In an increasingly competitive marketplace, one weapon in the battle to distinguish your fitness facility from others and to keep your members coming back is to properly maintain your exercise equipment. This requires more than just wiping down a weight bench or calling a technician when a treadmill is out of order; it includes conducting routine preventive maintenance to help identify and prevent potential service problems in the future. Performed correctly, preventive maintenance significantly can impact the performance and life of your cardiovascular and strength training equipment and can help keep your members happy.

"Preventive maintenance is key," says Craig Kallmayer, manager of technical support and training for the customer support services department at Life Fitness. "Without it, you face greater equipment downtime, which naturally results in less satisfied users, which eventually results in less users."

Equipment maintenance is similar to a car's preventive maintenance schedule. If you ignore the manufacturer's recommendations, you may be courting significantly more expensive problems later. Randy Renfrow, senior vice president of Fitness Resource of Fairfax, Va., says, "It's no different [with] maintaining your exercise equipment. You can either use it for 'X' period of time with little or no maintenance, or you can use it for a much longer period of time by maintaining it." Rick Barbee, director of commercial sales for L.A. Gym in Los Angeles, agrees. "No machinery, no matter how expensive, can take care of itself. Premium fitness equipment is like a quality car. For it to perform well and last a long time, the owner really needs to take care of it."

A preventive maintenance program for electrical and mechanical equipment that consistently takes a beating should be in place at all fitness centers, but some fitness managers and owners would rather pay for services as needed rather than perform preventive maintenance. This can be an expensive route, however, as costs add up quickly for replacement parts and repairs. "Just by maintaining a clean, functioning wax nozzle on a treadmill can mean the difference between 2,000 and 6,000 miles on the belt," says Reggie Borish, national support manager for Life Fitness' customer support services department. Although no fitness equipment is immune to service problems, routine maintenance can help extend its life and save facility owners money in the long run.

"One of the best advantages of preventive maintenance is that it sometimes can help you identify a problem before it occurs and [causes] downtime," says Jeff DeLorenzo, a regional service manager for the customer support services department of Life Fitness. In addition, preventive maintenance can address potential safety issues such as worn cables and loose bolts before a user is injured. For example, simply inspecting selectorized strength training cables for wear once a month can help prevent one from breaking while a member is using the equipment.

The potential for saving money with a preventive maintenance program versus a service visit with labor and replacement parts may help convince club managers and owners of the value of maintenance. The average cost of a belt and deck replacement for one treadmill is $715. So replacing five belts and decks over one year ($3,575) may exceed the cost of a preventive maintenance contract. And this is in addition to any preventive maintenance or service calls for any other pieces of equipment throughout the year.

"Club management needs to understand that equipment maintenance is not only important to customer satisfaction (in that it keeps the equipment working), but it also saves money," says Renfrow. "It costs less to change a belt and deck on a treadmill in a timely manner when it is worn out than it does to continue to run it and cause an electronics failure. Then your equipment is down, you've got to fix the electronics failure and still change the belt and deck."

A health club's management largely dictates the level of maintenance practiced. If owners and managers make preventive maintenance a priority, their staffs will follow suit.

"At 24 Hour Fitness, we changed from just fixing equipment as needed, to an elaborate preventive maintenance schedule for each machine," says David Bedwell, regional manager of Exercise Equipment Center, Las Vegas, Nev., and former 24 Hour Fitness manager. "It made a huge difference in the performance and life of our products." Bedwell notes that one reason that staff members adhered to the maintenance schedule was that internal inspection teams periodically toured and graded individual clubs in the 24 Hour Fitness chain. Bonuses and rewards for the best compliance and the highest grades served as incentives.

To facilitate implementing a quality maintenance program, managers and owners should properly staff it. If existing employees will be charged with performing maintenance, they should be thoroughly trained by an expert equipment technician from an equipment manufacturer or qualified local vendor.

Other options for fitness facilities include adding a specific maintenance and service employee or entering into a service contract with an equipment manufacturer or local vendor. Having a dedicated employee or planned maintenance routines will be followed consistently and that quality will be preserved.

"A regular preventive maintenance program can help alleviate a manager or owner's worries about equipment failure and the time and money necessary to have it serviced," says Borish. "Maintaining equipment properly minimizes the need for out-of-order signs and their consequences - frustrated members."

Equipment manufacturers typically offer one-year preventive maintenance contracts that stipulate a set schedule of duties to be performed and areas to inspect for various types of fitness equipment. Finding a manufacturer or vendor who can perform maintenance on service on all brands of equipment can be more convenient than having a specific servicer for each brand.

To maximize the life of your fitness equipment, purchase commercial brands built for the level of traffic in your facility. Most owners and managers realize that they are risking potential safety, durability and liability problems if they install home or light-duty equipment in a commercial fitness facility.

Also, Renfrow recommends clubs purchase fitness equipment that is easy to maintain. "This means the product was built with maintenance in mind. For example, on some treadmills, it is easy to change the belt and deck; on others, it may take two to three times as many labor hours to do the same thing."

A key tool to optimize the success of a maintenance and service program is an equipment logbook, in which every incident of maintenance, service and failure is logged for each piece of equipment. For a logbook to be effective, all staff members - particularly fitness floor employees - must be trained and required to use it. The more thorough the information tracked, the better, as the logbook provides a valuable record and documented history of equipment performance for anyone conducting maintenance or service.

