Should I replace my faucet cartridges?

[Sluggo]

I'm in a 14-year-old house that's undergoing a master bath facelift, which includes replacing the tile on the floor and walls. Both vanity fixtures, and the two shower faucets are original and all match. We can't determine what brand they are (see my other post asking for an ID), but the faucets and valves seem to be quite good quality. The vanity faucets are wall mount and we will be re-tiling where they come through the wall; the shower will also be fully tiled. My contractor has suggested we replace all eight ceramic cartridges for the four, two-handled faucets now that we have the handles removed. We have had no leaks and the bathroom has only been used by two adults, so not a lot of wear. My contractor is not the kind of person who suggests unnecessary work to pad the bill; he's just very conscientious and thinks of the replacement as a preventative measure. I'm wondering whether we should do this now when it's a little easier to swap out the cartridges or whether it's premature. Of course, if the replacement cartridges turn out to be expensive, that would influence my decision. What kind of life cycle should one expect for the cartridges with a quality faucet in this situation?

 

[CountryBumkin]

I usually abide by the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but in this case I would do it just to complete the job and not have to think/worry about anything going wrong in that room.
But post back what the additional cost of this work is - that may change my opinion (I'm assuming $30ish a cartridge).

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

If you can determine the manufacturer, they may just send you the replacement parts.

 

[Dj2]

I'd try to replace the stems/cartridges and also the trims for a "new" look. The bodies inside the walls are most likely in perfect condition.

Simple and reasonable upgrade.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Those assemblies are generally not expensive and I myself would replace them but after the pipes (if pipe work was done) have been flushed. Any solder bits left inside the pipe can get wedge in a cartridge and cause damage or prevent a good seal and end up with a slow drip. The shut off valves for these fixtures should also be changed. I've had bad luck with cheap ones put in by the original contractor when the house was built. After turning them off I always ended up with leaks and all five sinks and three toilets in my home that I have replaced over the years I had to replace the shut off valves. I replaced them with good brass bodied ones.