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: L/s = CFM × 0.4719
Multiply any CFM value by 0.4719 to get L/s.
Reverse: CFM = L/s × 2.119
Common flow rate values — factor: 1 CFM = 0.4719 L/s
| CFM (CFM) | L/s (L/s) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 CFM | 0.004719 L/s | Tiny |
| 0.1 CFM | 0.04719 L/s | Small fan |
| 1 CFM | 0.4719 L/s | Small room fan |
| 10 CFM | 4.719 L/s | Room ventilation |
| 50 CFM | 23.6 L/s | Bathroom exhaust |
| 100 CFM | 47.19 L/s | Small HVAC |
| 500 CFM | 236 L/s | Commercial HVAC |
| 1000 CFM | 471.9 L/s | Large HVAC |
| 5000 CFM | 2360 L/s | Data center |
| 1e+04 CFM | 4719 L/s | Large plant |
| 5e+04 CFM | 2.36e+04 L/s | Arena ventilation |
| 1e+05 CFM | 4.719e+04 L/s | Stadium |
| 5e+05 CFM | 2.36e+05 L/s | Very large |
| 1e+06 CFM | 4.719e+05 L/s | Extreme |
| 1e+07 CFM | 4.719e+06 L/s | Max |
1 CFM = 0.4719 L/s.
m³/s × 1000 = L/s × 60 = L/min. Use this chain for quick conversions.
Multiply result by 2.119 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').
Liters per second (L/s) is widely used in water supply engineering, fire protection, and irrigation where liter-scale flows are practical. One L/s = 0.001 m³/s = 60 L/min.
Fire hoses typically deliver 7–25 L/s. Municipal water distribution systems are designed for flows in L/s. Swimming pool filtration systems run at 1–10 L/s. A garden hose delivers about 0.3 L/s.
Interesting fact: The human heart pumps about 0.083 L/s (5 L/min) at rest, rising to 0.333–0.5 L/s (20–30 L/min) during intense exercise. Over a lifetime, the heart pumps approximately 200 million liters of blood.
Converting CFM to L/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 = 4.719 L/s. Reverse: 1 L/s = 2.119 CFM. Factor: 1 CFM = 0.4719 L/s.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.