How to muffle the sound of a ticking wall clock? This post is dedicated to answering this question. I hope this helps.
Aside from outside noise that sabotages the tranquility of your room, a loud ticking wall clock can also add to the problem. Even if you soundproofed the room correctly, if the clock produces noise, the problem is still unsolved.
So, how do you muffle the sound of a ticking wall clock?
Well, there are many affordable ways on how to muffle the sound of a ticking wall clock. The common one is to dismantle the clock and oil the gears and apply foam padding. However, the best and quickest solution is to buy a non-ticking clock.
If you are at home from a long day of a stressful job, you probably want the room quiet. Tranquility will help your mind relax and rejuvenate.
But if you have a wall clock that continuously producing a tick-tock sound, you won’t be able to have a peace of mind. I experienced the same issue with my clock before.
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Why Does the Sound of a Ticking Wall Clock So Loud?
Well, there are many reasons behind the tick-tock sound of a clock. Part of the whole picture is the mechanism of the clock. Older clocks, for instance, have heavier mechanisms that tend to produce a louder sound than the modern clocks.
Older clocks though are designed to last long. The modern clocks, on the other hand, have lighter mechanisms with lesser sound but often last shortly.
However, in most cases, even you have a modern wall clock, the ticking sound can be irritating. It distracts your focus and concentration.
This is usually happening if you bought a cheap wall clock. Even modern clocks are not equal in terms of quality and longevity. Some modern wall clocks last longer than others. The main difference can be seen in the price.
In most cases, cheaper wall clocks are louder than the expensive ones. The price of a commodity goes hand in hand with quality. This means that highly-priced products often have better quality and performance than their inexpensive counterparts.
The other reason is that cheaper wall clocks are made of the battery-powered pulsed electromagnet. This mechanism allows the fingers of the clock to move. So the tick-tock sound is a byproduct of the movement the mechanism creates.
The expensive wall clocks use pulsed motor instead of the pulsed electromagnet. Pulsed motor creates quiet movements of the clock’s finger making it soundless.
Wall clocks that are powered by pulsed motor just rotate the finger rather than ticking.
However, if you have a tight budget, you don’t have to buy a new expensive wall clock. There are ways you can tame the sound of your wall clock.
In this post, I will share the techniques I’ve learned from my personal experience making a wall clock quieter.
How to Muffle the Sound of a Ticking Wall Clock?
As mentioned, there are a lot of ways you can do to make a wall clock quieter. And oftentimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones.
In this post, I will share with you some of the best ways to muffle the sound of a ticking wall clock.
I hope that the following techniques will help you too. Are you ready? I am ready. Let’s dive in.
1. Use a Clear Container or a Jar
This is the simplest solution I’ve tried before. The only challenge is finding a container or a glass dome that fits on the top of the clock. Once you found it, you can simply place the jar or container covering the clock to contain the tick-tock it is producing.
Well, the result is not perfect quietness. You can still hear the sound from the clock but it is bearable. It is considerably lessened.
2. Cover the clock Mechanism Box with Tissues
Another technique that you can do with your noisy clock is to cover its mechanism box with tissues. This might sound messy but this works if you did it right.
Use glue to tightly attach the multilayered tissues around the clock. Cover the whole backside and all the round edges of the clock. Keep all the tissues tucked to keep the clock neat.
The success of this strategy depends on the execution of the technique. If you do correctly, the better the results you’ll get.
3. Add Mass to the Wall Clock Mechanism
Another strategy you can employ is to add mass to the wall clock mechanism. The first step is to take the clock off the wall.
Then on the back, find the clock’s motor. It is usually located in the center. This area is where you insert the battery. It is like a small box.
Once you found it, prepare a piece of cloth or fabric to cover the ticking mechanism. You can use any type of cloth here so long as it can do the job. But whatever you use, make sure that it is dense and heavy enough. As you might have already known, in terms of soundproofing, heavy and dense materials often get better results.
Then complete the whole process with packing tape. Make sure that the cloth seals all the points where the ticking sound of the clock passes through.
This technique follows the principle of soundproofing. That is blocking the sound or containing it in one space.
Although it reduces the sound, this might not be the best solution to this problem. The main reason is that this technique only covers the backside of the clock. You have to remember that the face of the clock remains passage of ticking sound. As a result, this strategy will not completely quiet the clock but it reduces the ticking noise.
Also, this strategy gives you extra work every time you change the battery. Because it is covered with cloth and tape, you have to peel off the tape before you can put the new battery.
4. Us Mains Powered Digital LED Clock
If you are looking for a quick answer to the noisy ticking clock, you can switch to Mains Powered Digital LED Clock (click here to see this clock on Amazon).
Unlike traditional wall clocks, the mains powered digital clock is a lot quieter than its counterparts. You can connect it to the mains which in turn synchronizes the time using the mains frequency.
This clock generally rotates rather than ticking which in turn does its job quietly.
5. Oil the Mechanism
Oiling the mechanism of the wall clock will help it function quieter. The only drawback I see with this technique is that most wall clocks have a sensitive and complicated mechanism. If you go on with this route, make sure to pay attention to small details when dismantling the clock mechanism.
What I learned is that most modern clocks especially the cheap ones tightly seal their mechanisms inside. This makes the fixing process challenging and difficult.
If there are screws at the backside of the clock, it is a good sign that it can be dismantled. You can take the screws off to have access to the inside mechanism.
If you are new, I suggest that you pay close attention to the small pieces of the mechanism. Remember that what comes last, must be the first part to put on.
