What a preschool facilities board should ask an air purifier supplier
A facilities board shouldn't rely on a single supplier pitch. See the certifications and servicing questions worth asking every shortlisted vendor.
Key takeaways
- Ask each supplier to name certifications rather than use vague terms like medical-grade without backing them up.
- A written comparison across suppliers protects the board more than one confident presentation.
- Request a room-by-room survey before accepting any coverage estimate.
- Compare rental terms on what is actually included, not just the headline rate.
- Treat any claim the supplier can't document as a red flag, not a detail to skip over.
Why a facilities board shouldn't rely on a single sales pitch
A preschool facilities board usually sits between parents raising air quality questions and a handful of suppliers each presenting their product as the obvious choice. One confident pitch, with the right slides and the right vocabulary, can feel decisive. It shouldn't be treated as one.
The board's job is to compare, not to be persuaded. That means every supplier under consideration should be asked the same set of questions, in writing, so the answers can sit side by side rather than being judged separately weeks apart from memory of a meeting.
This matters more in early childhood settings than in most commercial spaces, because parents will ask what the board checked. A documented comparison across suppliers is easier to stand behind later than a decision based on which presentation felt most polished on the day.
Certifications to ask every shortlisted supplier for
Ask each supplier to name their certifications specifically rather than accept a general label like medical-grade on its own. AIRE, for example, holds an FDA Class 2 medical device listing, H13 medical-grade HEPA filtration, CE, RoHS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Any supplier making a similar claim should be able to name equivalents.
Ask what the filtration actually does with what it captures. H13 HEPA traps at least 99.95 percent of particles down to 0.1 micron, which is a meaningfully different standard from ordinary HEPA-type filters. Separately, ask whether the unit only traps particles or also actively works on what it captures, since trapping and active sterilisation are different claims that get blurred in marketing copy.
Our own claims verification page sets out what we will and won't state and why, as a model for the level of documentation worth expecting from any supplier a board is considering.
Comparing rental terms and servicing commitments side by side
Preschools tend to prefer rental over an outright purchase, since it keeps filters, servicing and delivery bundled into one predictable rate rather than a separate maintenance schedule the centre has to manage itself. But rental terms differ between suppliers more than the headline monthly rate suggests.
Ask each supplier what is included in servicing, how often visits happen, and what happens if a unit underperforms mid-contract. Ask whether delivery and collection are two-way, or whether the centre is expected to arrange transport back for servicing. These details rarely appear on the first page of a proposal, so the board should ask directly rather than assume they match.
Put the answers into one table across all shortlisted suppliers. A gap in one column, servicing frequency left vague, for instance, tells the board more than a lower headline price would on its own.
Requesting a room-by-room survey before any decision
A preschool has classrooms, a nap room, a play area and often a shared pantry or reception, each with a different floor area and a different recommended air changes per hour target. A single coverage figure for the whole centre is not a real specification, it's a shortcut.
Ask every supplier to survey the actual rooms rather than quote from a floor plan or a phone conversation. AIRE's free room-by-room Air Report is built around this, applying the CADR formula, floor area multiplied by ceiling height multiplied by target ACH, to each space individually rather than the centre as a whole.
If a supplier is willing to quote without seeing the rooms, that itself is worth noting on the comparison sheet. A survey costs the supplier nothing to offer and tells the board they are being sized correctly rather than sold a round number.
Red flags in unverifiable marketing language
Watch for phrases that sound authoritative but cannot be checked: claims of official approval from a regulator, vague references to studies without a source, or language implying outcomes no equipment can honestly promise, like assured protection from illness. A supplier confident in their product should be comfortable being asked to back these up.
Equally, watch for suppliers who avoid naming their actual certifications and instead lean on brand reputation or price. A genuine certification, once named, can be checked independently. A marketing label cannot.
The board's role isn't to catch out every supplier, most are operating honestly, but to make sure the ones making bolder claims are held to the same evidence standard as the ones being more careful with their language. That consistency is what protects the centre and the parents relying on the board's decision.
Next step
Before shortlisting any supplier, ask for a written comparison and a real room-by-room survey. Start with a free Air Report to see what a documented, room-specific quote actually looks like.
Frequently asked
Why shouldn't a facilities board rely on a single supplier's pitch?
A confident presentation is not the same as a documented comparison. The board's role is to compare suppliers against the same written questions, so answers can be checked side by side rather than judged individually from memory weeks after each meeting.
What certifications should every shortlisted supplier be asked for?
Ask suppliers to name specific certifications rather than accept general labels like medical-grade. Relevant examples include an FDA Class 2 medical device listing, H13 medical-grade HEPA filtration, CE, RoHS and ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, which a genuine supplier should be able to name and document.
What are red flags in unverifiable marketing language?
Watch for claims of regulatory approval, vague references to studies with no source, or promises about health outcomes that no equipment can honestly assure. A supplier unwilling to name and document their actual certifications, instead leaning on brand reputation alone, is worth questioning further.
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