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How to Repair a Pendulum on a Grandfather Clock

Grandfather clocks are tall mechanical clocks. Weights supply power to a system of internal gears. The time itself is regulated by a pendulum. As the pendulum swings from side to side, it advances a small wheel located inside the grandfather clock movement. A pendulum that is either too fast or too slow will result in a clock that keeps inaccurate time. Repair the pendulum by making a few simple adjustments.

Instructions

- 1
  Check the time on the grandfather clock against your watch or another clock. If the time is incorrect, look for the pendulum bob. The pendulum bob is the disk located at the bottom of the pendulum rod.
- 2
  Loosen the nut at the very bottom of the pendulum rod. Loosening the nut permits the pendulum bob to move up and down on the pendulum rod.
- 3
  Turn the nut to raise the pendulum bob if the grandfather clock is too slow. Raising the bob in effect shortens the pendulum. A shorter pendulum swings faster, thus keeping faster time.
- 4
  Turn the nut to lower the pendulum bob if the grandfather clock runs too fast. Lowering the bob in effect lengthens the pendulum. The longer the pendulum, the slower it moves.
- 5
  Tighten the nut at the bottom of the pendulum rod. Check the time on the grandfather clock. If the clock is still too fast or too slow, loosen the nut and readjust the pendulum bob.
- 6
  Continue to adjust the pendulum bob until the grandfather clock shows the correct time. Check the time once a day for an entire week. Readjust the pendulum bob as needed.

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