There
are several engine types. The PMDC (direct current with permanent
magnets) is the most often used for home treadmills (home fitness).
It works with direct current (DC). Gym treadmills use the alternating
current type (VAC), which is more reliable. Ac motors are more
durable and resistant. For heavy use (heavy users, long workouts,
gyms), you should choose a treadmill with an AC motor.
Recognize
the engine of the treadmill
You
should open the motor cover to see the engine installed in your
treadmill. In almost all of the treadmills, it is located on the
front. After removing all the screws and the engine cover, you’ll
see the motor and a label with some information:
HP:
horsepower or HPP: peak horsepower. Often the hp power information is
generic or shows "treadmill duty" or other statements. So
the real power of the treadmill is often not very clear. Ask an
expert from partsfortreadmill.com if you are unsure which model to
choose.
Normally
in the engine there are 2 cables connected to the controller. The
connecting wires are interchangeable, i.e. you can swap black and
red. The motor is not polarized, so it cannot be damaged by the swap.
However, the rotation of the motor will be opposite, so if you swap
the cables you reverse the direction of rotation. Some times the
engine has 2 extra cables, these are used for a thermal protection
system.
Engine
damage (for DC)
There
are several ways to determine if an engine is damaged:
1.
Connect the motor to a voltage (continuous). It must have at least 20
V(DC) and provide at least 700 mA. If the motor doesn’t move at
all, definitely needs to be replaced. Even if it runs, however, may
still have some other electric problems, such as electrical losses or
abnormal consumption. Unfortunately, you can’t see that problem
with a low voltage.
2.
If you have a meter, you can measure resistance among the red and
black cables, which should be low. By turning the engine by hand, if
you observe that at some points it becomes very high or the circuit
is open, it means the presence of a broken filament or problems to
the brushes. The brushes can wear out and need to be replaced to work
properly. When replacing the brushes, you may want to go a few hours
at full speed on the treadmill, to allow them to settle. If you need
to replace the brushes frequently, this suggests electrical losses in
the motor or problems to the engine manifold. You should, therefore,
replace the motor.
3.
If you rotate the engine by hand (disconnected from the belt) and you
observe that at some point you have a higher level of resistance, it
is clear that the engine has some sort of problem. You should
therefore replace the treadmill motor.
4.
When there is a short circuit in the engine, the fuse of the
controller could melt. Or the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter may
switch off, thus avoiding more serious damage.
5.
the engine may lose power due to various factors, most frequent are
overheating or loss of magnetism. In this case, it must be replaced.
In the event of overheating, be careful to avoid the same problem
happen on the new engine.
Most
of the problems to treadmill motors derive from overloading, and
therefore overheating.
In
90% of cases, these problems depend on not lubricated or too old and
worn out belts. We always recommend that you replace the belt with a
low friction one, if your motor gets hot or if the power consumption
of the equipment raises.
In
the remaining 10%, engine problems depend on some mechanical
problem. As instance damaged rollers bearings, damaged running deck,
excessive drive belt tension, improper use (too heavy user or too
many consecutive hours of training), and so on.
Need a new motor or motor parts for your treadmill? Buy them here:
Need a new motor or motor parts for your treadmill? Buy them here:
