#2) Dirt Is The Main Cause of Treadmill Belt Failure
One of the ways to extend the life of your treadmill is to keep it clean and dust-free. Dirt and dust build-up, especially between the belt and the deck of your treadmill can cause excessive belt-deck friction. This in turn, can damage your electronics and even your motor.
You can check for excessive belt-deck friction by setting your treadmill around 4 MPH and walking on it. Press the stop button (or pull the emergency stop switch). You should have to take a few steps before the belt stops - if it stops suddenly there is probably a high friction problem.
Excessive belt-deck friction can also cause motor to stall or sound labored so again, keep your belt and deck free from dust and dirct.
#3) Treadmill Belt Lubricant
Using a treadmill belt lubricant can reduce the stress on your treadmill belt and extend the life of your treadmill. However keep in mind that many treadmills today are self-lubricating.
They do not need you to add treadmill lubricant in this case and you could end up damaging your treadmill.
The best thing to do is read your owner's manual which will tell you whether or not you should be adding treadmill belt lubricant to your treadmill. It will also tell you what kind of lubricant, silicone or wax, you'll need for your treadmill.
If you do not have the owner's manual, make sure you speak with a company representative to confirm what you should be doing before adding any treadmill lubricant.
#4) Buy A High Quality Brand Name Treadmill
Again - with treadmill belts you get what you pay for. High quality brand names like Smooth, Sole or Landice offer superior 2 ply and 4 ply belts with enough motor power to support them. This will keep your belt/deck combo running in sync for years to come.
For more information on treadmill parts of treadmill buying tips, visit the Treadmill Tips section.
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Was this information useful? This article on Treadmill Belt is one of several articles to be found in our Treadmills articles section.
Treadmill belts come in all shapes and sizes. When shopping for treadmills, most people simple look at the size of the treadmill belt (or the walking area).
However there are a few other things about the treadmill belt you should know before you buy.
#1) Treadmill Belt Size is Important - Especially In Relation To Motor Power
A large treadmill belt walking area is great - but if you don't have the motor power to back it up, you can quickly burn out your motor.
For example if you have the choice between and 20 x 60" treadmill belt with a 2.0 HP motor and a 20 x 55" with a 2.5 HP motor, you may want to consider the second treadmill. It may have a smaller belt but the motor power is there to support it and your treadmill motor may last longer as a result.
If you must have a longer belt (many runners and taller people prefer this) make sure you have at least a 2.75 HP motor built by a quality brand name.
