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: gal/h = CFM × 448.8
Multiply any CFM value by 448.8 to get gal/h.
Reverse: CFM = gal/h × 0.002228
Common flow rate values — factor: 1 CFM = 448.8 gal/h
| CFM (CFM) | gal/h (gal/h) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 CFM | 4.488 gal/h | Tiny |
| 0.1 CFM | 44.88 gal/h | Small fan |
| 1 CFM | 448.8 gal/h | Small room fan |
| 10 CFM | 4488 gal/h | Room ventilation |
| 50 CFM | 2.244e+04 gal/h | Bathroom exhaust |
| 100 CFM | 4.488e+04 gal/h | Small HVAC |
| 500 CFM | 2.244e+05 gal/h | Commercial HVAC |
| 1000 CFM | 4.488e+05 gal/h | Large HVAC |
| 5000 CFM | 2.244e+06 gal/h | Data center |
| 1e+04 CFM | 4.488e+06 gal/h | Large plant |
| 5e+04 CFM | 2.244e+07 gal/h | Arena ventilation |
| 1e+05 CFM | 4.488e+07 gal/h | Stadium |
| 5e+05 CFM | 2.244e+08 gal/h | Very large |
| 1e+06 CFM | 4.488e+08 gal/h | Extreme |
| 1e+07 CFM | 4.488e+09 gal/h | Max |
1 CFM = 448.8 gal/h.
m³/s × 1000 = L/s × 60 = L/min. Use this chain for quick conversions.
Multiply result by 0.002228 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').
Gallons per hour (gal/h) is used for slower flow rates such as fuel consumption, slow drip irrigation, and residential water softeners. One gal/h = 1.0514 × 10⁻⁶ m³/s ≈ 0.0631 L/min.
Vehicle fuel consumption at highway speeds is typically 2–8 gal/h for gasoline engines. Water softeners regenerate at 0.5–2 gal/h. Fuel oil burners for home heating consume 0.7–3 gal/h depending on output.
Interesting fact: A dripping faucet (one drip per second) wastes about 3,000 gallons per year — roughly 0.34 gal/h. A running toilet can waste 200 gal/h, adding up to nearly 2 million gallons over a year if unrepaired.
Converting CFM to gal/h 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 = 4488 gal/h. Reverse: 1 gal/h = 0.002228 CFM. Factor: 1 CFM = 448.8 gal/h.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.