunlight comes in, the faucet turns on randomly. I believe some of the sensors on these are very trigger happy when bright sunlight goes on them. I put a switch onto that faucet in order to turn it off completely, and I switch it on when I need it to work.

    You might find a temporary solution is to put a piece of tape over the sensor until you get a new one delivered. That might work. Or, wire it up to a switch - but you need the A/C adapter.

    Hope this helps.

  • HU-375525193
    2 years ago

    EricInPDX what I have experienced is the faucet not shutting off completely mainly after a busy night doing the dishes by hand. Initially I thought it was the batteries, I replaced them with the ac power adapter and still randomly kept doing it... then, today, after reading the whole chain of messages, I agree with your diagnosis on the poorly design sensor and circuitry! Next time it happens I will check also if some small water droplets are on the sensor (...fooling it!)... The other issue might be the solenoid valve design (overheating and not seating right away?)

  • heyteach65
    2 years ago

    @jack Reed - so I don’t know how to do any of this. Do you think I can use tape to keep it more secure??

  • HU-900898202
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Closed on our new house and in the first month there was a ”siren” noise coming from the control box. Called the builder, they replaced the batteries and it worked - for one month. Tonight it wouldn’t shut off. Replaced the batteries, unplugged data cable and power cable - no change. Turned the water off under the sink and will try again tomorrow (sigh)

  • Mia Macris
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    So many complaints on this faucet. Have the builder replace it. It is not going to get better. Mine would turn on randomly and I would have to go under the sink to unplug. I replaced it immediately with a manual faucet.

  • HU-621744560
    2 years ago

    YES!!!! GOING THRUOGH IT RIGHT NOW

  • John Adams
    last year

    Yep! we be having the same problem. just started. boight ours in 2016. lower sensor no longer works. water intermittently will turn on breifly by itself. tried resetting. no bueno. tried new batteries. no bueno. Curiously we noticed that the spiget started squeking when you moved it back and forth.the same time the water started going on and off. not happy.

  • sharitag1
    last year

    I kept having to get replacement gray boxes. over and over again. i ended up throwing the whole faucet away. i would NEVER recommend anybody purchasing Moen products. i couldnt even get anybody on the phone the last time

  • Tricia
    last year

    I was having a lot of issues but I finally called the company and they sent me a whole new part to replace the old sensor and it is now working. Mine used to come on by itself all of the time. All is good now. Maybe they have figured out the problem.

  • sharitag1
    last year

    that part will go out soon. They sent me replacement parts…over and over and over again. i got tired of going without water in the kitchen and threw it away

  • Mia Macris
    last year
    last modified: last year

    I replaced my faulty faucet with another Moen with manual on/off thinking nothing could go wrong. Long story short, after multiple calls to Moen (the handle loosening to the point I was afraid it would fall off) they sent me a replacement "cartridge". Told me the cartridges go bad with these products sitting on the shelf. WHAT?!? I have to pay somebody every time something goes wrong with these Moen products!!!! Never, Never again!!!!!

  • sharitag1
    last year

    It’s sad because they are so expensive! Sorry for your experience. smh!

  • Anh Thu Pham
    last year

    I have the same problem . I couldn't get the water to turn on manually with the handle nor by using the motion sensor.

  • Joanne Werstlein
    last year

    Having same issue but ours is connected to power and its not dewaing it from the battery works off the alexa app but nothing else

  • PRO
    Rapidity LLC
    2 days ago

    Had the exact same issue. soldered the red wire and works.

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