If you own a treadmill, you know just how beneficial they are in not only helping you reach your fitness goals, but doing so with convenience and ease of use. From giving you a place to log miles on a rainy day to providing an outlet for reducing stress and improving cardiovascular endurance, treadmills are one of the top fitness machines today, both for home and gym use. Treadmills come in handy even more so during inclement weather, shorter winter days, or when you know you need to have a set pace and/or distance to run for while training. Even then, sometimes it’s nice to just hop on, zone out, and get some miles in without having to think about jumping curbs, avoiding puddles, and watching out for cars!
Treadmill Belt Replacement
However, all these steps and miles logged on your treadmill can cause some wear and tear over time; and oddly enough, one of the parts of the machine that you might not think of to replace is what you stand on each time – the belt. Even though it may not look like it needs to be replaced, over time (and depending on how long you’ve had and used your treadmill) it’s a key component to keeping your treadmill in top working shape. But how do you know if you need to replace the belt?
What To Look For On Your Belt
If you’ve never taken the belt off and replaced it before, it can be tricky to try and determine just what warrants a switch to a new belt. When looking at your treadmill belt, look for issues like fraying around the outer edge of the belt and a worn and/or discolored look to the center of the belt where you walk or run. If you’re using the machine, you might feel as though the belt is loose, or it’s not performing as quickly as you’d like…all of these cues are signs that it’s time to replace the belt on your treadmill.
How Long Between Belt Checks?
Some manufacturers recommend checking your treadmill belt every three months or so, whereas some are longer; if you’re performing regular checks on your treadmill and staying on top of maintenance, then three months is a good timeframe. This number can vary though, depending on usage. If you’re in the market for a new treadmill belt, be aware that you’re going to be looking to spend upwards of $300, and this number can be even higher if you choose to have a treadmill repair business take care of it for you.
Don’t Skimp On A Good Belt
With that being said, you might assume that you can get a good deal on a belt somewhere – after all, that treadmill that your friend just sold has a perfectly good belt on it that you can use for your machine, right? Unfortunately, treadmill belts are not universal; each company that manufactures treadmills will have different specifications for their belts, so you won’t find a belt from a different brand of treadmill that will work for yours (unless it’s the exact same make and model).
Putting on a belt from a treadmill different from your own could pose serious risk and injury, and can cause damage to both yourself and your machine. In order to ensure you’re getting the right belt replacement for your treadmill, the best thing to do is to contact the treadmill manufacturer and get the specific dimensions for your belt.
Once you’ve got your new belt in hand, refer to the user guide in order to replace it correctly, or speak with technical support so that you can safely and effectively install your new belt. Then you’ll be able to keep logging your miles, knowing your belt is fresh and ready to roll!
