Treadmill maintenance: The key to your treadmill's long life.

All fitness equipment requires upkeep and care. Treadmill maintenance is important in extending the longevity of your machine for years to come. One thing consumers should consider when looking at treadmills for sale is what kind of treadmill maintenance the machine will require in the coming years. Taking the time to compare treadmills will allow you to find a machine that requires minimal treadmill maintenance and will last many years. Maybe it'll outlive your refrigerator, who knows? Treadmill maintenance is very much an important element of that life span.

When you are looking at treadmills for sale, you can easily compare the benefits of self-maintaining treadmills versus those that might require a bit more TLC. Having that freedom to choose from a variety of treadmills makes treadmill maintenance a not-so-hard job for the users of the equipment.

It is the walking belt that needs the most treadmill maintenance. For walking belt lube instructions, follow the guidelines below:

1. Inspect belt and deck. The deck should be smooth. The belt should have a consistent feel from side to side. If you feel deep grooves in the deck or uneven wear on the underside of the belt, treadmill maintenance is needed.
    
2. Contaminants are the worst enemy of your belt and deck. Some treadmill maintenance may have an excessive accumulation of dirt and contaminants. If these are trapped during the belt lube process, damage will occur. Clean the deck with mineral spirits in a well-ventilated area.
    
3. Life the belt and use approximately half of the tube by squeezing the lube in the walking area lengthwise. Do the same on the opposite side. Do not put any lubrication on any surface with which your feet make contact. Treadmill maintenance requires safety too. You wouldn't want to slip while running, do you?
    
4. Adjust belt tension and centering by following your owner's manual on instructions if you have to loosen the belt to clean it. Treadmill maintenance calls for paying attention so if in doubt, refer to your owner's manual.

Another part needing treadmill maintenance is the treadmill motor. Before doing any treadmill maintenance, test your motor first. Many times a motor is replaced only to find another problem exists. Use these methods to test a motor for treadmill maintenance:

1. Cordless drill batteries - get a fully charged cordless drill battery and on most treadmills connect the red and black motor leads to the battery. If good, the motor should operate at about 1 mph.
    
2. Car battery - these 12V DC high map batteries so the motor will turn slowly in doing treadmill maintenance.
    
3. Lantern battery - a fully charged lantern battery should operate your motor at a slow speed for treadmill maintenance.
    
4. Use an outside DC converter with a variable speed input - this treadmill maintenance is the most complex but the best way to test a motor. Call your local service center for this kind of treadmill maintenance.

By keeping these vital parts in good condition, you will only need a small amount of treadmill maintenance. But before doing anything to your treadmill, make sure you check its warranty and service policy. You might pass up on a free service work.

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