I do this but how would this "gently pressurize the house"? At best it would equalize the pressure between outside and inside. Realistically if you have a tight house you would still have a slight vacuum in the house because the exhaust flow of the furnace is the force that creates the vacuum force at the inlet. The inlet is always trying to catch up with the outlet but never actually does.
You do have a point. I was considering t he house starting at zero.
Some newer furnaces come with a combustion air intake.
That's exactly what the hvac contractor did on my new house except that he used solid 6" pipe, not flex hose. He said I could buy a powered damper, but he didn't think would would be any better than a manual damper which is what we ended up with.
-- "Tell me what I should do, Annie." "Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars
In any house....EXACTLY the same amount of air that leaks out, leaks in... think about it.
Mark
That is EXACTLY what I did in my house and it works well. The slight pressurization minimizes incoming drafts in the living area, we get fresh air, and the furnace heats the air as it enters. I know it costs a bit of fuel but probably saves a little due to the the cold air not entering in the living spaces.
I think this is a great idea and should be standard practice.
Mark
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