Optimal Attic Temperature

What temperature should attic fan be set at.

Optimal attic temperature.

Calculations indicate that on a july day in texas a ventilation rate of one air change per minute for a typical attic using 95 degree f air will lower the peak attic temperature to about 101 degrees f. Medium density is used for continuous insulation interior cavity fill and unvented attic applications. When it comes to adjusting the thermostat of your attic s fan it s best to adjust it to approximately 90 to 95 degrees. Attic fans draw cooler outside air into the hot attic area through attic vents located either on the roof or on the wall near the gable to reduce the space s temperature.

Lowering the temperature in the attic can lower the temperature in the rest of the home reducing the amount of time the home s air conditioner spends running. This prevents snow from melting on your roof and freezing when it hits the cold gutter. Providing half air change per. If your attic soars above 100 degrees and reaches the 150 mark its time to consult.

The fans cool the attic equalizing the temperature between the attic and outside of the home. Ideal attic temperatures shouldn t be more than 10 to 20 degrees hotter than outside temperatures. While these powered vents do effectively draw out the. The same temperature as the interior would limit heat gain and loss to the living space and help limit heat related damage to the roofing material where that was a concern.

The ideal attic temperature would be the same temperature as the home interior not the exterior. A standard powered exhaust vent turns on when the temperature inside the attic reaches a pre set limit and runs until the temperature drops. Now if the ridge vent is only partial or if the attic air temperature is excessive 20 degrees higher than the outside air fans may prove beneficial pick the right fan. Of course some environments are much hotter than others so this will be the perfect time to measure out how warm your attic will get during the most heated of seasons.

The results are that the attic temperature is close to the outside temperature but the relative humidity is significantly higher in the attic than either the indoor or outdoor readings. Let s look at a hot day first.