Lubricating a Treadmill: The Why, the How and When
Just like any other piece of complex machinery, your treadmill is going to need maintenance of some kind. With all of the friction involved in its function, you may have realized that one of the basic kinds of treadmill maintenance that you may be faced with is needing to add lube to the belt. If you’re new to the treadmill game, though, you may not be sure how often you should lube your treadmill or what different kinds of lubes are available. Let’s take a look at all of the factors so that you can make an informed decision about this critical step in treadmill maintenance:
Why Do You Need to Lube a Treadmill?
The point of lubricating a treadmill is to help the belt run more smoothly. Without lubrication, the belt could wear out sooner or you could experience annoying squeaking while you’re using it. In other words, it will save you money and increase the lifespan of your equipment if done properly.
How Often Should You Lubricate a Treadmill?
It depends on how often you use your treadmill. A person who runs constantly will wear out their treadmill faster than someone who spends most of their time staring at the machine with feelings of procrastination. If you are a daily user, lubricate the treadmill every 150 to 200 miles at least to keep it in good running order. If you prefer to run outside most of the time or simply only use your treadmill occasionally, two to four times per year should suffice.
Here is a great 7 minute long video from YouTube about how to properly lube your treadmill:
What Kind of Lubrications Are Available?
While you may be tempted to use lubes that you are more familiar with, like those based on petroleum, this is not a good idea and it can cause the plastic and rubber parts of your treadmill to disintegrate over time. It’s much better to buy a lubricant that is made especially for the model of your treadmill.
There are different kinds of lube available for treadmills with different chemical bases, so you should always look up what kind of lubrication is best for your particular model of treadmill. Some will take a paraffin wax-based lubricant, while others will do better with silicon-based lube.
A Word About Permalube
More and more, treadmill companies are coming out with models that they claim do not need to be lubed. According to the sales material, these belts release their own lubricant over time that will last the lifetime of the machine. Be cautious here, and don’t necessarily take the company’s word for it. In the anecdotal experience of many users, these belts just don’t last as long, so it may make more sense to lube up your treadmill anyway. As of now, there’s no real substitute for simply maintaining your treadmill in terms of getting your money’s worth!
Now that you know a little bit more about treadmill lubrication and its importance when it comes to keeping your machine working for longer, hopefully you can head out into the Internet and make an informed decision about your next treadmill lube purchase.