Introduction

Home treadmills have proven themselves as a great asset to maintain personal fitness, but just like any other electric equipment, a treadmill is a complex machine that can cause some trouble over a course of time. 

There are some common issues like treadmill belt slipping, erratic speed, display issues that you can fix by yourself. 

While the treadmills at the gym seem to work fine because of the presence of a dedicated maintenance team, home treadmills suffer many problems because of poor maintenance and lack of understanding towards the machine. Its time for some DO IT YOURSELF treadmill repair session to save some Maintainance cost. 

Before you try to maintain the treadmill its important to know the most important elements of a treadmill

• Treadmill belt (running area)
• Motor (treadmill powerhouse)
• Deck (Flat surface under the belt)
• Rollers (which helps in belt movement)
• Console (Display of treadmill)

Let’s have a look at some common issues faced by treadmill owners: 

Treadmill Display issues

Because of technological advancements, most of the displays are quite Ruf-n-Tuf. Most of the time home treadmill doesn’t work because of loose wiring, not a damaged display.  

Home treadmills are designed to move easily which makes them more vulnerable to wire damages. Start with checking the proper connection to the power socket, sometimes, resetting the circuit breaker does the trick.

Treadmill belt slipping

Its one of the most common issue faced by treadmill owners, most of the people get treadmill belt slipping issues because of the lack of periodical maintenance.

Treadmill belt slipping might happen because of lack of lubrication, or when the belt is too tight or loose. 

Check out the video on “how to lubricate the treadmill belt properly”. 

Inconsistent speed

Your treadmill might be delivering inconsistent speed because of various reasons. 

Start with checking the proper power source, treadmills should always be plugged directly into a 20-ampere socket. Never use an extension cord. 

Improper alignment of the treadmill belt might also be a reason for inconsistent speed, observe the treadmill for a few minutes to recognize the alignment issues. 

If you could not find any probable reason then you should call the service guys, there might be any other serious issue with the treadmill. 

Heated Belt and Burning Smell

A common reason might be the increased friction between the treadmill deck and belt. You can diagnose the problem and start with proper cleaning and lubrication of the treadmill belt. 

If the problem still persists then the burning smell might be coming because of a power surge causing a short in the motor, wiring or electronics.

The burning smell might be a prior indication of bad treadmill health, it’s recommended to take expert advice before it catches fire. 

Useful Treadmill Maintenance Tips: 

Precaution is always better than cure, proper treadmill maintenance of your beloved treadmill will improve the overall lifespan and will also save hundreds of bucks in maintenance. Let’s get through the key pointers. 

Keep it clean: 

So you bought a treadmill and are super excited to workout daily but do you clean it daily? Half of the treadmill problems will vanish if you clean it on a daily basis. 

You can use a clean cloth to clean the sweat and dirt around the treadmill, these minor dirt particles lead to unusual friction which affects the belt and motor. 

Vacuum cleaning: It’s not just the treadmill belt and deck that needs some cleaning work, you should be using vacuum cleaning to reach the difficult parts. 

Lubrication: 

On average, you should be lubricating your treadmill after every 3 months of use, heavy usage might require you to lubricate it sooner. 

Lubrication helps in keeping the belt and motor healthy which leads to a longer lifespan of the treadmill. 

Tighten the conveyer belt:

Because of the regular use, conveyer belt goes through a lot of wear and tear which make it expand. 

Conveyer belt will slip often if it is loose. A tight belt will lead to excess friction and higher tension on the motor. 

Stay conscious about the tightness of your treadmill belt, if required, tighten it. 

Periodical inspection

After regular usage, even the best-engineered machine will begin to come apart. A periodical inspection can save your treadmill. 

Inspect all the fastening hardware quarterly to ensure the safety of the machine.