Can you lubricate the treadmill belt with WD40?
Are you using the right lubrication for your treadmill?
How often we should lube the treadmill belt for better results?
If these questions arise in your mind then let’s have a look at all the pros and cons of WD40.
Lubricating a treadmill is way too essential for the life of a machine.
Just like the maintenance of our body, machines also need maintenance from time to time.
Lubrication plays a vital role in the maintenance of a treadmill.
It not only increases the life of equipment but also you can get the benefit for a long time.
Effects Of Not Lubricating Your Treadmill Belt In Time
In today’s world with occupied and busy routines, it becomes difficult yet challenging for everyone to spare their time for exercise.
For this purpose, people are taking an interest in-home gyms and the treadmill is the most reliable and effective gear for fitness.
With everyday use, dirt and other harmful particles are gathered in different parts of the treadmill.
But like every machine, a treadmill requires maintenance which includes cleaning and lubrication.
With the regular use of a treadmill, friction increases between the motor and the belt because the treadmill belt moves around the rollers and the deck.
Friction also produces heat and as a result, we face erosion of a belt.
lack of lubrication reduces the efficiency and life of a treadmill and damages the machine.
Is WD40 Suitable For Lubricating A Treadmill?
It is difficult to find the right lubricant for a treadmill. There are many lubricants available in the market which people use for machines.
Commercially available lubricants in the market are usually harmful to treadmills. As they are mostly composed of synthetic polymer or a simple wax.
Before buying a lubricant for your treadmill make sure that it is specially designed for lubricating the treadmill belts.
People use motor oil, WD40, or spray silicone lubricants for treadmills.
WD40 is the most common and evenly injurious lubricant found in the market for the treadmill belt.
We need 100% silicone for lubing the belt and WD40 is composed of silicone, petroleum distillates, and other substance which are harmful to the parts of the machine.
WD40 is widely used on different machines in the home but it will ruin the backing of the treadmill belt.
Best Alternative Of WD40 For Treadmill Belt Lubing
According to experts if you use the treadmill frequently then lube the belt every 150 miles but it all depends on the usage.
Another piece of advice is that lube the belt with specially designed lubrication for the treadmill every 3-6 months for better movement of rollers, belts and to avoid friction.
The two main alternatives for the WD40 available in the market are 100% silicone lubricant and wax.
Which will help us to halt the tearing of the treadmill belt and also reduce the friction between the motor and the belt.
100% Silicone Lubricant For Treadmill Belt
100% silicone is a highly recommended lubrication for the treadmill.
It is safe for the belt as no harmful chemical is included in the composition.
Silicone lubricants come in the form of liquid and a spray.
Spray silicone is more convenient to use on the belt.
Also Read: How to apply Lube to belt
Here are steps for applying silicone spray for the longevity of your treadmill belt
STEP 1
Stick your finger between the treadmill’s belt and the deck and pull the belt a little up to separate the two.
STEP 2
Shake the can before using it and then spray enough amount of silicone spray between the deck and the belt.
STEP 3
Now move to the other part of the treadmill and repeat the process.
STEP 4
Turn on the treadmill and let the belt run for 2 to 3 minutes so that it can spread the lubricant evenly all around.
Waxing Of The Treadmill Belt
Most users of treadmills prefer wax over silicone they find it convenient to apply.
According to them, it’s easy to clean the belt before relubrication of the belt.
Wax for the treadmill comes in 2 forms powder and the bar.
Every machine requires maintenance and using the right amount of lubricant to the older machine result in the durability of the treadmill.
Here are two ways for applying wax on the treadmill belt
WAX POWDER
STEP 1
Loosen the treadmill belt by loosening the back rollers of the treadmill.
STEP 2
Sprinkle the wax powder between the deck and the belt.
STEP 3
Now move to the other part of the treadmill and repeat the process.
STEP 4
Tighten the belt and run the treadmill for a few minutes to spread wax powder evenly. Check the movement of the belt if you are satisfied then tighten both sides of the rollers.
WAX BAR
STEP 1
You need to warm up the treadmill for 15-20 minutes before applying the wax bar.
STEP 2
Apply lubricant on both sides of the deck and wipe off the extra lube for avoiding any mishap.
STEP 3
Now make sure that lubricant is spread all over evenly.
Related: How to Reset Treadmill after lubing
CONCLUSION
We have discussed in detail why not apply WD40 on the belt for the safety of the treadmill.
Most of the advanced models of the treadmill do not require lubrication.
They have an in-built system known as SELF LUBRICATING for lubrication.
But still, we have old models which require lubrication and in the market, we have silicon and wax as a solution for avoiding WD40 for lubricating the treadmill belt.
Hi,
I am Humaira Maqbool, content writer on FitnessGearsHub. Fitness is my passion, I love to learn and explore modern fitness gears, applications, and exercises. As a fitness freak, I explore new exercises and experience fitness gears. I will share my knowledge and information about fitness gears based on my personal experiences and would love to solve the problems that you are facing about fitness machines.
