My clock is not chiming; is there anything I can do?

Please note:  In this article we use the word "chime" to refer to the melody a clock plays as it marks the quarter hours and "strike" to refer to the bonging sound a clock makes when it counts the hours.
    When properly chiming, the traditional Westminster chimes plays four descending notes on the first quarter-hour, eight notes on the second quarter-hour, twelve notes on the third quarter hour and 16 notes on the hour.  After the clock chimes on the hour, it should then strike the number of hours.  To troubleshoot:

• Check that the chime selection lever is not set to “silent”.  I have been called to deal with a chiming problem only to find that an overnight guest turned the chimes off.  The chime selection lever is usually on the right side of the dial by the number 3.  However, it may be on the left side by the 9 or even at the top by the 12.  Instead of a chime silent lever, some clocks have a rod that hangs below the dial which is pushed up or pulled down to silence the chimes.  This is often the case with cuckoo clocks.  Some cuckoos have a silence lever that protrudes from the left wall of the “house”.  Some grandfather clocks have two strings hanging down on either side of the dial; pulling one silences the chimes, and pulling the other activates them again.

• If the clock has Automatic Night Silence, try advancing the time twelve hours.  The clock might be silenced during the day and chiming at night.
• If the clock has weights, check that the weights are in the correct order.  Some weight shells are marked Left, Center, and Right (L, C, R) on the bottom.  Generally, the lightest weight hangs on your left side as you face the clock and the heaviest weight hangs on the right.
• If someone tried to change chimes or silence the chimes while they were in operation, a chime hammer may be caught against a tooth.  Open the side doors and check that the hammers are free to move.​​

Most modern clocks (made since World War II) will automatically bring themselves into the right chime sequence.  If the chimes are chiming the wrong quarter hours, let the clock run two hours to re-sequence itself.  If your clock was made before WWII or if your modern clock re-sequencing function is improperly adjusted, you may have to re-sequence it manually.  ​​

• To do this, start with the minute hand pointing to one of the quarter hours (3, 6, 9 or 12). Then turn the minute hand backward (counter-clockwise) to the previous quarter hour and then continue back (counter clockwise) an additional 5 minutes.  
• Next, bring the minute hand forward to the starting place again. The clock should chime. 
• Continue to move the minute hand backward to the most recent quarter hour and then to the starting place again until the clock chime agrees with the time shown on the clock. 

       For example, if the minute hand is at 12 but the clock chimes as if it were pointing to 6 (the half hour), move the minute hand counter-clockwise past 9 to about 8.  Then move the minute hand back to 12.  The clock should then chime the 3/4 hour.  Repeat the above one more time and the clock should chime the full hour when the minute hand points to 12.

Once the chimes are sequenced correctly, set the time by moving the minute hand clockwise to the time.   As you are doing this, pause as the hand passes every quarter hour mark to allow the clock to chime. 

If a modern clock returns to being out of sequence, then the hands are probably on incorrectly.  This can only happen if someone has previously taken the hands off for some reason or if a hand is very loose on its bushing. 

• To re-align the minute hand, first turn it clockwise until the clock chimes, and note which quarter hour it is chiming.  Using a small pliers, loosen the small nut that holds the hands on their arbor.  Remove the nut and the minute hand.  Check that the bushing is not lose in the hub of the hand.  You can tighten the bushing by placing the hand on a hard surface such as an anvil and them striking the hand bushing with a hammer. Replace the minute hand so that it points to the quarter hour that the chimes just played.  Replace the nut and tighten it carefully. 

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