AED Maintenance costs

Maintenance costs for AED’s vary widely. It is important that when making your AED purchase, you also take into consideration the maintenance costs during the warranty period. The maintenance costs comprise replacement batteries and electrode pads because these have a limited shelf life. The price and the shelf life of these replacement products determine, to a large extent, the total cost of ownership. Things to consider when making your AED choice :

• Length of warranty. Once an AED reaches its warranty deadline, most manufacturers will not repair it if it develops a fault.
• Lifespan of electrodes. These can range from 1.5 years to 5 years, every AED differs, the lifespan of paediatric electrodes is often much less than the lifespan of adult electrodes.
• Lifespan of the battery.  Again, battery lifespans can range from 2.5 to 6 years.
• Service contract.  For peace-of-mind and to ensure you always have access to a fully functioning AED, consider the annual purchase costs of a service contract.

As a guide to the total cost of ownership, look at the warranty period and calculate how many battery and electrode changes would be required to keep the AED running during the warranty period, add to this the cost of any service or maintenance package that you may wish to invest in.  This will give you a rough estimate of the total cost of ownership. You may find that buying the cheapest AED does not necessarily turn out to be the cheapest option at the end of the warranty period!