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CALCULATINGSYSTEMCFM

Wecommonlyacceptthatnominalairflowacrosstheevaporatorinaresidentialorlight
commercialcomfortcoolingairconditioningsystemshouldbeabout400cfmpertonofcooling.Carrier
Infinitysystemsuseafactoryconfigurationof350cfmperton,butthatcanbeadjustedupto400cfm
pertonattheuserinterfaceorbyadjustmentsattheindoorunit,ifsodesired.Forgeneralpurposes,
400cfmpertonistheacceptedindustrystandard.

ThereexistsasimplemathematicalformulathatcanbeemployedtocalculatesystemCFMby
usingtheheatingfunctiontogiveusaheatingdeltaT.Simplyturnontheheatwiththeheatingfan
outputontheboardhookedtothecoolingspeedtapontheblowermotor,sotheunitwillheatat
coolingspeed.Allowtheunittostabilizeinheatingmode(5to10minutesorso)andrecordthedeltaT.
Turnofftheheatandrestoretheblowerwiring.

Determinetheheatingcapacity(inputXefficiency).Forexample,a92%gasfurnacewith80,000
Btuhinputwouldbe73,600Btuh.
Employthefollowingformula:
CFM=(inputxefficiency)dividedby(deltaTx1.05)
So,CFM=73,600dividedby(deltaTx1.05)
IfwemeasuredadeltaTof60degrees,then60x1.05=63
Therefore,CFM=73,600dividedby63,whichequals1,159cfm
Thiswouldobviouslybejustfinefor3tonsofcooling,if400cfm/tonX3tons=1,200cfm
WAIT!Whatifthebackupheatiselectricheatersinanairhandler?Onekilowattofelectricheatat240
voltsequals3,400Btuh.Simplymultiply3,400bythenumberofkilowattstogettheheatinput,andthe
efficiencyfactoris100%.A15kilowattheaterwouldputout51,000Btuhat100%efficiency.Ifwe
measureda30degreedeltaT,andmultiplythatby1.05,thenthesystemCFMis51,000dividedby31.5,
or1,619CFM.Goodfor4tonsofcooling.
WAITAGAIN!Whatifthebackupisoilheat?Multiplygallonsperhourbycombustionefficiency.
Number2fueloilcontains140,000Btuspergallon.Therefore,arateof.75gallonsperhourwouldbe
140,000X.75=105,000.Letssayyourcombustionanalysisputsthefurnaceefficiencyat80%.Then,
(inputxefficiency)is105,000X.80=84,000Btuh.Simplydividethatby(deltaTX1.05)toarriveat
CFM.IfthedeltaTwas70degrees,thenCFM=84,000dividedby(70X1.05),whichequals73.5.
Therefore,CFM=84,000dividedby73.4,or1,142CFM.
Withcalculatorfunctionsonourcellphones,thesecalculationsarenottoodifficult.
IfyouhaveanInfinitycontrolonthesystem,simplygototheservicemenuandlookatfurnaceorair
handlerstatus.YouwillfindbothCFMandstaticpressure;nocomputationsnecessary.YAY!

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