Free calculator

Ventilation & carbon filter CFM calculator

Fans are rated in free air, but a carbon filter and every duct bend push the fan up its pressure curve where it moves less. Size from the room, then derate for what's bolted to the fan.

Space & restrictions

Result

Room volume 104 ft³

Fan rating to shop for
43CFM
= 74 m³/h
Base exchange requirement
35CFM
One full exchange every 3 min
Pick a carbon filter rated at or above the fan's CFM: an undersized filter chokes the fan and lets odor slip through at high flow.

Percentages are rules of thumb, not duct engineering. A speed-controlled fan one size up beats an exact-size fan at full throttle, quieter, and you keep headroom for a clogged filter (they load up over months). Running CO₂ enrichment? Exhausting during lights-on throws that money away.

Sealed room instead of vented? Size the AC → and the CO₂ system →

What size exhaust fan do I need for a grow tent?

Calculate base CFM from your room volume times your target air exchanges per minute, then derate for the static pressure a carbon filter and ducting add, since a filter typically cuts rated CFM by 25-45%. Buying a fan rated at your raw CFM need, with no derating, is the most common undersizing mistake. Enter your room and filter setup above for the CFM to actually shop for.