Air Change Rate Calculator
Calculate air changes per hour (ACH) from airflow rate and room volume with recommendations by room type.
Inputs
Results
Air Changes / Hour
8
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Airflow Rate (CFM), Room Volume (ft³), and Room Type.
- Review the Air Changes / Hour result.
- Use Full Exchange Time (min) and Recommended Min ACH to inform your decision.
How the result changes with Room Volume (ft³)
| Room Volume (ft³) | Air Changes / Hour |
|---|---|
| 100,001 | 0.12 |
| 350,001 | 0.03 |
| 650,000 | 0.02 |
| 900,000 | 0.01 |
What each input means
- Airflow Rate (CFM)
- Supply or exhaust airflow in cubic feet per minute.
- Room Volume (ft³)
- Total room volume: length × width × ceiling height in feet.
- Room Type
- 1 = Residential, 2 = Office, 3 = Classroom, 4 = Hospital OR, 5 = Lab, 6 = Clean room.
What each result means
- Air Changes / Hour
- Number of times the entire room air volume is replaced per hour.
- Full Exchange Time (min)
- Minutes required for one complete air exchange.
- Recommended Min ACH
- Minimum recommended ACH for the selected room type.
- Recommended Max ACH
- Maximum recommended ACH for the selected room type.
- Meets Minimum (1=Yes, 0=No)
- Whether the calculated ACH meets the minimum recommendation.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input ParametersAirflow Rate (CFM) = 200, Room Volume (ft³) = 1500, Room Type = 1 = 3 input(s) provided
- Calculate Air Changes / HourAir Changes / Hour = (airflowCfm * 60) / roomVolume8 = 8
- Calculate Full Exchange Time7.5 = 7.5
- Calculate Recommended Min ACH4 = 4
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