1. Quarter hour chimes are out of sequence with the time displayed. If your grandfather clock chimes play in the correct order every 15 minutes, but are not in sync with the time shown, there may be nothing wrong with the chime mechanism! First, be aware that the majority of grandfather clocks manufactured within the last 50 years have a chime correction device that should automatically recycle the chimes back in sync with the minute hand when it reaches the top of the hour. If your clock doesn’t have an automatic chime correction device, or if it is not operating correctly, you can manually correct the problem by turning the minute hand back fifteen minutes, then forward past a quarter hour. Continue to do this until the number of chimes match the quarter hour the minute hand is pointing to. For example, Westminister chimes should play 4 notes on the first quarter, 8 notes at half past, 12 notes at three quarters, and 16 notes at the top of the hour. If the problem still persists, the problem may be that the minute hand has been installed on its arbor in the wrong direction. Remove the nut holding down the minute hand with a pair of pliers, pull the minute hand off, rotate it to the quarter hour indicated by the number of chimes played, then reinstall the nut.
Clock Repair Tips, Tricks, & Secrets!
