Weather conditions and your AED
How Extreme Heat and Cold Affect Your AED
If only we all lived where the weather was sunny and 75° all year long. Then conditions for our AEDs would be ideal! But we don’t, and they aren’t. An AED is an electronic device with a built-in computer. Just like a laptop, tablet, or other electronic device, you don’t want to expose your AED to extreme heat or cold.
The Impact of Heat on an AED
Extreme heat can cause damage in multiple ways. In areas with desert-like climates such as the Southwest, where temperatures can reach well above 110°F, circuitry can literally melt, causing a malfunction. In addition, heat has been known to affect the life of lithium batteries.
The majority of AED manufacturers recommend standby and operating temperatures between 32°F and 122°F (0°-50°C). Remember, the temperature in a car can get much higher than the temperature outside on a hot day. On a 90°F day (within the manufacturer’s guidelines) the interior of a car can get upwards of 130° if it is sitting in the sun.
Keep your AED’s temperature guidelines in mind when you decide where to store or locate your AED. A cabinet that sits in the afternoon sun or unsheltered outdoor location might not be a safe place for your device.
AEDs and Extreme Cold
Your AED won’t withstand the cold any better than it does the heat. Extreme cold can play a different role than melting the internal circuitry of the AED. While the adhesive in an AED electrode pad is alcohol based and therefore less susceptible to losing adhesion in the cold, the cold itself may affect the electronic function of the AED. We heard about this first-hand from one of our customers.
Wes Wagoner, one of the lead product trainers at AED Superstore and a customer service representative, tells the story of one lucky customer who left their AED in the cold by accident “I remember several years ago it was reported to us that an AED was left in a vehicle, day and night, for a several-week period in below-freezing conditions. Once this was realized, they brought the unit indoors and tried to turn it on. It took a couple days for the unit to thaw out enough to turn on, which could have been devastating if they had had to use it.”
Keeping Your AED in Ready-to-Rescue Condition
While some AEDs are rated for tough use and built ruggedly to withstand abuse, it’s still important to keep your device within its manufacturer-recommended temperature range. To avoid risking damage to your device or temporarily putting it out of service:
- ☀️If you are taking it outside, say to a sporting event, keep it in a shady area out of direct sunlight.
- ☀️Place your AED in a small insulated bag or cooler that has CLEARLY been marked so it is easily found if needed.
- ☀️If you need to keep your AED in a vehicle, for instance, an emergency vehicle, do not store it in the trunk. Rather, store it in the air-conditioned cabin of the vehicle, out of direct sunlight, if the vehicle must be parked for any length of time.
- ☀️/❄️If you keep your AED in a vehicle, bring it inside in the evening and store inside.
- ❄️Keep your AED in the heated cabin of the vehicle in cold temperatures, not in the trunk, and bring inside at night.
If you do not have a temperature-controlled environment and you are looking for a cabinet solution, AED Superstore is now carrying a line of AIVIA cabinets. These AED cabinets have options such as heaters and fans, to keep your AED warm or cool (depending on your climate and needs) and ready for action.
Have you run into any temperature-related snags with your AED? Comment below.
August 15, 2017 at 6:37 am, Shane Schneider said:
I enjoyed reading this article. As A biomedical Equipment Technician I have seen temperature/humidity cause several issues with equipment even with in ranges of MFG specs. equipment should not be stored in areas of drastic temperature swings the changes can cause wear on components or damage shorting the lifespan of the equipment. As well as condensation on displays, leads, batteries contacts and other components. I have seen the display fog over (non readable)from going from a cool environment to a heated environment or vice versa. Resistance and capacitance also can change with sudden drastic changes but I haven’t seen this effect AEDs function as of yet.
March 20, 2018 at 2:34 pm, Should You Get An AED For Your Home? - AED Superstore Blog said:
[…] in the summer months and in the cabin (not the trunk) of the car during the winter to keep it from extreme temperatures. During extreme weather (colder than 32°F or hotter than 122°F) it should be brought inside the […]
May 15, 2018 at 11:05 am, Bethany Birchridge said:
I had no idea that desert like climates could cause the circuitry in you AED to melt. My grandmother has an AED, and she lives in the hotter, more Southern part of the state. I’ll make sure that she stores it in a cool place and doesn’t leave it in the car. Thanks so much for sharing these helpful tips.
March 14, 2019 at 6:36 pm, Adrian Jones said:
Weather can actually have an impact when it comes to using AED defibrillators because of the microchip that’s inside the device–leave it in the sun or in the cold for too long and it’s definitely going to malfunction. It’s important to keep the equipment in optimal temperature storage since having the delicate machinery in any other kind of weather can and will cause it to malfunction because of melted technology! If I had the chance to use one of these machines I would have to make sure that they’re kept properly so that they can be used in cases of a dire emergency. https://www.stopheartattack.com/heartsine-samaritan-PAD-350p-aed/
July 14, 2019 at 1:50 pm, Don White, said:
Very helpful information! Both the article, and the blog comments, too! We plan to install an AED inside of its metal cabinet inside of our large roofed outdoor Pavilion at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center campus in Hanover, VA. Pavilion gets used year-round by law enforcement, fire-rescue, and the Virginia Army National Guard.
July 17, 2022 at 3:11 pm, Michael De Luke said:
Has a AED ever been known to have failed in a indoor environment. Due to the humidity?
July 18, 2022 at 6:22 am, AED Superstore said:
Humidity doesn’t affect an AED. The only possibility for a failure would be if the patient is sweaty and the electrode pads are not adhering to the skin properly. Responder kits usually include a towel for drying the skin prior to attaching the pads.
November 23, 2022 at 12:39 pm, Randy Young said:
Can a AED be located at outdoor tennis courts in Florida? I have a concern about the impact of high summer temperatures and humidity plus all the heavy rain storms? Also are AED’s vulnerable to lighting strikes?
November 23, 2022 at 12:48 pm, AED Superstore said:
We would recommend an AED with a high IP (Ingress Protection) rating of 55 or above, and keep it stored in a waterproof carry case. We would also recommend bringing it indoors when the tennis courts are not in use. An AED is no more vulnerable than a person or a structure during lightning storms.