[pestes]

I got it all the way off but couldn't get the cartridge loose. Guess I need to go buy a cartridge puller?

It took some effort, but I was able to pull the cartridge with a bit more torque than I was comfortable putting on an 18 year old plumbing part. The first time I took it all apart, I wimped out when it wouldn't turn. The second time I was determined and it was probably just a bit more force than I put into it the first time.

I've been fighting sand showing up at all of my fixtures as well. It seems to show up the first time right after Newell tried to fix my hot water issue by exercising the mixing valve (which worked for about 2 days). I cleaned out the screens on the valves of the shower and the kitchen sink about a week ago. Rear bathroom sink was also incredibly slow but couldn't get the aerator off at the time.

I took the shower apart again last night and there was more sand again. Got the rear bath aerator off -- sand. Today I replaced the guts of the Watts mixing valve and the kitchen sink was slow again. More sand. But the hot water seems to stay a constant temperature, which is a huge improvement. Still had the original valve guts with a 1998 date code. I'm pretty sure that nobody had taken our shower fixture apart since 1998 either.

I have a new cartridge coming on Tuesday for the shower. I'm hoping that will be the end of our hot water woes. Still worried about the pressure woes however being that I keep finding sand. The faucets aren't too terrible to clean but the Grohmix in the shower takes a while. But I am getting faster at it.