Air Changes Per Hour (ACH): Guidelines for Cigar Lounges, Shops & More
Air Changes Per Hour
Determining the number of Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) is essential when selecting an air purification system. It helps you choose the right model — and how many units you’ll need. At LakeAir, we reference trusted guidance from ASHRAE, NAFA, the EPA, and top engineering sources to create the ACH tables below.
These estimates apply to a wide range of room types and occupancy levels. Use them to calculate the air ventilation or purification capacity your space requires. If you need help building a proper ventilation strategy — especially in smoke-heavy environments like cigar lounges — check out our Smoking Establishment Permit Guide or contact our IAQ planning team.
ACH can be achieved through outdoor air exchange, indoor air purification, or a combination of both. These figures are intended as general guidance. For compliance, always consult IMC (International Mechanical Code), OSHA, your local municipality, or the EPA for any mandatory standards.
The data presented below are recommendations only. Always verify with your local authorities before implementation
| Building / Room | ACH | CFM Per Occupant |
| All spaces in general | 5 minimum | Not Available |
| Animal Shelter | Sheep | 6 |
| Apartments | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Arcades | 12-16 | 7.5 |
| Assembly halls | 6-8 | 5 |
| Attic spaces for cooling | 12 – 15 | Not Available |
| Auditoriums | 8 – 15 | 7.5 |
| Automobile Shop | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Bakeries | 20 – 30 | 10 |
| Bank Vaults | 6 | 5 |
| Banks | 5 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Barber Shops | 10 – 14 | 7.5 |
| Bathrooms | Not Available | 25-50 Exhaust |
| Baths | Not Available | 10 |
| Beauty Shops | 18 24 | 20 |
| Bedrooms | 4 – 8 | 4-8 |
| Boiler Rooms | 15 – 20 | 10 |
| Bowling Alleys | 14 – 20 | Not Available |
| Cafeterias | 12 – 15 | 7.5 |
| Call Centers | Not Available | 5 |
| Carpentry Shops / Ares | Not Available | 10 |
| Casino (non smoking) | 14 – 18 | Not Available |
| Casino (Smoking) | 20 – 30 | Not Available |
| Chemist’s shops | Not Available | 20 |
| Churches | 8 – 15 | 5 |
| Cigar Lounges | 20 – 30 | Not Available |
| Classroom / Lecture | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Classrooms (ages 5 and up) | 12 – 16 | 10 |
| Classrooms (ART) | 16-20 | 10 |
| Classrooms (science lab) | 16 -20 | Not Available |
| Classrooms (shop classes) | 16 -20 | Not Available |
| Club rooms | 12 | Not Available |
| Clubhouses | 20 – 30 | 10 |
| Cocktail Lounges | 20 – 30 | Not Available |
| Coin-operated dry cleaner | 24 -20 | Not Available |
| Coin-operated laundries | 11-13 | Not Available |
| Commercial dry cleaner | 24 -30 | 30 |
| Commercial Laundry | 22-26 | Not Available |
| Computer Rooms | 8-12 | 5 |
| Conference Roomos | 5 – 8 | 5 |
| Copy Rooms | Not Available | 5 |
| Correctional Facility Booking / Waiting | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Correctional Facility Cells | Not Available | 5 |
| Court Houses | 4 – 10 | 5 |
| Day Care (ages up to 4) | 14- 18 | 10 |
| Dental Centers | 8 – 12 | 7.5 |
| Department Stores | 6 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Dining Halls | 12-15 | 7.5 |
| Dining rooms (restaurants) | 12 | 7.5 |
| Disco / Dance halls | 16-20 | 20 |
| Dormitories | Not Available | 5 |
| Dress Shops | 6 – 10 | 5 |
| Drug Stores / Shops | 6 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Dry Cleaners Coin Operated | 6 – 20 | 15 |
| Dry Cleaners Commercial | Not Available | Not Available |
| Elevatore Car | 6 | Not Available |
| Engine rooms | 4 – 6 | 5 |
| Exhibiton Halls | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Factory buildings, ordinary | 6-10 | 5 |
| Factory buildings, with fumes or moisture | 10 – 15 | 10 |
| Fast Food | 12 – 14 | Not Available |
| Fire Stations | 4 – 10 | 5 |
| Food Processing | 10 – 25 | Not Available |
| Foundries | 15 – 20 | Not Available |
| Galvanizing plants | 20 – 30 | 20 |
| Ganbling Casinos | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Garages repair | 20 – 30 | 10 |
| Garages storage | 4 – 6 | Not Available |
| Gym | Not Available | 20 |
| Health Club | 20 – 26 | 20 |
| Homes, night cooling | 10 – 18 | Not Available |
| Hookah | 20 – 30 | Not Available |
| Hospital rooms | 6 – 10 | 32 |
| Hospital Surgery Rooms | Not Available | 30 |
| Hospital Therapy Rooms | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Hotel / Motel Recpion Area | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Hotel / Motel Rooms | Not Available | 5 |
| Jewlery Shops | Not Available | 7.5 |
| K+A80:C149itchens ( residential ) | 8-14 | 7.5 |
| Kitchens (commercial) | 15 -30 | Not Available |
| Laundries | 6-10 | 7.5 |
| Legisaltive Chambers | Not Available | 5 |
| Libraries, public | 6-10 | 5 |
| Building / Room | ACH | CFM Per Occupant |
