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CFM from Air Changes per Hour (ACH)

Convert a target ventilation rate (air changes per hour) into required airflow in CFM for a room of given size, or find the ACH a known CFM delivers.

Enter the room dimensions, then leave either ACH or CFM blank to solve for it.

Typical targets: bathroom 8 ACH, kitchen 15, bedroom 5–6, office 6, workshop 10.

About this tool

The CFM from Air Changes per Hour (ACH) calculator is a free, in-browser ventilation tool that links a room's air-change rate to the airflow, in cubic feet per minute, needed to achieve it. Air changes per hour is how many times the entire volume of air in a room is replaced each hour. The core relations are simple: room volume V = length × width × ceiling height, then required CFM = (ACH × V) ÷ 60, and in reverse ACH = (CFM × 60) ÷ V.

All of the math is done locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded. Enter the room's three dimensions in feet, then leave either the ACH or the CFM field blank and the tool solves for it. The divide-by-60 converts the per-hour air change into a per-minute airflow, since CFM is defined per minute.

Different spaces call for different air-change rates: bathrooms are commonly ventilated at about 8 ACH, kitchens around 15, bedrooms 5–6, offices about 6, and workshops roughly 10, with kitchen exhaust hoods higher still. Results report the required airflow, the resulting ACH, the room volume, and the flow in cubic feet per hour, making it easy to size an exhaust fan or check whether an existing fan meets a target ventilation rate.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert ACH to CFM?
Multiply the air changes per hour by the room volume in cubic feet, then divide by 60: CFM = (ACH × V) ÷ 60. The ÷60 converts the hourly air change into the per-minute basis that CFM uses.
What CFM do I need for a bathroom fan?
Bathrooms are typically vented at about 8 air changes per hour. A 12 × 10 × 8 ft bathroom is 960 ft³, so 8 × 960 ÷ 60 = 128 CFM. Codes also allow a simpler 1 CFM per square foot minimum.
What are recommended air changes per hour?
Rough targets: bathrooms ~8 ACH, kitchens ~15, bedrooms 5–6, offices ~6, and workshops ~10. Higher rates clear odours, moisture and fumes faster. Local codes and the space's use should guide the final number.
How do I find ACH from a fan's CFM?
Leave the ACH field blank. The tool computes ACH = (CFM × 60) ÷ room volume. For example a 100 CFM fan in a 960 ft³ room gives (100 × 60) ÷ 960 ≈ 6.25 air changes per hour.

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