Three Ways that Preventative Maintenance Can Save You Money

Imagine you just invested in a shiny, brand new car. The keys are in your hand. You eagerly open the door, get into the driver’s seat, and begin to explore the open road. You’ve just made the decision to invest in something that you will use regularly and plan to keep for a long time.

Now, imagine that as your time with the car progresses, you fail to keep a proper maintenance schedule. The period between oil changes gets longer and longer. Tire rotations and car washes almost never happen. Then, after you’ve had the car for some time, it breaks down and begins to need expensive repairs. The paint begins to show aging signs of wear and tear. Shocked? Maybe you shouldn’t be. Proper maintenance on a car is important to keep it running for a long time.

After considering the above, think of the fitness equipment you purchase. Like a car, these are still heavy, expensive pieces of machinery that are used regularly. Whether the equipment is at a commercial gym, a private fitness center, or in a home, regular maintenance is important to keep your equipment running smoothly. Unfortunately, not all fitness equipment owners are aware of this. As a result, they eventually have to fork out hundreds of dollars for expensive repairs.

Here some of the ways proper maintenance can keep your equipment in tip-top shape:

Prevents equipment downtime

Equipment downtime is the amount of time that a machine is unable to be used. Equipment downtime that isn’t scheduled due to problems with the machine can be either mitigated or prevented entirely with proper machine care. The accepted standard for unscheduled fitness equipment downtime is 10% or less. Once in downtime, you will need to wait the amount of time it takes to get a technician out to look at the equipment, order parts, etc. in order for the machine to be used again. Which means you’re getting less out of your equipment if it’s in your home. Or, if you’re the manager of a health facility, it means that your members aren’t able to use the machines either.

Proper care can mitigate this problem. It allows your equipment to be running at optimal performance at all times–with less inconvenient downtime. No longer will you have to pull out the dreaded “Out of Order” sign.

Lowers the cost of repairs

Think of our previous example about car maintenance. If you don’t change your oil, eventually your engine will fail. If you don’t rotate your tires, eventually they will show obvious signs of wear and tear. If you don’t keep your fitness equipment maintained, eventually, the parts will break and the machine will begin to fail, resulting in expensive repairs, replacements, and sometimes even requiring a new machine. Preventative maintenance is a cost-efficient means of lowering the cost of repairs.

Keeps equipment from overworking, leading to breaks and unnecessary wear

Failing to keep proper maintenance on your equipment also leads to unnecessary wear and overworking of parts. This can especially be true for the drive system of cardio equipment, such as treadmills and ellipticals. For example, failing to lubricate parts will cause too much friction in a machine’s drive system, leading to broken belts and overworked motors. Think of your equipment like an A/C unit. If you don’t replace the filters regularly, buildup occurs, and the motor has to work harder to get your house to cool down. This overworking eventually adds too much wear on your unit and shortens its lifespan. Your fitness equipment works in a similar way.

Keeping a regular maintenance program is the most cost-effective way to keep your equipment in great condition. Maintenance decreases downtime, lowers the cost of repairs, and keeps the components of your equipment in tip-top shape. Fortunately, our experts at West Coast Wellness are able to identify and plan a schedule that fits your unique service needs. You can request service by giving us a call, emailing us, or simply filling out our Service Request Form.

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