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 accidentally 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 sure the 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 over tighten 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.
It is not uncommon for one heat source to cause another. For
example, a deck and belt that has not been maintained will
eventually cause high friction between the two surfaces. Not only
does this lead to the early failure of the two components, but
also increases the work load on the motor as it tries to push the
belt over the deck. This causes the motor to demand more power and
an increase of amperage draw. The motor and control board
increases in it’s heat and is subjected to possible fatigue and
premature failure.
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 underneath 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. |
