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Fix Your Heart Monitor
Before you get too worried about whether your heart monitor is broken or not, try this few things to confirm if you have a problem or not.
- Do you have the monitor on right? The belt should be around your chest lying flat on your skin.
- Is the transmitter clean? The signal from the transmitter to the receiver could easily be disrupted with dirt or grim wedged in to the small holes.
- Are the heart rate signals irregular or very high or very low? If you adjust the location of the chest strap, does the signal rate change?
- Are the electrodes on the transmitter damp? For accurate readings, you need good skin contact. Typically, the sweat you build up during a workout will help provide better contact.
- Is the receiver close enough to the transmitter? The receiver and monitor typically need to be within three feet of each other.
- Are you running with others who also have a heart rate monitor on? Sometimes there is "cross talk" between different monitors. Today's newer monitors have reduced the impact of being close to other heart rate monitors.
- Has the battery been recently changed? It's usually best to have a certified installer. If not properly sealed, it's possible for moisture to get inside and damage the internal computer.
- Sometimes the chemicals in a pool or the salt water from the ocean or bay can impact the readings, especially if the buttons have been pressed underwater.
- If you are heart patient wearing a pace maker, check that you readings are consistent with someone else. Have someone else use the monitor to check if the results are as expected.
Finally, check the manufactures documentation that came with the monitor (you saved it, right?). Or go online to find information about how to fix your heart rate monitor.
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