I learned this as I tried to fix my wall clock. All wall clocks have similar principles. Once you’ve learned the basics, you’ll be totally fine.
When lubricating the mechanism, I suggest using the special oil made for that purpose. The specialized oil is thinner than regular oils. It is perfect for lubricating the tiny and sensitive mechanism of the wall clock.
But if your goal is to add tension to the mechanism to make it quieter, you can use 5W or 20W vehicle oil. These types of oils are heavier which in turn makes the whole mechanism heavier.
To do this, you can follow the steps I laid out below:
- Locate the screws at the backplate of the clock. Then take the screws off to detach the plate and expose the gears of the clock.
- Look for the loosened parts and screw them tightly. This step can be challenging sometimes due to the tiny size of the pieces of the mechanism. So be patient and determined.
- When opening the mechanism housing, exercise extra care. Remember that little mistakes could end up in a disaster.
- Inside the mechanism, there is a tiny coil that moves the second hand of the clock. In most cases, this is the main source of the annoying ticking sound. Find it and apply a drop of heavy oil on it. You can use a medicine dropper. But the best that I tried is the end of a toothpick. It drops just enough amount of oil necessary for that purpose.
- The gear bearings and teeth should only be the parts to be oiled. Just put enough oil not too much and spread it evenly.
- Using a clock oil makes the whole process easier than using a vehicle oil though. You can just spray a small amount on the mechanism until the gears are coated with oil. That’s it. Then leave the clock with the backside open to allow the excess oil to somehow evaporate.
- The final step is to put all the parts together. This can be challenging and oftentimes causes difficulties especially if you did not pay attention to details. As mentioned, try to remember the sequence of the pieces you pull out.
Aside from oiling the mechanism of the clock, you can add some mass in the clock. This is the soundproofing principle but can be also effective in this case.
However, this technique may not be applicable to all clocks out there. This is because some wall clocks have no extra space inside to accommodate extra mass.
But if your clock allows additional sound dampening materials, it is definitely helpful. The extra mass will absorb the sound, therefore, making the clock quieter.
To learn more about how to muffle the sound of a ticking wall clock, feel free to watch the video below. It helps you throughout the whole process.
6. Put the Clock in a Transparent Glass Container
If you want to achieve the total quietness of your clock, you can use a glass container. The container must be transparent to allow you to see the clock inside. Then seal the container to contain the ticking sound.
Any jar will do so long as the clock perfectly fits inside. The one that I tried before is a mason jar. If you do it right, the clock will be quieter than expected.
However, if you do this with your wall clock, you need to find a new place for your wall clock to put on. Obviously, you won’t be able to hang the clock on the wall while inside in the jar.
Another thing that you may encounter is your neighbors or friends asking why a wall clock is in the mason jar. This is funny but it really helps in making your room quiet.
7. Buy a New Wall Clock
As you might have already noticed, all the strategies I have shared above require a bit of effort. If you don’t want to undergo any of the steps laid out above, then the best option is to buy a new wall clock.
When choosing a wall clock to buy, make sure it is digital (click here to see the recommended Digital Clock on Amazon). This clock is not only quieter but also more accurate.
If you don’t want my recommended, you can shop online or in your nearby store. My suggestion is that, if you have a budget for this, I recommend buying a little bit expensive wall clock. As you know, the price goes hand in hand with quality.
That said, buying an expensive wall clock will assure you a quieter environment. But of course, not all advertised wall clocks are indeed quiet. This is more challenging when you are ordering it online.
My tip is that before buying the clock, make some research online. Read all the customer reviews to give you an idea of how well a wall clock performs based on the real people’s experience.
If you go to Amazon, you definitely see many wall clock brands. The good thing about Amazon is that they display the customers’ reviews which allow you to examine the quality of the product.
In this post, I will share with you some of the best quiet clocks you can try.
Some Quietest Wall Clocks to Consider
If you are considering buying a new quiet wall clock, I can help you choose probably the best clock you need.
At this point, I want to share two of my recommended clocks you can buy online.
1.Bekith 12-Inch Round Classic Retro Non-Ticking Decorative Wall Clock
If you are looking for a non-ticking clock, the Bekith 12-Inch Round Classic Retro Non-Ticking Decorative Wall Clock (click here to see this clock on Amazon). This clock does not only have a nice appearance but also it keeps your room free from the disturbing ticking sound.
This clock is also energy efficient. A single AA battery can serve you for a long period of time. And the best part is that it is affordable.
2.Peakeep Ultra Small No Ticking Analog Quartz Alarm Clock
The other quiet clock that I recommend is the Peakeep Ultra Small No Ticking Analog Quartz Alarm Clock (click here to see this clock on Amazon).
This is one of the highest quality clocks you can have at home. It is not only quiet but also user-friendly. Its modern design gives this clock amazing look and functionality.
Final Thoughts on How to Muffle the Sound of a Ticking Wall Clock
Making your wall clock quieter can be a challenge especially if you don’t have any idea how to do it. Because the mechanisms of the modern wall clocks are tiny, dealing with them may not be easy.
However, with the right strategy like the steps I mentioned above, you’ll be able to do it.
If you don’t like fixing the ticking noise of the wall clock, then buying a new one is the best option. You just make sure that you buy the one that gives what it promises.
I hope that all the tips and suggestions mentioned here will help you figure out how to fix the distracting ticking sound of your wall clock.
To learn more about sound elimination, feel free to read my Soundproofing Guide.
