How to Quiet a Loud Ticking Clock
Who hasn’t had a loud ticking clock in their living room? Only the lucky people, and we’re not one of those. Loud ticking clocks are a pain in the butt. I don’t want to be reminded every moment that I’m wasting my life in front of the TV. Give me a break you obnoxious clock! In this article I’ve collected a few tips that actually work for fixing a loud clock. Feel free to use them!
1. Place the clock in a clear container
If you want to reduce the noise of any appliance or human being, simply place it in a container. The barrier will reduce the noise you can hear even though the clock will still be ticking on as usual. A glass dome or a jar that you can put a lid on are two viable solutions. According to many people this works really well.
2. Use clock oil on the gears & add some foam
The gears inside the clock might need some extra lubrication. This works for quieting many appliances, and clocks are no different. There is a specific kind of oil called clock oil that you should use for these small and sensitive gears. It’s also really small and easier to spray. Check out this popular clock oil on Amazon.
In order to spray the oil, first remove the clock from the wall and place it face down on a desk (this might sound kinky, but it’s really not). Once you’ve planted it face-down on a surface, remove the back panel. You’ll probably need to unhook or unscrew it to get it off.
Once you’ve done that you’ll have the inside gears in view. Now you can spray the gears once or twice with the clock oil.
When you’re finished spraying the gears, place the clock back on the desk face-up and let the extra oil drip for 15-30 minutes. Place some paper towels under the clock so that the oil doesn’t drip directly on the surface.
When it’s all dried out and clean, add some egg crate foam or acoustic foam in the back. This will muffle the ticking noise to an extent. Make sure that there’s still enough space for the gears to keep turning.
Now it’s time for the final step. Place the back panel to its original position and hang the clock back on the wall. You’ll most certainly notice reduction in ticking noise. How much? That really depends on whether the clock was supposed to be that loud or it was due to lack of lubrication. But you’ll notice the reduction from the foam placement alone as it acts as an additional barrier against the sound.
This is something that requires 3-5 minutes of active work, so why not give it a try? If nothing comes of it, at least it’s a wild story you can tell to your grandchildren. Sort of like Indiana Jones. The Clock Struggle Edition.
If you’ve got a small alarm clock that’s ticking like crazy, then check out these step-by-step instructions for lubing it up successfully.
3. Buy a silent, non-ticking clock
If you’re not particularly fond of your loud clock, why not replace it with a brand new one? Especially if it’s a cheap clock. In that case it’s almost not worth the bother and you’d be better off buying a new one that doesn’t tick at all.
There are silent, non-ticking clocks that cost anywhere between $5-$20. One of these bad boys can completely eliminate your headaches.
This is currently the most popular silent wall clock on Amazon. There are many others of course if it doesn’t fit the style of your room. Here is the full collection of over 200 completely silent and whisper quiet clocks that would love to be part of your household.
Final Thoughts
Noisy clocks can disrupt your concentration and ruin your time of peace and quiet. There’s no reason to tolerate such an intrusion! In the end, a man must choose his destiny: place the loud clock in an enclosure and/or lube it up and add some foam to its buttocks… or buy a brand new clock that will respect your privacy a little more.
