Your treadmill manual will most times advise you to lubricate your walking belt. Most people do not, probably, because they do not know how and prefer to no take a chance. Some will hire a qualified service company once per year to do a general maintenance of the unit and lubrication. But why does the belt need lubrication? How can one learn how to do it? Won't I make things worse? What will happen if I do not lubricate?
Lets answer those questions one by one:
Why does the belt need lubrication?
First, the walking belt does need to be lubricated due to a buildup of friction. A new walking belt is well lubricated and provides little friction allowing the drive motor to work normally. If your walking belt loses its lubrication, this creates more friction and puts stress on the motor and creating a domino effect as we will outline below.
Why does the belt need lubrication?
How can one learn how to do it?
In order to lubricate your walking belt, you will need (1) Lubricant and (2) An allen wrench used to adjust the rear roller.
a) Make sure the treadmill is turned off. Using your allen wrench, unscrew the rear roller on the left, and also on the right, to the point where you can readily lift the walking belt to apply the lube.
b) Apply the lube, not on the edges of the walking deck, but on the high traffic area, in the center.
c) Use your foot to move the walking belt left to right, lathering the lube into the walking belt.
d) Turn the belt so that the side that was on the bottom is now visible. Repeat the steps a to c above.
e) Tighten the belt to the position it was before. Run unit at 1 mph and check if the belt is staying centered.
f) If not centered, adjust the belt on the left side only. Turn left to adjust the belt left. Turn right to adjust the belt to the right.
g) Test at 3mph and verify that belt is staying centered.
Won't I make things worse?
Well, you may, but if it works, you may say yourself up to $150.00 for a service call. If you follow the steps above and still have problems, you may need to call a technician to complete the job. At least you tried :)
What will happen if I do not lubricate?
A number of things will begin to befall your treadmill if no lubrication is done. The first thing that will begin to happen (not noticed by you) is; the walking belt will begin to slow as you walk. The less lubrication, the more it slows. The domino effect happens when your motor control PCB begins to supply an abnormally high current to meet your speed needs due to excess stress. Your drive motor also begin to feel the stress. This eventually causes your motor control PCB to go bad, your walking platform will be damaged, and/or an over current which will trip the breaker as you use the unit. This not only shortens your workout, its dangerous, as this can happen during the middle of your run. If your treadmill begin having symptoms, like shutting down after 45 minutes, 30 minutes, 10 minutes etc, you need to get it checked out, however, you're most likely looking at a worn walking belt from years of neglect and lack of lube as the main culprit.
Treadmill Care Suggestions:
Treadmills attract dust so make sure your treadmill is covered or folded up when not in use. This will lengthen the life of your walking belt as it is free from dust and grime. We also recommend lubricating your walking belt every 6 months. If its used every day, keep a log and lubricate every 500 miles. Never over-tighten the walking belt as this puts undue stress on the drive motor and can ruin your roller bearings. Do not leave your treadmill plugged in for extended periods. This can save your unit if your house ever get struck by lightening or your basement ever gets flooded. Also, this can burn out your motor control PCB on some units. Always rest treadmill on a treadmill mat to protect it from dust as well as to cushion the unit while in use.
Always hire a qualified technician when working on any problem in the motor area. See article on buzzle.com
Keeping you fit for life!
