Hello,

I'm new here. I just started a project to self-install a set of air ducts to serve as air intake to my furnace in the basement.

Last winter, the more we heated, the colder the house got, not mentioning the basement, where I was afraid of freezing up the waterline. This was because the furnace drew air from the basement and inside the house, which in turn, drew in the cold air from outside.

So I decide to channel the air directly to the furnace with an air intake duct, just like the dryer exhaust vent, except this one sucks air in with the negative presure created when the furnace turns on.

I visited a plumbing supply shop, and was introduced to a $500 equipment that pumps air to an outlet close to the furnace. It's a beautifully built device, controlled by the furnace's thermalstat. What's the name of such a device?

But I wonder why I need an extra pump when I already have enough suction from the furnace's pump. Also I worry about the dust or other polutant sucked in with the extra pump, with air outlet in the basement, not to the furnace.

So I decide to wait for a few days to get an expert opinion before act.

Can any expert or DISer please share some insight on this subject?