Treadmill Maintenance Tips

Many people find it difficult to visit a gym for their daily workout sessions and hence prefer to work out at home. This is the reason they use treadmills, as it is an easy and fast way to get in the daily exercise. However, a treadmill also requires regular maintenance. The machine will have a longer life only if you take care of it on a regular basis. The maintenance is not very expensive and you can do it on your own. However, replacing the parts when they wear out is necessary.

Simply cleaning the treadmill twice a week is also very useful. Many times, due to its rough and unmaintained usage, the parts start wearing off beforehand and lose their shelf life earlier. These are the following factors that you need to include while maintaining the treadmill.

• Always keep the machine away from dust and dirt.
• One of the major causes of premature wearing of the belt and deck is the dirt and debris that gets collected on them.
• Clean the deck as well as the belt once or twice a week. Clean in between them as dirt tends to get accumulated in the small exposed areas.

• Also, wipe down the entire machine once a week with a wet or a dry cloth, so that the accumulated dust is cleaned away.
• You can even vacuum or wipe the area around it.
• The motor area needs to be cleaned twice to thrice per year. Unplug the treadmill before you remove the cover.

• For lubrication of the various parts, first read the owner's manual and then remove the cover for exposing them.

• Many times, treadmills don't require lubrication and doing so unnecessarily can cause damage, as many decks are made of materials which are already galvanized and pre-impregnated with wax.
• Lubrication of such parts will increase the friction between the belt and the deck causing the motor to get damaged.

• Belts run directly down the center of the deck and if your belt is not in the center, something is wrong.
• It needs alignment. Adjust the bolts on either side of the machine in such a way that the belt is in the center. Read the manual for proper directions.

• Manual treadmill maintenance also involves the tightness and looseness of the belt. The tension that has been adjusted from the factory can be changed either by you or a repairman.

• If the belt is loose, you can slip while running and if it is too tight, it can wear faster.
• The belt and the deck also require periodic replacements--after every three months. If you don't replace it in time and keep running on the worn out belt, it might wear out the deck and the motor may get spoiled.

• Most treadmills today are operated by a computer-controlled electronic console. It controls the speed of the belt and your movement, respectively. Thus make sure you have it plugged to a properly ground AC outlet.
• Connect the treadmill to a dedicated circuit to avoid electrical problems and shocks.

Thus, maintaining a treadmill properly is of utmost importance to maintain its life and your safety.