Extend The Life Of Your Treadmill

The treadmill manufacturing process has improved so much in recent years that there

is little required of owners to get a lot of use out of their equipment. However, because treadmills are machines with moving parts, their lives can be extended through a little preventive maintenance.

The first step is to read your owner's manual. There are some basic differences in treadmills that mean that one set of maintenance procedures do not apply to all treadmills. Don't do something to your treadmill just because your friend did it to theirs! The best example is lubrication of this principle is the tread belt. Lubricating those belts that don't require it, or lubricating with the wrong kind of lubricant, can permanently damage your machine. The wrong kinds of lubricant include motor oil and cooking oil. The right kind is typically petroleum-free and designed specifically for treadmills. By applying lubricant to the tread belt, you reduce the friction on it and extend its life. Be careful not to get any lubrication on the outer belt surface as this would make it slippery and difficult to run on.

Tread belts stretch over time so often need to be adjusted to prevent or correct slipping. Proper alignment of the front and rear rollers reduces the stress on the belt and extends its life. Your owner's manual will tell you how to align and tighten the belt. Typically, you can adjust the belt's lateral position and tension with an Allen wrench on the bolts at the base of the treadmill. A knocking sound while running on the machine may be the belt not tracking correctly. It could also be a defective roller.

To further reduce uneven stress on the treadmill and the possibility of the belt becoming unaligned, place it on the most level floor you can. If your floor is not level, using a carpenter's level and shims can correct for this.

A leading cause of treadmill problems is dust. A dusty belt can increase strain on the motor and reduce its life. Therefore, keep dust out of your workout room and remove it from your treadmill when possible. Vacuuming between the belt and frame, or just wiping with a damp cloth, can extend the life of your machine. If you unplug the treadmill and rotate the belt to a different position before vacuuming again, you will as much dust out as you can. You can also take off the motor cover and vacuum inside, but be careful not the touch the static-sensitive electronics.

Putting a rubber mat under your treadmill not only protects your floor, but can prevent the treadmill from drawing dust into itself while it's running. Plugging the treadmill into a surge protector will prevent damage to the console of the treadmill in an electrical storm. Plugging into a grounded outlet will help prevent electrical shocks.

Don't worry about your treadmill!

by: Robert Braun

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