Easy Home Treadmill Maintenance

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By Simon Gould

You pay a lot of money for a treadmill and they take a while to assemble. The cost means it's a good thing to maintain it. Treadmills require regular maintenance where you need to take care of it after every use then there are things you need to do weekly and monthly. Fortunately I have listed everything you need to do as part of a regular home treadmill maintenance to make sure it lasts.

Maintenance schedule

If you own a treadmill it's quite unfortunate that you can't just buy it and use it and leave it as it is. You need to maintain it after every use and there's things you need to do on a monthly and other time periods. It's an investment that you can't ignore, you can't just have a technician look after it every year, like a car it needs regular maintenance more often and it means you'll have to do it.

• After each use/weekly - When you've used the treadmill you probably sweat a lot and you've certainly made dust circulate around the room. Therefore you need to wipe the machine down with a dry cloth to clean the dust and perspiration. Do this weekly even if you don't use the machine that often just to prevent any dust getting into the electronics where the console is. Don't spray any cleaning chemicals on the treadmill just use the cloth.

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• Bi-weekly - Check all the screws are tight and that the safety key works. When you vacuum around the home make sure you do it around the treadmill and especially under it. You may need help in moving the machine but it's worth it. We really need to make sure dust doesn't accumulate in the workings because that's what makes the machine break down. A small bit of effort on a regular basis makes all the difference.

• Monthly - Unplug the treadmill. Remove the motor cover and vacuum around the motor itself. Try not to touch any of the wires or other components with the vacuum, this will really extend the life of the motor which is the most important part of the treadmill. This is all while taking care of the machine by doing the weekly and bi-weekly tasks.

• Quarterly - Unplug the treadmill. This is quite a busy time for treadmill maintenance but as said before it's all worth it. You should clean the belt and lubricate between the deck and belt and remember not to use household lubrication. Treadmill belts require silicone based lube that you should buy from the manufacturer of the treadmill or lube made especially for the job. It's not expensive and available everywhere.

• Half yearly - As well as doing all the tasks we've mentioned before, check the belt for wear and tear because your treadmill can last for years if taken care of properly. All these tasks may not need to be carried out so often if the treadmill is not used, but if it is you will get years from your machine from these maintenance tasks.

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• Yearly - This isn't something that's recommended as such but I would consider getting an expert technician in treadmills to service your machine. An expert giving it an inspection could make all the difference to the longevity of your machine. They may spot something you haven't noticed and may give you advice on some other maintenance tasks you may need to do. If you can afford it, and if you use your treadmill a lot, then an annual look at by an expert is something I would recommend.

Summary

All the above represents some time and cost investment but you should pay a lot for your treadmill in the first place. If you've bought a good one, which you definitely should do if you're seriously about your health, then regular maintenance is something that needs to be done. Of course if you join a gym with treadmills then you have nothing to worry about but that costs money as well!

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