NAPA 8300 as a Treadmill Walking Belt Lubricant? Not Any More!
Fitness
For over a decade now, factories have recommended that people use NAPA 8300 silicone spray under treadmill belts to reduce friction. This multi-purpose spray has amazingly served most consumers making it a very popular product for treadmills. However, we recently bought a can and noticed a little warning in the corner that said, “DANGER! EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE.” It made us wonder if NAPA had changed things up since the last time we bought it (we typically use our own lube).
We turned the can around and this is now what you can find in the cautions and warning label from a can of NAPA 8300:
CAUTION: May damage some plastics. May harm painted or waxed finishes. Always test in an inconspicuous area before use.
CONTAINS: 67-64-1 Acetone, 110-54-3 Hexane, 74-98-6 Propane, 107-83-5 Isohexane Isomers, 63148-62-9 Poly(dimethylsiloxane), 96-14-0-3 Methylpentane, 79-29-8-2, 3-Dimethylbutane, 110-82-7 Cyclohexane, 75-83-2 2, 2-Dimethylbutane
DANGER! EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. Keep away from heat, sparks, and open flame. Vapors will accumulate readily and may ignite explosively. Keep area ventilated during use and until all vapors are gone.
DO NOT SMOKE- Extinguish all flames, pilot lights and heaters- Turn off stoves, electric tools and appliances, and anyother sources of ignition.
CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or heat from radiators, stoves, hot water tanks and other heat sources that may cause bursting. Do not puncture, incinerate, burn or store above 120F. Keep upright in a cool, dry place. Do not discard empty can in trash compactor.
VAPOR HARMFUL. Use with adequate ventilation. Avoid continuous breathing of vapor and spray mist. To avoid breathing vapors or spray mist, open windows and doors, or use other means to ensure fresh air entry during application and drying. If you experience eye watering, headaches, or dizziness, increase fresh air or wear respiratory protection (NIOSH approved) or leave the area. Overexposure may cause numbness in extremities which can persist for some period of time and may be permanent. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Wash hands after using.
FIRST AID: In case of eye contact, flush thoroughly with large amounts of water for 15 minutes and get medical attention. For skin contact, wash thoroughly with soap and water. In case of respiratory difficulty, provide fresh air and call physician.
DELAYED EFFECTS FROM LONG TERM OVEREXPOSURE. Contains solvents which can cause permanent brain and nervous system damage. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal.
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
A Little Bit About the First Listed Ingredient
67-64-1 Acetone is the first ingredient listed on the back of the NAPA 8300. 67-64-1 Acetone or Propanone actually has an ERG 127 label (Emergency Response Guide Number 127). It is one of those highly flammable liquids that will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames when exposed at a certain heat level. Also, inhalation or contact with the product sprayed with this material can irritate a user’s skin.
NAPA 8300 contains ingredients that can cause cancer according to the State of California, and is now highly flammable. We aren’t sure when NAPA made this change because as we said, we have been using our own liquid silicone for years but we know the public should know about this change because we know there are a plethora of manuals out there that recommend that people use NAPA 8300.
This is a major concern that consumers must know and cease to use NAPA 8300 for lubricating treadmill belts. Some factories several years ago started warning people not to use oxygen devices or tanks around treadmills because treadmills create heat and the DC motor can spark from the brushes and they didn’t want a fire. Do you really think you should be spraying a substance that has “DANGER, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE” printed right on the front?!?
That’s not to mention that you should never use any petroleum-based substances on treadmill belts so in case you missed the ingredients list, read it again. It is “chock full of nuts” so to speak.
An Alternative
What we recommend now is to transition to an alternative silicone which won't harm the belt or your health. One solution is the Silicone Slip Coat Lube. The Silicone Slip Coat is a water-soluble silicone that can be sprayed under treadmill running belt to properly lubricate the machine. In addition, this lube is actually a food-grade, water-based, liquid silicone approved by the FDA for use in food processing equipment. It should be noted that the silicone included in the contents of this lube is also used to lubricate food processing machines.