Common Power Continuity Issues With Elliptical, Stationary Bike, Treadmill: FUSES, BREAKERS, WIRING, AND SWITCHES

May 07, 2020

How to test Power Entry Components, Continuity strategy and procedure

With regard to power supply to treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes; discontinuous power supply is highly correlated with failure in these components - fuses, breakers, wiring, or switches. Troubleshooting points below

1. Test your multimeter or continuity device.   
   Set device to ohms and make sure you get a 0 reading, if so your device is working, if not correct output leads or dial setting.
2. Testing the Safety Switch. (Treadmill)
   Unplug the machine, take off the leads off the emergency stop key switch without the safety key inserted.  On the back of the switch place meter leads on both terminals, you should have get a "1" reading, that is infinite resistance, or an open circuit. That is correct, Now while inserting safety key watch the meter, it should go to (close to) 0 as the safety key switch Aka, no resistance.
    
3. This same strategy can be applied to switches and fuses, we also cover continuity on wire harnesses here. In the circuit breaker case, in a normal state (without reset button pushed) it should be a closed circuit, that is 0 resistance, again you can do a continuity test with the power wire leads disconnected to test if this is the case.  if it is reading 1, reset or replace the breaker.  Fuse testing follows the same approach, test both sides of the fuse (if glass fuse), or leads coming off fuse if fuse in a fuseholder.  Readings should be 0, not 1 (infinite). If 1 replace.
4. Testing Power, please view our entry on strategy for this.