Which units are commonly used to measure airflow in HVAC systems?

Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) is a standard unit of measurement used to quantify the volume of air moving through a system over time in HVAC applications. This measurement is critical for assessing airflow efficiency and ensuring optimal performance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. CFM provides an easily understood framework for evaluating the capacity of fans, ducts, and HVAC equipment to deliver the required air volume for proper heating, cooling, and ventilation.

In HVAC design, CFM is often used to ensure that systems can adequately supply or exhaust air to maintain desired indoor air quality and comfort levels. The ability to measure airflow in CFM allows technicians to troubleshoot and optimize systems, ensuring they operate within specified parameters for efficiency and effectiveness.

While other units like liters per second and cubic meters per hour may also measure airflow, CFM remains the most widely used and recognized measurement in the North American HVAC industry, making it a crucial unit for professionals in the field. Gallons per minute, on the other hand, is typically used for measuring liquid flow rather than air, making it irrelevant in the context of airflow measurement.