Animal Shelter Ventilation Calculator
Air changes per hour for an animal shelter housing area.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Required outdoor air
- 1,200 CFM
- Volume
- 6,000 cu ft
- No recirculation between wards
- Recommended to prevent cross-ward disease spread
- Humidity target
- 30-70% RH to limit pathogen survival
Quick answer
Animal shelter housing areas are commonly ventilated at 10-15 outdoor air changes per hour to reduce airborne disease transmission and control odour, per shelter design guidelines.
CFM = volume x ACH / 60
How to use the Animal Shelter Ventilation Calculator
- 1Enter housing area and ceiling height.
- 2Use 10-15 ACH per shelter medicine guidelines.
- 3Avoid recirculating air between disease-risk wards; use dedicated exhaust per ward where possible.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Housing area600 sq ft
- Ceiling height10 ft
- Air changes12 ACH
Results
- Required outdoor air1,200 CFM
- Volume6,000 cu ft
- No recirculation between wardsRecommended to prevent cross-ward disease spread
- Humidity target30-70% RH to limit pathogen survival
Frequently asked questions
Why so much outdoor air compared to a home?
High animal density and disease risk (e.g. kennel cough, parvovirus) call for aggressive dilution ventilation, much higher than residential rates.
Can HVAC recirculate shelter-wide?
Best practice isolates airflow by ward so an outbreak in one area is not spread through shared return ductwork.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.