Time too chill in Levin . . .
Town clock removed for repair, reset
Levin's iconic town clock is under repair. Under sweltering January summer sun the clock's temperature was reading a chilly minus one degree.
Scaffolding has been erected by Levin Scaffolding and the electric component has been removed and taken offsite where it will be repaired by Levin East Electrical.
The dodgy temperature reading comes not long after the actual clock was replaced in 2019.
For years its four faces had told a different time. Each clock face had a separate motor. Two of the four motors had failed and the manufacturer confirmed they were all near the end of their normal service life after 10 years.
All four clock motors have now been replaced, and the clock tower lights have been replaced with LEDs.
The clock is fitted with a GPS world time controller, which is linked to a satellite. It automatically adjusts the time to match the world clock after power failures and for daylight savings time changes.
It did this by fractionally speeding up or slowing down the clock hand movements so the time is altered over a period. When this adjustment is happening, the clock can be seen showing the incorrect time from the street.
When the clock's temperature gauge was working, it often differed from officially recognised readings taken from a MetService site in Mako Mako Rd. That was because the clock was affected by direct sunlight and heat from the building and road below.
The clock and temperature guage was installed in 1999 with a donation from Rotary after a fundraising drive.