Treadmill Maintenance Tips: Keep Your Machine Running Smoothly

You are moving towards your next accomplishment on the treadmill. Sweat trickles down your face, breathing quickens, and a stirring sensation flows within your veins. The best feeling you get when doing something you know will benefit your health and fitness. But what if the treadmill you rely on to get your daily workout must be fixed? The grinding noise comes during your workout routine, the belt slows down, or the safety key fails. Suddenly, the appliance that used to help you is now an obstacle to your fitness routine.

Make sure a forgotten treadmill is not an obstacle in your exercise regime! Here's the good news: you only need to maintain this equipment, which will last you for quite some time. By following these basic care tips lines, your treadmill will no longer be the machine that causes many troubles but will become a valuable tool in your path toward a healthier lifestyle. Although you'll be able to get more usage out of your investment, the overall goal is to avoid potential accidents or discomfort while exercising to fully concentrate on the job at hand: achieve your fitness goals.

This tip explores the basic care procedures that must be taken to ensure that your treadmill runs like a champion. We will also discuss general cleaning, greasing and oiling, safety inspections, and parts replacement.

Keeping it Clean

• Wipe Down Your Treadmill After Every Use: Different environments have dust, sweat, and dirt, which can result in corrosion and wear off the motherboard. Quick rinsing with a damp cloth, as a rule, after each training session helps to avoid these problems while keeping things clean.
• Invest In A Treadmill Mat: This is especially so because in protecting the floor from scratches or scuff marks, the mat also captures dust and dirt that could otherwise find its way into the various parts of the treadmill.
• Clean The Console Regularly: Use dry clothes or a microfiber cloth to wipe the mouse and screen buttons to remove germs and dirt.

Maintaining Peak Performance

• Listen To Your Treadmill: It also will save you money in costly repairs and down time to look for new sounds or changes in the machine's normal operation. A grinding sound may suggest that one of the belts is not properly aligned, while no response from the unit might be due to overheating. The motor may need some time off to cool down as well as the walk belt may need lubrication using a high quality walk belt lubrication such as Treadmill Doctor World Famous Lube.
• Check The Belt Alignment And Tension: Before each use, check that the treadmill belt is properly aligned and free from tracking problems. Ninety-nine percent of treadmills provided will likely have a user manual containing tips on adjusting alignment and tension. If you require further clarification, it is advisable to seek assistance from a professional.
• Lubricate The Belt Regularly: This is essential in eradicating unnecessary stress on the lower electronics as well as the motor and belts, which can lead to a premature failure.

The Treadmill Doctor schedule typically works better than most factory recommendations. Our recommendation is to use our World Famous Lube once a year rather than having to use what most factories use which is a water based silicone. Water based silicone has 2 problems...1) it evaporates because it is water based and 2) it attracts dirt. Our World Famous lube has an ingredient that REPELS dirt and even though we do use a bit of water based silicone to give it an initial slickness, the base of our lube does not evaporate. You also cannot over lubricate the machine with our lube.

Safety First

Inspect The Safety Key: This little red/yellow key is crucial for safety purposes: it immediately powers the treadmill off if you stumble. Please ensure the key is firmly attached to the garment whenever used and replace it with a new one if defective. Replacement safety keys for most treadmill models can be purchased online or from the store that sells such equipment.

Check The Emergency Stop Button: Ensure the emergency stop button is within reach and works perfectly. Run it occasionally to ensure it instantly halts the treadmill's movement to a full stop.

Investing in Longevity

• Keep Your Treadmill On Level Ground: Variable surface topography impedes belt alignment. Therefore, the treadmill wears out in some areas while other parts remain relatively unused.
• Check Belt Alignment: Ensuring your treadmill belt is properly aligned is essential for its longevity and optimal performance. When the belt is centered on the running deck, it distributes wear and tear evenly, preventing premature stretching or damage to the belt or the treadmill itself.
• Allow The Motor To Cool Down: Always allow the treadmill to cool down for a few minutes while exercising, especially before you fold or store it. This helps the motor control its temperature and avoid overheating.
• Schedule Professional Maintenance (Optional): To ensure further safety, it is advisable to call an expert to service the treadmill at least once a year, depending on how frequently you exercise. An experienced technician can carefully examine your treadmill, inform you of any issues that could arise shortly, and ensure that your treadmill runs as efficiently as possible.

Replacement Parts

Indeed, regular maintenance greatly helps increase your treadmill's longevity; however, because of its frequent usage, certain components are bound to face a breakage point:

• Treadmill Belt: The belt may become stretched, worn out, or damaged during use. Some common symptoms of a bad belt are, lower electronics stop working, running irregularities such as slippage, walk belt alignment and often tripping the main power supply breaker/fuse. Fortunately, replacing the belt of a treadmill is not very complicated, and treadmill deck replacement is easily accessible for most treadmills.
• Motor: Bearings can wear out and cause a knocking sound, and brushes can wear down however those are replaceable on most units, however this may require an authorized technician to install. Running a treadmill with a worn-out walking belt will overheat the motor's windings and can cause the motor and several other parts to have to be replaced.

Bonus Tip: Make sure your treadmill manual is easily accessible for quick reference! It is a treasure trove of detailed tips for maintaining your model and repair tips.

Well, grab your pair of sneakers, turn the music on, and let the journey of your dream body begin with a well-maintained treadmill today!