Does my home need more air from the outside?

See the diagram below that lists the symptoms of poor indoor air quality that will help you determine if you need a Skuttle (PVC venting make-up air (fresh air from the outside) into your air ducts.)

Doors are hard to open Are outward-opening doors hard to open? Do they slam shut? Are Inward-opening doors hard to close? If so, you need make-up air	Drafts flow toward exhaust Cold air flows in and rushes directly toward the exhaust, creating a serious draft problem. Make-up air eliminates drafts!	Smoke in the Kitchen If your kitchen exhaust system isn’t getting enough air to carry away smoke and food odors, it’s starved! Feed it make-up air.	Frigid Walls & Windows Starved exhaust systems suck icy outdoor air through cracks in walls and windows. The result: employees and customers suffer.
Fickle FLAMES & Pilots Do downdrafts blow pilots out or cause heater FLAMES to keep changing? They do if your exhaust system isn’t getting enough air.	Leaky Walls & Roofs Is rain “sucked” through cracks in walls and windows? Do mysterious leaks appear in roofs? Could be a negative pressure problem!	A Forest of Chimneys No chimney can work without air. A forest of chimneys is a sure sign they’re fighting each other for a supply of make-up air.	Burned-out exhaust motors Exhaust motors should last ten years. If yours have to fight for make-up air, you’ll have to replace them much more often.
Stale locker rooms. Are your locker rooms stale and odorous? Ventilation is essential … but also impossible without make-up air!	Employees out sick Cold air infiltration makes work stations near doors and outer walls hard to heat. Absenteeism rises when temperature drops!	Fumes and Odors Odors can’t always be avoided, but a healthy exhaust system can get rid of them . . . providing it is fed an adequate supply of make-up air.	Flies can’t stay out Flies collect at doorways near warmth and food odors. They’re sucked inside by the “negative pressure” when doors are opened.
Poor paint jobs Uniform paint coverage requires a steady flow of clean air. Backdrafts and fluctuating air flow cause varied coverage and waste.	Corrosion of steelwork If structural steel or metal roofing is gradually being consumed by corrosive vapors, the exhaust isn’t working properly.	Dust and Debris Housekeeping is an endless problem! Dust and dirt are drawn in continuously through every opening when the exhaust is operating.	Lazy outlet shutters Outlet shutters stay half closed when they should be wide open, flutter with the slightest breeze or indoor air pressure change.