Air Purifier Sizing Calculator
CADR needed from room size and air changes per hour.
Inputs
Results
Recommended CADR (cfm)
120
ACH-based CADR (cfm)96
Room volume (ft³)1,440
Floor area (ft²)180
Units needed (250 CADR each)1
Annual filter cost ($)$80.00
Annual energy (kWh)438
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Room length (ft), Room width (ft), and Ceiling height (ft).
- Set Target air changes/hour.
- Review the Recommended CADR (cfm) result.
- Use ACH-based CADR (cfm) and Room volume (ft³) to inform your decision.
How the result changes with Room length (ft)
| Room length (ft) | Recommended CADR (cfm) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 168 |
| 71 | 568 |
| 130 | 1,040 |
| 180 | 1,440 |
What each input means
- Room length (ft)
- Length of the room in feet.
- Room width (ft)
- Width of the room in feet.
- Ceiling height (ft)
- Floor-to-ceiling height. Standard residential is 8 ft.
- Target air changes/hour
- Desired air changes per hour. 2–4 general, 4–6 allergy, 6–12 medical.
What each result means
- Recommended CADR (cfm)
- Minimum Clean Air Delivery Rate needed, accounting for AHAM 2/3 rule.
- ACH-based CADR (cfm)
- CADR calculated from room volume and target air changes per hour.
- Room volume (ft³)
- Total room volume in cubic feet.
- Floor area (ft²)
- Room floor area in square feet.
- Units needed (250 CADR each)
- Number of typical 250-CADR purifiers required.
- Annual filter cost ($)
- Estimated yearly cost for replacement filters.
- Annual energy (kWh)
- Estimated annual electricity usage running 24/7.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersRoom length (ft) = 15, Room width (ft) = 12, Ceiling height (ft) = 8, Target air changes/hour = 4 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Recommended CADRRecommended CADR = max(requiredCADR, ahamMinCADR)120 = 120
- Calculate ACH-based CADRACH-based CADR = (roomVolumeFt3 * targetACH) / 6096 = 96
- Calculate Room volumeRoom volume = roomLength * roomWidth * ceilingHeight1440 = 1440
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