| Lunch Rooms | 12-15 | Not Available |
| Luncheonettes | 12-15 | 5 |
| Machine shops | 6 – 12 | Not Available |
| Malls | 6 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Meat Processing | 20-26 | 15 |
| Mechanical Work Shop | 32-42 | Not Available |
| Media Center | Not Available | Not Available |
| Medical Centers | 8 – 12 | 10 |
| Medical Clinics | 8 – 12 | Not Available |
| Medical Offices | 8 – 12 | Not Available |
| Medical Restin room | Not Available | 10 |
| Mills, paper | 15 – 20 | Not Available |
| Mills, textile dye houses | 15 – 20 | Not Available |
| Mills, textile general buildings | 5 | Not Available |
| Money Counting room | 8 – 15 | Not Available |
| Municipal Buildings | 5 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Museums (Childrens) | 12-15 | 7.5 |
| Museums / Galleries | 10-15 | 7.5 |
| Nail Salons | 18 -24 | 20 |
| Nightclubs | 20 – 30 | 60 |
| Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| Not Available | Horses | 85 |
| Not Available | Hens | 6 |
| Not Available | Cows | 212 |
| Not Available | Chickens | 4 |
| Not Available | Pigs, sow | 127 |
| Not Available | Piglet | 32 |
| Office Recption Area | Not Available | 5 |
| Offices, private | 5 | Not Available |
| Offices, public | 5 | 5 |
| Pet Shops | 12 – 14 | 7.5 |
| Pharmacy Prep | 8 – 10 | Not Available |
| Photo dark rooms | 10 – 15 | Not Available |
| Photo Studios | 6 – 8 | Not Available |
| Police Stations | 5 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Post Offices | 5 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Poultry houses | 6 – 10 | Not Available |
| Precision Manufacturing | 10 – 50 | Not Available |
| Public Retail Stores | 6 – 10 | Not Available |
| Pump rooms | 5 | Not Available |
| Residences | 4 – 6 | Not Available |
| Restaurants | 8 – 12 | 10 |
| Retail | 6 – 10 | Not Available |
| School Classrooms | 4 – 12 | 10 |
| Science laboratories | Not Available | 10 |
| shipping and Receiving | Not Available | 10 |
| Shoe Shops | 6 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Shopping Centers | 6 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Shopping Centers | Not Available | 5 |
| Shops, machine | 5 | Not Available |
| Shops, paint | 15 – 20 | Not Available |
| Shops, woodworking | 5 | Not Available |
| Smoking Lounges | 20-30 | 60 |
| Stages / Studios | Not Available | 10 |
| Storage Areas | 10 | Not Available |
| Substation, electric | 5 – 10 | Not Available |
| Supermarkets | 8 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Swimming pools | 20 – 30 | 12 |
| Taverns (Smoking) | 20 – 30 | 60 |
| Taverns / Bars (non smoking) | 14-18 | 10 |
| Theaters | 8 – 15 | 7.5 |
| Ticket Booth | Not Available | 5 |
| Town Halls | 5 – 10 | 7.5 |
| Transformer rooms | 10 – 20 | Not Available |
| Transportain / Waiting Area | Not Available | 7.5 |
| Turbine rooms, electric | 5 – 10 | Not Available |
| Vape Shop | 20 – 30 | Not Available |
| Waiting rooms, public | 5 | Not Available |
| Warehouses | 6 – 30 | 10 |
| WareHouses Refrigerated | Not Available | 10 |
| Welding Areas | 12-16 | 42 |
| Woodworking / Metal shops | Not Available | 10 |
| Animal Shelter | Sheep | 6 |
| Horses | 85 | |
| Hens | 6 | |
| Cows | 212 | |
| Chickens | 4 | |
| Pigs, sow | 127 | |
| Piglet | 32 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
The air change rate is a measure of how often the air in a room is replaced with fresh air. It is usually expressed as the number of times the air is completely replaced in an hour. For example, an air change rate of 1 means that the air in the room is completely replaced once every hour.
The air change rate is important because it affects the amount of fresh air that is available for people to breathe.
The ideal air change rate is the rate at which air is exchanged between indoor space and the outdoors. It is typically expressed as the number of times per hour that the air in a space is completely replaced with fresh air from outside.
The ideal air change rate depends on a number of factors, including the size of the space, the number of people occupying it, the level of activity taking place, the type of ventilation system in place, and the climate.
The air change rate is important because it determines how often the air in a room is replaced with fresh air. The higher the air change rate, the more often the air is replaced and the fresher it will be. The air change rate is also important because it affects the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. A higher air change rate means that the system will have to work harder to maintain the desired temperature, which can lead to higher energy bills.
There are a few ways to measure air change rate, the most common being to use an anemometer. This is a device that measures the speed of airflow. To use an anemometer, you simply hold it in the air and wait for the needle to stabilize. The reading on the anemometer will tell you the air change rate.
