5 Things you need to know before buying a treadmill
When i bought a treadmill few years ago with some other fitness equipments to start getting in shape i had no clue that they require a maintenance routine every weeks or months! (depends on usage).
I figured it out the hard and painful way, because in the first few months my treadmill started to have a burning smell and the motor became very hot that you cannot even touch it! And was struggling to keep running. I thought it was a over usage issue so i started to reduce my treadmill time about 50% which like a half hour, Until it completely broke and no longer was working…I did a lot of treadmill googling and i wandered different websites and videos…until i found out couple important things that you should know before buying or doing anything:
Lubrication
YES! treadmills need to be lubricated every period of time, It depends on the usage, if you’re going to use it everyday for about an hour then you should lubricate it every 3 months and if half hour then 6 months etc…
Treadmills have their own lubricants which is 100% silicone. Some people will suggest a wax powder or other types BUT DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! The only good suitable lubricant is the oily 100% silicone products for many reasons; It’s cheaper + last longer + doesn’t allow dust to get between the belt and deck which will create friction and that will damage almost every thing including the motor and causes it to heat up and then wear off!
A good way to know if your treadmill need to be lubricated or not is to get your fingers between the deck and belt, it should feel oily or slippery, if not and it feels dry then it’s time to lubricate. Also pay attention to the burning smell and motor temperature, When there’s a lot of friction the treadmill will struggle to run.
Deck
Most average or lower priced treadmills have a wooden deck covered with black low-friction top surface and YES it wears off over time, especially if you don’t clean it and lube it regularly. So if you notice the top surface is not that smooth or have a certain exposed areas then it’s time to get that deck replaced OR:
You can flip it! That’s what i did and what most people do. Just make sure to use the correct screwdriver. If it’s already flipped or the surface is damaged then…well…a new deck is needed.
Belt
Same as the deck, the belt also wears off over time. especially if touched by water or other cleaning products! Don’t you ever use house cleaning products on the treadmills belt! they will ruin it, Good thing it can be replaced as well.
The best way to clean a treadmills belt is first to use a clean sports/running shoes that you don’t wear outside, only inside the house when you workout, second thing is you can grab a piece of clean cloth or a small towel then start the treadmill at low speed and slowly use it on the belt.
Carbon Brushes
This is may not be the case for you but my treadmill had a DC motor which uses something called Carbon Brushes, it looks like this:
They come in different sizes and shapes but they all have the same functionality which is conducting a electrical current between the stationary and rotating parts of a motor.
These little bastards wear off as well! but they take a little bit longer than the others, so if you feel like something is wrong with your treadmill and it’s not the previous talking points this may be it! Check your treadmills motor brushes just in case and make sure to unplug the treadmill before you do anything*.
Dust
Dust is one of your treadmill greatest enemy he’s also the enemy of you PC and even your lungs! So keeping your treadmill clean and dust free not only will reduce friction but also extend its life. Clean it every month or two, not only from the outside but inside as well because over time dust gets everywhere even in the motor and other moving parts which like i said it will cause friction.
Cleaning under the treadmill or the place where you workout is also very important! Use a non-ionic surfactant to sweep the floor and remove dust.
Tags:TreadmillLubricationWorkoutMotorBeltDeckBrushes