Questar Gas recommends periodic furnace checkups by a licensed contractor or heating professional. Regular inspections and maintenance are essential to safe and efficient operation of the furnace, which is typically a home's largest user of natural gas. When properly maintained, it is more dependable and uses less energy, which can mean lower heating bills.

Licensed heating contractors are listed in the Yellow Pages under "Heating." To find licensed contractors in their area, customers can visit www.questar.com.  Free referrals also are available from the Rocky Mountain Gas Association in Salt Lake City at 832-9490 or outside Salt Lake by calling toll-free 1-800-729-6791.

Questar Gas encourages customers to have their furnaces checked now, before it turns cold. Once cold weather hits, contractors become busier and customers may have to wait longer for service.

A professional furnace inspection will ensure that the burners are properly adjusted, the combustion chamber is in good condition and the furnace and venting are properly installed.

There are also some simple steps that customers can (and should) routinely perform on their own prior to winter:

1.) Clean or replace the filter. A clogged filter restricts the flow of heated air from the furnace, causing it to work harder and deliver less heat.

2.) Check the blower belt and oil the blower motor. Loose belts can increase furnace operating time.  Replace frayed or cracked belts. Two or three drops of oil in the motor will keep it running smoothly. (Sealed blower motors require no lubrication. For more information, refer to the furnace owner's manual or call a heating professional.)

3.) Make sure blower doors are replaced properly. This keeps combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide separate from the warm air circulated through the home.

4.) Check to see that hot-air vents in the house are unobstructed. The easier it is for warm air to blow into the home, the less time the furnace operates.

5.) Check to see that return-air vents are unobstructed.  Warm air in the home is drawn through these vents past the furnace's heat exchanger and circulated back into the home.  A furnace works less when it can circulate air freely.

6.) Check to see that the exhaust flue to the outside is clear of obstructions and in good condition from the furnace to the roof cap with all connections securely fastened. Check it by removing the flue cap near the furnace and water heater and looking through the flue to the outside.  Replace the flue cap securely.

7.) Remove all flammable objects from around the furnace and water heater.  Boxes, clothes, paints, aerosols, gasoline, motorized yard tools, and other flammable products should not be stored near the furnace or water heater.

8.) If the furnace or water heater is in an enclosed room or closet, make sure there is plenty of air.  These appliances need 10 cubic feet of air for one cubic foot of natural gas to operate properly. Furnace rooms or closets should have door louvers or vents, or a duct directly to the outside, to provide sufficient combustion air.

  9.) If the furnace has a pilot light, keep it lit year-round. This ensures the furnace will be ready to use if there's an unexpected cold spell.

10) Check to make sure the furnace and water heater have a green "Appliance Input Setting" sticker. This sticker indicates these appliances are properly adjusted to safely burn gas supplies now entering Questar Gas's system. If there's no green sticker, ask a contractor to check for proper adjustment and apply the sticker. Customers will receive more information about the green sticker in their September bills, or they can visit www.questar.com.