Treadmill DROPS my satellite feed

[bucs012]

I have my Treadmill about 20 feet from my tv (direct tv satellite feed) and it works great........Until I turn the treadmill motor ON. I then lose my satellite feed. Right away! Turn the motor off and it comes right back on in a few seconds. It is located in my basement and I also run fluorescent lights down there which don't seem to bother any of them.

What might cause this? I have tried plugging the treadmill into various outlets and also have a mat under the treadmill and I have the same problem...............It worked perfect for 3 days and then all the sudden the past 2 days it won't work.

Thanks for any tips to try.

 

[kbs2244]

How old is the treadmill?
They use a DC motor that has brushes.
If it is old enough that the brushes are worn down to the point that they are sparking you may need to replace them.

 

[bucs012]

It's only a few years old and is a ProForm TReadmill. Pretty state of the art.

Here are some suggestions I have gotten from my hot rod site.

1. Try 2 prong connector instead of using 3 prong. Might have something to di wth the grounding?

2. put the treadmill and tv/receiver on seperate surge protectors.

3. turn all the lights to see if they are affecting it.

4. Run a drop chord from the opposite side of the house (whole different breaker or electrical line) and see if that makes an difference.

5. Move treadmill to another room (its heavy) and see if it still affects it.

 

[Gary S]

If I had that problem, #1 I'd get rid of the sattelite feed. Then, #2 I'd get rid of the treadmill and get outside and do some work to get my exercise. It would be cheaper and you actually accomplish something.
Work has always been and always will be the best exercise.

 

[gc427]

I say get rid of the treadmill!

If that isn't an option then call an electrician.

 

[Fast Orange]

This is going to sound a bit off the wall,but I wonder if the starting current for the treadmill is causing a voltage drop on one hot leg of your service.Besides the satelite going off,do any lights flicker when the treadmill is first turned on? If your service and wiring in the house are older and not in the best of condition,the high starting current (which could be as high as 7 times the running load of the motor)could cause the voltage at the outlet for the satelite to drop enough that the satelite drops out.
Easiest way to check this is to plug an anolog(old style with needle)voltmeter into the satelite outlet and watch the needle to see if it drops when the treadmill is started.If it does,you can run a cord to an outlet connected to the other hot leg of your service to see if the problem goes away.If this cures the problem,you can either get a UPS unit with battery back-up and plug the satelite into it(the UPS will filter out the voltage drop),or run a new circuit to the treadmill,making sure that the satelite and the treadmill are on different hot legs.
One other thing to check,or have your electrician check for you-make sure all neutral connections,from the service entrance to all of the neutrals on the neutral buss in your panel are in good condition.A loose or corroded neutral can make a lot of trouble in a circuit.

 

[onemoretry]

Try a clip on ferrite bead on the power lines for both the treadmill and receiver. They should be available at Radio Shack and are pretty cheap. They basically look like the lump on the power cord that powers things like laptops. They are mainly used in DC products so may not help here depending on the individual items.

 

[bucs012]

It was as easy as plugging the treadmill into another receptical in another room. Kept the treadmill in the tv room, but just plugged it into a different electrical circuit/line than the tv is on.
Problem fixed!

Having the treadmill and satellite receiver on different surge protectors did nothing. Going from 3 prong to 2 prong did nothing. turning off all lights did nothing to help either.

Thanks for all the suggestions.