Why Do All Treadmills Need Maintenance?

The truth is, that any treadmill can be classified as a complex machine. Some treadmills may have more or less features than another, but the mechanical arrangement is basically the same.

All treadmills have a walking/running platform that is usually referred to as the deck, and a walking/running belt that is usually referred to as the treadbelt. The treadbelt and deck do make direct contact with each other. These two components, left unattended, will develop a frictional build up and will wear each other out, prematurely.

All treadmills have a drive motor and control board that directs electrical power to the motor and other components. Regardless if the motor is AC or DC driven, these motors generate a slight static draw that will attract dust and lint into the motor area. The motor area, left unattended, will eventually become coated by a dust and lint blanket (which looks something like the trapped lint in a clothes dryer lint trap) that will act as an insulator. This cover of dust and lint can inhibit air flow, not allowing the components to be cooled by direct or indirect air travel. Also, this blanket of dust and lint will definitely disrupt the components ability to dissipate heat naturally through the outer extremities of the component and force it to retain heat. This will cause the part to fatigue prematurely, due to excess heat.

Routine maintenance also provides the opportunity to check the treadmill for other foreign items that may have accidently found their way into the treadmill. These items can be toys, keys, coins, pebbles/rocks, balls, etc. These are items that have been commonly pulled from treadmills by service technicians.

Timely and proper maintenance is the key to long treadmill life. Refer to the owners manual or contact the manufacturer about the specific maintenance required for the treadmill in question.

Be leery of a treadmill that is labeled as “maintenance free”. If a sales person tells you a treadmill is maintenance free, contact the manufacturer to verify what their policy is on warranties and maintenance!

Safety
A properly maintained treadmill is a safe treadmill. To keep your treadmill safe, the following areas should be checked for proper working order:

• Make sure the treadmill is plugged into a grounded outlet.
• Make sure the treadmill does not share an outlet or fuse line with an appliance or a high amperage drawing item.
• Make sure the power cord is not laid directly under the treadmill or making contact with other parts of the treadmill.
• Make surethe safety key can attach to the user’s clothing and safety stop buttons are working correctly.
• Make sure the treadbelt is centered or “tracked” correctly in the center of the deck.
• Make sure the treadmill is clear of obstacles that could be drawn or kicked under the treadmill.
• Make sure the treadmill is calibrated to incline and speed specifications.
• Make sure the motor does not sound noisy or laborious.
• Make sure all bolts and nuts are tight.
• Make sure the end of the treadmill’s deck is not placed close to a wall or other fixture, allowing no escape for the user in an emergency.

Smooth
A properly maintained treadmill should have a reasonably smooth motor and treadbelt action when a user is on it. There may be some variance from one manufacturer compared to another, or one model compared to another, depending on the quality level and materials used to construct the treadmill. However, a treadmill’s motor drive and belt rotation should be expected to be smooth and consistent. There are maintenance requirements to keep a treadmill smooth:

• Make sure that all belts are tight. A loose belt will slip and make the treadbelt seem jerky. There are two belts in a treadmill, the motor belt and the walking/running belt (be careful not to overtighten the treadbelt).
• Wipe down and clean the deck and belt area from dust and other debris that might work it’s way into this area. It will cause extra friction and impede the belt motion over the deck.
• Lubricate or wax the deck according to manufacturer’s specifications. There are a few manufacturers that do not have an option for this, verify options before servicing. Use the specific lubricant suggested by the manufacturer.
• Keep the walking/running belt “tracked” correctly.
• Check for foreign objects under the treadmill that may catch and impede the belt drive.
• calibrate the treadmill for speed and/or incline to manufacturer’s specifications.

Cool
Heat is a treadmill’s worst enemy. Heat comes from three different conditions. These conditions are electrical heat caused by excessive amperage draw, heat caused by excessive friction, and heat caused by a load beyond the manufacturer’s specifications. A well maintained treadmill will run cool if the following criteria are met:

• The user of the treadmill does impact the treadmill beyond the manufacturer’s specification. This creates a work load that the treadmill is not able to handle.
• The treadmill has the correct voltage from the outlet and is grounded correctly. Not enough voltage creates it’s own problems as well as too much voltage.
• Dust and lint are regularly cleaned from the motor area as well as the deck and belt area.
• Deck and belt area is waxed or lubricated to the specifications from the manufacturer.
• All belts are properly tightened and tracked correctly.
• The treadmill is not exposed directly to a heat source, such as a heater vent.

Treadmill Maintenance Schedule
The maintenance of your treadmill is not difficult. But, when performed consistently, it makes all the difference in the world. There are (3) three general areas of maintenance for treadmills: 1) dust and lint removal, 2) vacuuming, 3) care for the walking belt and platform(deck).

The first area is very easy and should be done on a regular basis. This is a general wipe down of the machine for dust, lint, dirt, pebbles and other items that are foreign to the treadmill. This should be done once or twice a month, or when ever dusting or cleaning is done in the room. When dust and lint get under the walking/running belt, it causes extra friction between the deck and belt and will cause premature wear out if left unattended.

The second area is to vacuum out the motor area and underneith the treadmill. The motor area and the underside of the treadmill needs to be vacuumed out on a regular basis. The dust, lint and other material from under the treadmill will need to be vacuumed on a regular basis, consistently with the dusting schedule. Items that happen to collect under the treadmill can be drawn into the motor area from the movement of the belt. You should always have a treadmill mat under your treadmill. It is a static barrier between your treadmill and the floor that it is situated on. It lessens the dust and lint draw from the floor by 60% compared to not having a mat at all.

The motor area must be vacuumed out at least once a year, if not twice a year. All motors and electrical power boards generate a light static draw and will attract dust and lint. If not attended to, dust and lint will be attracted to and settle into the motor area and blanket it. This blanket of foreign material will create an unwanted insulation barrier and not allow the motor or other components to cool themselves, once again, leading to premature parts fatigue and failure.

The third area is to maintain the lubricant or wax to the deck and belt area. This compound prevents friction between the two contacting surfaces of the deck and belt. If not maintained on a regular basis, the two surfaces will prematurely wear each other out as a higher level of friction sets in. This higher level of friction also causes higher heat levels in the motor and power boards as more power is needed to push a dry belt over the deck. Please refer to the lubrication schedules from the manufacturer.