What AED maintenance involves
AED maintenance is everything that keeps an AED ready between emergencies: regular inspections, replacing pads and batteries on time, acting on recalls and software updates, and keeping records. The AED tests its own electronics; people handle the rest.
An AED on the wall is never really idle. It runs automatic self-tests, daily or weekly depending on the model, and those tests slowly use its battery. Its pads’ gel dries out with age. Neither failure is visible from across the room, which is why maintenance is a routine rather than a reaction.
It’s also often a legal duty. The AED law data in AED Log lists 34 states that require AED owners to properly inspect and maintain their AEDs. Skipped maintenance has a cost beyond compliance: the American Heart Association’s 2025 AED symposium found no universal standard for AED upkeep and recommended fire-extinguisher-style inspection, because an AED with dead pads or a flat battery can’t help anyone.
AED maintenance schedule: monthly, yearly and after use
Inspect every month, plan pad and battery replacements a year ahead, and restock right after every use. Follow the manufacturer’s schedule where it asks for more.
Every month
Check the status indicator, listen for chirps, read the pads’ and battery’s dates, look for damage, dirt and moisture, and test any cabinet alarm. Record the result.
Every year
List every pad and battery that expires in the next twelve months and order them, check responders’ certification dates, review your emergency response plan, confirm each AED is still in the right place with its sign, and check for recalls you may have missed.
After every use
Replace the pads, because they’re single use, and check the battery, the rescue kit and the AED’s status. Download the event data if your program or medical director needs it, and report the use where your state requires it: the AED law data in AED Log lists 15 such states.
AED Log’s compliance calendar puts this whole schedule, from inspections to expirations, on one calendar you can subscribe to in Outlook or Google Calendar.
AED maintenance checklist
A monthly AED maintenance check covers seven points, the same seven in AED Log and on our free PDF. Print it, or keep it with the AED.
- Is the status indicator light green or flashing green?
- Is the AED chirping or beeping?
- Are the pads expired?
- Is the battery expired?
- Is the AED visibly damaged?
- Is the AED clear of debris and moisture?
- If there is an AED wall cabinet with an alarm, is the door alarm working?
Download the printable AED maintenance checklistPDF, letter size. No email required.
For what each check means and how to record it, see the monthly AED inspection checklist guide.
What AED maintenance costs
For most organizations, AED maintenance costs what its pads and batteries cost, spread over their life. A Philips HeartStart OnSite, for example, needs $99 pads about every 2 years and a $249 battery about every 4 years: about $112 a year in parts.
| AED | Pads last | Battery lasts | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZOLL AED Plus | 5 years | 5 years | Ask your supplier |
| ZOLL AED 3 | 5 years | 5 years (3 with daily self-tests or Wi-Fi reporting) | Ask your supplier |
| Philips HeartStart OnSite | At least 2 years | About 4 years | Pads $99.00, battery $249.00 |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | At least 2 years | About 4 years | Battery $249.00 |
| HeartSine samaritan PAD | 4 years (pads and battery in one Pad-Pak) | Same Pad-Pak | Ask your supplier |
| Stryker LIFEPAK CR2 | 4 years | 4 years | Ask your supplier |
| ZOLL Powerheart G5 | 2 years | 4 years | Ask your supplier |
| Defibtech Lifeline | 2 years | 5 or 7 years, plus a yearly 9V status battery | Ask your supplier |
| Avive Connect | 3.5 years | Built in and rechargeable | Pad cartridge $99.99 |
Most manufacturers sell through distributors or show prices only to account holders, so get a quote for your model. Then add what else your program pays for: replacement pads after every use, cabinets and signs, responder training, any service contract, and medical direction where your state requires it.
Keeping track has a cost too. AED Log tracks every pad and battery expiration and warns you ahead of each date, for a flat price per tier: from $114 a year, with every AED in your tier at one rate. See pricing, and our AED cost guide for device, pad and battery prices by model.
Maintenance by manufacturer
Every manufacturer asks for regular checks of the status indicator and the pads’ and battery’s dates, but the interval and the details differ. Your AED’s manual is the final word.
- ZOLL: monthly visual inspections of the AED Plus and AED 3, and at least monthly for the Powerheart G5.
- Philips: periodic checks of the Ready light, supplies and condition, recorded on the maintenance tag that comes with HeartStart AEDs. Philips’s AED business now operates as Heartstream.
- HeartSine: the status indicator weekly, and damage and the Pad-Pak’s date monthly. Some 350P, 360P and 450P units have a 2026 maintenance supplement with an extra check every three months.
- Stryker: verify a LIFEPAK CR2 at least monthly; the LIFEPAK 1000 manual suggests a weekly look at rarely used units.
- Defibtech: the status indicator daily, and condition and dates monthly.
- Avive: check the status light periodically and keep the built-in battery charged.
Read the AED pads guide and the AED battery guide for each model’s parts.
Who should maintain your AEDs
One named program coordinator should own AED maintenance, with an inspector assigned at each site. A service company can supply parts and repairs, but the AED’s owner stays responsible for it being ready.
The American Heart Association’s AED program guide says to assign people to perform monthly AED checks and to check for recalls. In practice that usually means:
- A program coordinator who keeps the list of AEDs, orders parts before they expire and checks that inspections happen.
- Site inspectors, such as a facilities lead, office manager or trained responder, who do the monthly checks.
- A medical director, where your state requires one, who oversees the program. The AED law data in AED Log lists 9 states that require physician medical direction.
Medical direction and maintenance are often confused, but they’re different jobs: a physician’s oversight doesn’t replace the monthly checks. See AED program management for how the roles fit together, and AED management for multiple locations if your AEDs are spread across sites.
AED maintenance FAQ
What does AED maintenance involve?
Regular checks of the status indicator and condition, replacing pads and batteries before they expire and after every use, acting on recalls and updates from the manufacturer, and keeping a record of all of it.
How often should an AED be inspected?
At least as often as the manufacturer says, which for most AEDs means a visual check every month and, for some, every week. Some state laws also set an interval, so follow whichever is stricter.
How much does AED maintenance cost a year?
Mostly pads and batteries spread over their life. For a Philips HeartStart OnSite, $99 pads every 2 years and a $249 battery every 4 years come to about $112 a year in parts, plus any service you pay for.
Who should maintain an organization’s AEDs?
One named program coordinator who owns the schedule, with an inspector assigned at each site. Many organizations also use an AED service company for parts and repairs, but the owner stays responsible for the AED being ready.
Is AED medical direction the same as maintenance?
No. Medical direction is a physician’s oversight of the AED program, which the AED law data in AED Log lists as required in 9 states. Maintenance is keeping each AED ready to use. A program can need both.