Gym Equipment Maintenance and Service

All you need to know about preventative care

Down times, slow periods, quieter stretches… these are the perfect times to take stock and assess what equipment needs to be upgraded, refreshed or serviced.

Whether it’s a home gym or a commercial facility you have invested good money into it and need to make sure everything is in the best working order, not to mention safe to use. Equipment takes a good beating during every workout so here are our tips to keeping everything in the best condition to keep you and/or your members engaged.

Equipment Cleaning

Gyms are for sweating so it makes sense that gyms are sweaty places. If you have not already, now is a good time to start a deep clean schedule. Did you know gym weights can carry over 300 times more bacteria than a toilet seat? So it is really important to not only clean every day, but to also carry out a deep antibacterial clean every few months.

Key areas to focus on are mats, seats, benches and touchpads; basically, any commonly used equipment or areas where germs can spread. With adjustable weights, it’s also worth giving them a scrub with a brush to deep clean the knurling.

If there are mats or padding that are ripped, this is also a good time to replace them to ensure the gym is as bacteria free as possible. After all, a gym is supposed to increase overall wellbeing and boost health.

Equipment Preventative Maintenance Service

Testing and inspecting your equipment regularly helps prevent costly repairs and troublesome downtime. For in home equipment (depending on usage) we recommend servicing once to twice per year and for commercial facilities the recommendation can be from twice per year (hotel or apartments) to quarterly (school or gym). If you are unsure about testing and inspecting your equipment it is always worth getting an experienced and certified technician to carry out a thorough service.

A full service, like the Preventative Maintenance Programs Columbia Fitness offers, insures that each machine is cleaned, tested thoroughly, inspected fully, and repaired when applicable.

What is particularly important about a service is that it ensures all equipment lasts longer and runs consistently well. If you’ve made an investment in a gym then regular service and maintenance will ensure a better return.

Thinking about your Return on Investment

There is such a heavy focus on health and fitness amongst all generations and age groups these days, gyms are now being used more frequently than ever before. As a result, cardio equipment is in constant use, weights – now a standard part of everybody’s workout routine – wear down and lose their grip, while mats get dirty, ripped and worn.

If you have a residential gym that is funded by service charges, then worn down or broken equipment is not really an option. People will want everything working well as to not disrupt their workout routine and provide a less than positive experience. This is where a PM Service Contract comes in handy. They help you keep everything running well and ensure any faults are addressed ASAP.

Let’s put this into financial value. If you have a gym with assets worth around $200,000, then an annual contract could cost around $2,500. In terms of ROI, this is a pretty small price to pay to ensure your gym lasts longer.

For home gyms, you have paid retail value for your equipment and you want it to last as long as possible to get your moneys worth.

Imagine the cost if you don’t maintain your equipment.

Equipment Warranties

We hear a lot of businesses say their warranty covers all they need for their gym equipment, but did you know that it doesn’t include wear and tear? And the irony of it all; if you don’t look after your assets, then your warranty becomes invalid.

A PM Service Contract will protect your gym gear from this issue as it will ensure parts are replaced, anything worn is updated and generally make sure your warranty works for you.

It also means the buyback value of the equipment is a lot higher than if you leave it. If you are looking to upgrade in the future, then this is really going to help you manage finances more effectively

What's a good PM Contract look like?

Any Preventative Maintenance contract worth its salt is made up of gym experts with in-depth knowledge of the market and who are fully trained and meet industry compliance standards.

Reputable maintenance companies always put clear communication structures in place, with checklists and reporting to ensure equipment is serviced and deemed fit for use.

Perhaps more importantly, a good support contract will work with you to ensure you meet Health and Safety Executive regulations and that you always have regular and reliable risk reports. For gyms that don’t tend to have staff, such as residential gyms, these reports are invaluable.

It’s easy to think you don’t need to worry about maintenance contracts but getting a return of your investment is hard to ignore. Although gyms come in all shapes and prices, you’re still making a purchase, and one that should last many years, so support and maintenance is well worth the investment.