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Air Change Rates in typical Rooms and Buildings

Fresh air (make up air) rquirements - or recommended air change rates (ACH) for typical rooms and buildings like auditoriums, kitchens, churches and more.

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The volume of fresh air (make up air) required for a proper ventilation of a space is determined of the size and the use of the space - typical the no. of persons in the space, if smoking is allowed or not and pollution from processes.

air change rate

The table below indicates air change rates (air changes per hour) commonly used in different types of rooms and buildings.

Building / RoomAir Change Rate
- n -
(1/h)
All spaces in general min 4
Assembly halls 4 - 6
Attic spaces for cooling 12 - 15
Auditoriums 8 - 15
Bakeries 20 - 30
Banks 4 - 10
Barber Shops 6 - 10
Bars 20 - 30
Beauty Shops 6 - 10
Boiler rooms 15 - 20
Bowling Alleys 10 - 15
Cafeterias 12 - 15
Churches 8 - 15
Classrooms 6 - 20
Club rooms 12
Clubhouses 20 - 30
Cocktail Lounges 20 - 30
Computer Rooms 15 - 20
Court Houses 4 - 10
Dance halls 6 - 9
Dental Centers 8 - 12
Department Stores 6 - 10
Dining Halls 12 -15
Dining rooms (restaurants) 12
Dress Shops 6 - 10
Drug Shops 6 - 10
Engine rooms 4 - 6
Factory buildings, ordinary 2 - 4
Factory buildings, with fumes or moisture 10 - 15
Fire Stations 4 - 10
Foundries 15 - 20
Galvanizing plants 20 - 30
Garages repair 20 - 30
Garages storage 4 - 6
Homes, night cooling 10 - 18
Hospital rooms 4 - 6
Jewelry shops 6 - 10
Kitchens 15 - 60
Laundries 10 - 15
Libraries, public 4
Lunch Rooms 12 -15
Luncheonettes 12 -15
Nightclubs 20 - 30
Machine shops 6 - 12
Malls 6 - 10
Medical Centers 8 - 12
Medical Clinics 8 - 12
Medical Offices 8 - 12
Mills, paper 15 - 20
Mills, textile general buildings 4
Mills, textile dye houses 15 - 20
Municipal Buildings 4 - 10
Museums 12 -15
Offices, public 3
Offices, private 4
Paint shops 10 - 15
Paper mills 15 - 20
Photo dark rooms 10 - 15
Pig houses 6 - 10
Police Stations 4 - 10
Post Offices 4 - 10
Poultry houses 6 - 10
Precision Manufacturing 10 - 50
Pump rooms 5
Railroad shops 4
Residences 1 - 2
Restaurants 8 - 12
Retail 6 - 10
School Classrooms 4 - 12
Shoe Shops 6 - 10
Shopping Centers 6 - 10
Shops, machine 5
Shops, paint 15 - 20
Shops, woodworking 5
Substation, electric 5 - 10
Supermarkets 4 - 10
Swimming pools 20 - 30
Textile mills 4
Textile mills dye houses 15 - 20
Town Halls 4 - 10
Taverns 20 - 30
Theaters 8 - 15
Transformer rooms 10 - 30
Turbine rooms, electric 5 - 10
Warehouses 2
Waiting rooms, public 4
Warehouses 6 - 30
Wood-working shops 8

Be aware of local regulations and codes.

Fresh air supply - make up air - to a room based on the table above can be calculated as

q = n V                                        (1)

where

q = fresh air supply (ft3/h, m3/h)

n = air change rate (h-1)

V = volume of room (ft3, m3)

Example - Fresh Air Supply to a Public Library

The fresh air supply to a public library with volume 1000 m3 can be calculated as

Q = (4 h-1) (1000 m3)

    = 4000 m3/h

Air Volume Calculator

No. of Changes per Hour (h-1)

Room Volume (m3, ft3)

Air Change Out Frequency in minutes

The "Air Change Out Frequency" in minutes can be calculated as 

nm = 60 / n                                       (2)

where

nm = Air Change Out Frequency (minutes)

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