Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

I am the homeowner. I live in an energy efficient, twelve year old home that is tight and for years desired to make outside air available to my home without opening windows. After attending home shows and speaking with several HVAC vendors, I learned about this simple system, the Skuttle 216.

After doing some more homework on the subject of fresh indoor air, learning about multiple products that exchange indoor air, I opted for the simpler idea of having outdoor air just readily available. Exhausting indoor air was never a problem with bath vents, dryer vents and a kitchen range hood that are used all the time. The issue was, where would the make up air come from?

I purchased the device from IAQSource which arrived promptly, and purchased the ducts, insulation and other misc materials locally. I also purchased a 6" damper, manually actuated, from a company located in Ohio. (I later learned of a company that sells both the motorized damper and a thermostat/fan control after the install was underway) The dampers are critical to controlling how much volume of outside air is being introduced to the system, especially in cold air climates like here in IL. Insulating the duct is very important because the outside air is cold and condensation will occur if you don't insulate the duct.

I found a suitable location high up on the HVAC return plenum at the furnace to install the device. This is necessary to allow for mixing of the fresh aire with the house's return air.

I spent about 18-20 hours total installing the ducts, working a few hours every evening because I was in a crawl space, on my knees with 6" the ducts wrapped in insulation. I used metal duct for two reasons. First durability and second air flow. The use of flexible insulated duct would have simplified the project but in my opinion would not have lasted or performed as well as standard ducting. The linear run of duct is a total of 26 linear feet with one 90 degree turn through round/oval ducts. Again, a little creativity getting around existing conduit runs and the original HVAC mains made this install a challenge for me for not having done anything like this before.

I am happy with the performance and now manually control the volume of outside air with the manual damper set at 1/4 open. At the furnace where the Skuttle 216 is installed, the damper control adjustment was simple and works perfectly everytime. No electrical wiring involved, just simple counter weights to the movement of the air as handled by the system fan.

The results are impressive. The house no longer has an "odor" anymore. We are sleeping better too. Really, I like the idea of having this installed on the HVAC and have been running the fan continuously since I completed the work. I know it's not energy efficient to be running the fan all the time, but so what! Being healthy requires a little sacrifice and breathing fresh air is key! I love it.

I will be installing the combo thermostat/fan controller at a later date.

The Skuttle Air 216-1 Make Up air device does exactly as engineered.

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

The design is robust and the instructions are clear. Installation was very straightforward. I spent more time making a hole through my house's brick facia than installing the components.

My only caveat is to make sure to mount the damper unit as close to the furnace as possible for maximum efficiency. Also it helps to seal off as many leaks in the air return ducting as possible.

Overall a great product!

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

Hardest part of installation was finding a suitable place for the outside air intake. Cut a 6: round hole by first drilling a 1/4" hole from inside using a piece of wood cut to match 6: pipe center.
from the outside, drill the 6" round hole with a hole saw on a drill. attach a suitable liece of 6" metal ippe to the hood and push thru the hole. install 4 screws and caulk, then done with the outside. Use the template provided and 6" hole saw to cut a hole in the cold air return, below the humidifier, if present. Connect with insulated flex pipe. Done.

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

Good product. It's a little expensive but worth it. I installed it to provide fresh air to the house and it works perfectly.

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

[...] Easy install. Works as described. Fresh air is added to the home during HVAC operation. Fully and easily adjustable.

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

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Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

Very easy and clear instructions and calibration of the unit. Quality of product is Excellent and MADE IN USA! what more could you ask for?

Comments about Skuttle Model 216-1 Make Up Air Control - 6" Duct:

Used to bring fresh air into a home so you don't have to sleep open windows.