Optimal Attic Temperature

Hang pencil and paper next to the thermometer and record the outdoor and attic temperatures.

Optimal attic temperature.

Hang an outdoor thermometer in your attic making sure its range reaches at least 130 degrees fahrenheit. Ideal attic temperature and humidity settings cold outdoor temperatures affect attics. 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. Hot summer weather poses the opposite problem for maintaining recommended attic temperatures.

A standard powered exhaust vent turns on when the temperature inside the attic reaches a pre set limit and runs until the temperature drops. When it comes to adjusting the thermostat of your attic s fan it s best to adjust it to approximately 90 to 95 degrees. Just make sure the ceiling is airtight and fully insulated and the temperature in the attic doesn t matter much. The reason is that attic fans depressurize attics and can rob air conditioned air from the main body of the house greatly decreasing efficiency.

Attic ventilators generally turn on between 90 and 110 degrees fahrenheit. Cold outdoor temperatures especially below freezing can wear on your furnace. Attics can reach temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees f during a summer day although outside air temperatures are only 95 to 97 degrees f. That said attic fans are not the best choice for cooling attics especially if you have central air conditioning.

Whether it s 110 f or 130 f there s not much difference in the amount of heat flowing from the attic to the living space below. Most attic fans operate with a thermostat that automatically turns the fan on and off based on a temperature the homeowner sets.