cfm
Units & Measurements abbreviation · Engineering Unit
| Stands for | Cubic feet per minute |
|---|---|
| Categories | Units & Measurements |
cfm stands for Cubic feet per minute, an engineering unit abbreviation.
Volume flow rate of air or gas, used for HVAC airflow, bathroom and range-hood fans, air compressors, dust collectors and leaf blowers. A typical residential system moves about 400 cfm per ton of cooling.
Example: Install a bath fan of at least 50 cfm for bathrooms up to 50 square feet.
Usage notes
One cfm is about 0.47 liters per second or 1.7 cubic meters per hour. Air compressors are rated in SCFM at a stated pressure, such as 4.0 SCFM at 90 psi, which determines which air tools they can run. Range hoods over gas cooktops are often sized at 100 cfm per 10,000 BTU of burner output.