Expert: Martin Meyer - 11/19/2007

Question
I have a Howard Miller grandfather clock that quit chiming. I have moved the 'silent' lever back and forth to no avail. Any ideas?

Answer
Hi Dennis,
    There are so many causes of chiming problems that I can only be of limited help.
    You can check that the heaviest weight is on the right (as you look at the clock). If the minute hand is at or just before any of the four chime points, move the minute hand backwards about 10 minutes, then forward to the chime point and see if it starts chiming. If your clock has side panels, remove the one on the right (as you look at the clock) and see if one or more of the chime hammers is in a lifted position. If it is, lift all 4 or 8 chime hammers away from the chime rods. If the clock was jammed mid-chime, the pin wheel will snap back into place and the chiming will resume.
    Other than these things, failure to chime is most often caused by either needing lubrication or wear in the bearings. In these cases you will need to have a professional clock repairer do a service call.