Over the years, I have noticed that most of
the problems that occur on treadmills requiring expensive repairs could be
avoided by adopting three simple behaviours:
1) Always start with your feet on the
side footrests and only after the belt has started
(at minimum speed) step on the belt. This simple behaviour prevents the motor
from starting with the rotor locked. This condition requires quite high inrush
currents and the high current can damage the electrical wires that make up the
motor. Furthermore, especially for American type treadmills (Weslo,
Healthrider, Nordick Track and some Decathlons), in certain operating
conditions the electromagnetic field caused in this condition, in a few
milliseconds, can interfere with the permanent magnets and partially
demagnetize the magnets of the engine.
2) Regularly clean and lubricate the
running table
This is something very often forgotten: as
time passes, dirt accumulates and dries up the light layer of lubricant that
facilitates the sliding of the belt on the table, increasing the friction
factor. Since double the friction is twice the effort (and wear) of your
treadmill, this condition can lead to permanent damage to the motor, controller,
or both.
3) Check the motor temperature from time
to time and contact a service engineer if it
becomes hot as further maintenance may be required.
Most failures and maintenance problems give
out a strong signal before something breaks: the motor will start to warm up.
Therefore, checking the temperature from time to time at the end of the workout
will allow you to verify that everything is okay. Temperatures of the external
motor casing above 45°C indicate that further maintenance operations must be
carried out or that there is some problem to be solved. Temperatures above 50/55°C are dangerous
because if the temperature on the casing reaches those levels the internal
temperature exceeds 100°C, a value at which the insulating resin that surrounds
the wires of the motor begins to deteriorate and small short circuits begin to
form which can damage the motor in a short time.
If you need spare parts or lubricants,
please visit www.partsfortreadmill.com