Other key tips for both strength and cardiovascular equipment include the following:

• Clean it daily. Removing sweat, dust and dirt will help electronics and upholstery last longer, as moisture can cause corrosion, and the buildup of dust and dirt can contribute to a heat overload can cause a motor failure. When cleaning the exterior of equipment, apply your cleaner only to the rag - not directly on the machine itself - to minimize fluid seepage inside the equipment, which can short out electronics. Use a mild detergent instead of ammonia or acid-based cleaners. And be sure to clean the inside of all cardiovascular equipment. Simply vacuuming under the treadmill's motor cover greatly can extend the life of the treadmill's belt and deck.

  "A lot of clubs just focus on the exterior of the equipment," says Paul Comstock, service/delivery warehouse manager for Factory Fitness in Indianapolis, Ind. "Although this is certainly important for aesthetics, they are not getting inside the actual moving parts of the equipment. It's not the surface that breaks down - it is the internal pieces."

• Follow manufacturer's suggested maintenance routines. Familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's recommendations for preventive maintenance by reviewing the products' manuals and asking the manufacturers to conduct equipment training at your facility for your staff. Manufacturers can make specific recommendations to keep your equipment operating at peak performance. Incorporate this information into your logbook so everyone who performs maintenance has convenient access to these tips.
• Use the manufacturer's genuine replacement parts to maximize the life or your equipment. When working with service vendors, insist on original manufacturer's parts. Installing a substandard deck and belt on a premium treadmill ultimately can hinder the machine's performance and shorten its life.
• Install surge protectors. For equipment with electronics that aren't self-powered, including cardiovascular machines and computerized strength equipment, consider installing surge protectors to prevent electrical damage from power spikes.

For cardiovascular equipment, follow the manufacturer's specific recommendations, but keep in mind the following suggestions:

• Treadmills. Due to their frequent use and electronic and mechanical complexity, treadmills are the most labor-intensive pieces of fitness equipment in terms of maintenance and service. Clean the console, handrails, motor cover and deck and check the operation of the stop button daily to weekly. On a monthly basis, remove the motor cover and vacuum inside the motor electronic compartment to remove dirt and dust. If you don't do this, friction and heat can cause the motor to wear out prematurely.

  Also, if your treadmills are on a carpeted surface, vacuum underneath them monthly to minimize the amount of dust and dirt that will blow up into the machine. Placing treadmills on rubber mats can help minimize the amount of carpet fiber that gets inside the machine. Pay attention to removing dust and dirt from the air vents as well; these need to be clean to maximize air circulation to keep the motor from overheating.

  For treadmills with an automatic wax lubrication system, be sure to check and clean the wax nozzle each month. For other treadmills, follow the manufacturer's specifications for waxing.

  Once a month, check the belt tension and tracking, as loose belts can become safety issues. Depending on the amount of usage, quarterly or semiannually inspect the hardware (nuts, bolts), belt and deck for wear. Check the amperage draw as well to ensure that it is within the manufacturers' requirements, because as the belt and deck wear, the machine draws a greater load.

• Ellipticals/cross-trainers. The console and exterior, including the rails, on elliptical trainers should be cleaned daily or weekly, and the hardware should be checked semiannually. Depending on the manufacture's recommendations, remove the cover and clean out the area surrounding the generator monthly. Make sure the intermediate shaft belt is tight and centered each month.
• Upright or recumbent exercise bikes. On a daily or weekly basis, clean the console, seat and exterior of indoor cycles. Check the seat attachment and pin hardware, the handlebars, the pedals and the crank arm monthly. Tighten the pedals and handlebars as necessary. On a quarterly basis, clean and lubricate the pedal shaft and conduct an audible inspection for squeaks, grinds and any other signs of internal malfunction.
• Stair climbers/steppers. External cleaning should be done on a daily or weekly basis for stair climbers. Inspect pedals and tighten as necessary. Check hardware and conduct an audible inspection quarterly or semiannually. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for other maintenance, which will depend on the model's specifications (chain drive versus belt drive).
• Rowers. Clean the console, seat, handle, toe straps and rail daily or weekly on rowing machines. Tighten the handle and replace toe straps as necessary. Inspect the cable, belt or chain, the seat and seat hardware on a quarterly basis.
• Selectorized strength. Wipe down the upholstery and inspect it for tears daily or weekly. Each week, inspect the cable and handgrips for wear and clean the guide rods. Per the manufacturer's specifications, lubricate the guide rods with a Teflon spray. Never use WD-40 as a lubricant because it is a parts cleaner and will remove all the lubrication from the guide rods. On a quarterly basis, check the bolts, screws and any hardware.
• Plate-loaded strength. Plate-loaded machines are one of the simplest types of equipment to maintain. Clean the upholstery (checking for tears) and the frame daily or weekly. Quarterly, check all hardware to ensure bolts and screws are tight.
• Free weights. Clean upholstery on free-weight benches daily or weekly. Check the bolts, screws and adjustment mechanisms on dumbbells, racks and benches on a weekly basis. Make sure weight collars fit snugly and examine the weight plates for any cracks.
• Computerized strength equipment. Wipe down the pads and handles on computerized strength equipment daily or weekly. Quarterly or semiannually, remove the shrouds to clean and vacuum the inside and inspect the hardware.

Preventive maintenance can make a tremendous difference in maximizing the life of your cardiovascular and strength training equipment. "I can see a big, big difference; I can tell just by looking at a machine whether it has been taken care of or not," says Factory Fitness' Comstock. "The clubs that take outstanding care of their machines - it really shows. Preventive maintenance easily can add five years to a machine, maybe more."