Convert flow rate units — m³/s, L/s, L/min, ft³/s, gallon/min and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| m³/s | Cubic Meter/Second | 0.000472 |
| m³/min | Cubic Meter/Minute | 0.028319434 |
| m³/h | Cubic Meter/Hour | 1.6978417 |
| L/s | Liter/Second | 0.472 |
| L/min | Liter/Minute | 28.319434 |
| ft³/s | Cubic Foot/Second | 0.016668432 |
| gal/min | Gallon/Minute (US) | 7.4813758 |
| gal/h | Gallon/Hour (US) | 448.88255 |
Formula: ft³/s = CFM × 0.01667
Multiply any CFM value by 0.01667 to get ft³/s.
Reverse: CFM = ft³/s × 60
Common flow rate values — factor: 1 CFM = 0.01667 ft³/s
| CFM (CFM) | ft³/s (ft³/s) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 CFM | 0.0001667 ft³/s | Tiny |
| 0.1 CFM | 0.001667 ft³/s | Small fan |
| 1 CFM | 0.01667 ft³/s | Small room fan |
| 10 CFM | 0.1667 ft³/s | Room ventilation |
| 50 CFM | 0.8333 ft³/s | Bathroom exhaust |
| 100 CFM | 1.667 ft³/s | Small HVAC |
| 500 CFM | 8.333 ft³/s | Commercial HVAC |
| 1000 CFM | 16.67 ft³/s | Large HVAC |
| 5000 CFM | 83.33 ft³/s | Data center |
| 1e+04 CFM | 166.7 ft³/s | Large plant |
| 5e+04 CFM | 833.3 ft³/s | Arena ventilation |
| 1e+05 CFM | 1667 ft³/s | Stadium |
| 5e+05 CFM | 8333 ft³/s | Very large |
| 1e+06 CFM | 1.667e+04 ft³/s | Extreme |
| 1e+07 CFM | 1.667e+05 ft³/s | Max |
1 CFM = 0.01667 ft³/s.
m³/s × 1000 = L/s × 60 = L/min. Use this chain for quick conversions.
Multiply result by 60 to recover the original CFM value.
Designs pumps, pipes, and water distribution systems with flow rates in m³/s, L/s, and GPM.
Specifies air handling units and ductwork in CFM (ft³/min) and m³/h for North American and European projects.
Monitors and controls treatment processes with flow rates in m³/h, L/s, and MGD.
Designs sprinkler systems with required flows in GPM and L/min per NFPA standards.
Measures river and groundwater flows in m³/s (m) and ft³/s (cfs) for flood modeling and water resource planning.
Configures ventilators and oxygen delivery systems with flow rates specified in L/min.
Cubic feet per minute (CFM) is the dominant airflow unit in North American HVAC, ventilation, and pneumatic systems. One CFM = 0.000472 m³/s = 28.32 L/min.
HVAC systems in the US are universally specified in CFM: a typical bedroom requires 50–100 CFM of ventilation; a commercial kitchen exhaust hood needs 300–1,500 CFM; a large data center cooling system may require 100,000+ CFM.
Interesting fact: The term CFM is so entrenched in US building practice that even metric-preferring engineers typically specify airflows in CFM for North American projects. Air compressors are rated in CFM at a specified pressure (e.g., '10 CFM @ 90 psi').
Cubic feet per second (ft³/s), also called cusecs, is the standard volumetric flow unit for rivers and streams in the United States. One ft³/s = 0.028317 m³/s ≈ 28.32 L/s.
US Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauges report flow in ft³/s (cfs). Irrigation water rights, hydropower licensing, and environmental flow requirements in the US are expressed in cfs. The Colorado River at Hoover Dam averages about 7,500 cfs.
Interesting fact: During Hurricane Harvey (2017), some Houston streams exceeded 400,000 cfs — more than 10 times the normal peak flow. The USGS maintains over 8,000 stream gauges across the US, all reporting in cfs.
Converting CFM to ft³/s is essential across hydraulic engineering, HVAC, water treatment, fire protection, and medicine. SI units (m³/s, L/s) are standard in science; European engineering uses m³/h; US systems use GPM and CFM; medical applications use L/min.
Quick reference: 10 CFM = 0.1667 ft³/s. Reverse: 1 ft³/s = 60 CFM. Factor: 1 CFM = 0.01667 ft³/s.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.