Furnace Mandate 2026

Important: Effective January 1, 2026

Colorado's New Low-NOₓ Furnace & Water Heater Requirements

What Colorado homeowners need to know about the upcoming changes

What's Changing

Starting January 1, 2026

Colorado House Bill 23-1161 prohibits the sale or lease of new gas-fired central furnaces and natural-gas water heaters unless they meet ultra-low NOₓ (nitrogen oxide) emissions limits.

Water Heaters

  • Units ≤ 75,000 Btu/hr: max 10 ng/J NOₓ
  • Units 75,000-2,000,000 Btu/hr: max 14 ng/J NOₓ

Furnaces

  • New standards for fan-type central furnaces
  • Ultra-low NOₓ emissions required

Why This Matters for Your Home

Cleaner Air & Health Benefits

NOₓ contributes to ozone and smog formation. This law is designed to reduce smog-forming pollution from household appliances, improving Colorado's air quality.

Avoid Cost Surprises

New units may cost more due to manufacturing requirements. Acting ahead of the deadline can save money and provide more options.

Future-Proof Your Home

Replace now under current rules for more equipment options and installer flexibility, rather than waiting for stricter requirements.

Inventory & Availability

After the deadline, all new stock must comply. Units already in Colorado inventory before that date may still be sold, but options will be limited.

What You Should Do Now

  • 1.

    Check Your Equipment Age & Condition

    If your existing furnace or water heater is near end-of-life, consider planning now for replacement rather than waiting for a winter failure.
  • 2.

    Ask Your Contractor Specific Questions

    • Is the replacement unit compliant with the January 1, 2026 low-NOₓ rule?
    • What is the NOₓ emission rating of the proposed unit?
    • Are there cost differentials now versus later?
  • 3.

    Explore Alternatives

    Consider heat pumps or electric systems. Transitioning sooner may bring rebates, reduce fuel dependence, and align with broader Colorado building-code trends.
  • 4.

    Budget for Possible Premium

    Gas furnaces may see price increases after the standard takes effect. Factor in potential higher pricing if you wait.
  • 5.

    Schedule in Advance

    Many homeowners will act ahead of the deadline. Scheduling now helps avoid seasonal delays and higher labor costs.

Reach Out To Us

Need service, have a question, or just want to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing? Give us a call, shoot us a text, or fill out the form — and we’ll be ready. Real people. Fast answers. No runaround.
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Hear From Our Satisfied Customers

Noelle Vinson
2 days ago
Sharing an amazing experience from WireNut on my wife's account. Brady Ross was exceptional from start to finish! Brady showed up with dynamic expertise, a great personality and a bodybuilder 's physique. He thoroughly cured any deficiencies concerning my furnace even training me on the ins and outs while providing me a truthful assessment of it's condition. He even took out the used filter when he left. Thank you, Brady! You are the man.
M Y
2 days ago
Brady was awesome! He was so helpful and friendly. As female letting a stranger into my home is always worrisome. But I felt very safe with Brady; who spoke about his family and his dogs. He was extremely respectful and kind.
Sherrie Martin
2 days ago
Daniel came out today to unclog a slow drain. He showed up on time. Was a great guy! Got the job done and now my drain is running great! This company is wonderful!
Sharon Brown
2 days ago
Brian was awesome! Prompt, friendly, professional and very informative and thorough. He found an electrical issue ( and good thing he did) and informed me of my options and quotes. Very reasonable . We are using them again for that repair and will again for all our needs in this field. Great customer service with everyone i encountered. Very happy customer.

New review . Had a new ac and heater installed on 10-1-21. As I was not person with the techs during the full installation , I was in contact with Brian C and Adam, and it appears everything looks perfect and thankful for their professionalism and prompt service.

Jessie S and Connor were very prompt, friendly and professional when they replaced my breaker box and other electrical issues. From what I see all looks good . Using them again for future issues

Jessie was as professional as before and came to put finishing touches before inspections.

Jessie Joseph did great at giving me an estimate on a future job . Thank you all at wirenut

5-3 Ben and his associate were very quick and pleasant as they did a follow up appointment

6-14 David R was phenomenal. Very pleasant and informative. Love this company and all the staff I’ve encountered

4-7-26 Karson was fabulous, friendly and knowledgeable and repaired the issue at hand . Thank you . Great job!

7-7-26 had regular maintenance done for hvac and electrical and it was all good. Alejandro and Garrett was pleasant and informative as usual. I highly recommend them for the services they offer.

Thank you Gary for such a professional and gracious customer service during my plumbing maintenance on September 9.
Scrappy-Doo Tiger Dog
2 days ago
Ryan was awesome. He was very thorough and helpful.
Keith Knudson
3 days ago
Daniel was great. A simple fix but he gave great service. Polite and professional
SD CRN
5 days ago
The electrician, who came out to my house to fix an issue. His name was Jarred, he was amazing. He was super friendly, very clear on explaining everything to me, he was also very efficient, explained all of my options and what may need to be done coming up. there was no pressure, he it was very professional, he did a great job and wire nut is very lucky to have him on their team. That review was from June. I also had work done today, with a different electrician from WireNut, his name was also Jared. He was also professional, super friendly and also very informative, explaining information in an understandable way. It is great that WireNut can send different electricians and the same high quality service and interactions are received. I appreciate the work, the information and the excellent customer service both of these men gave.
Robert Caragol
5 days ago
The service man was very personable and explained in detail the necessary repairs for my water heater and shower. The work was professional with a one year guarantee.
Bill S
5 days ago
Juan is an excellent technician and also a stand-up representative of this company. Very knowledgeable and willing to take the time to explain his actions.
Anthony Ramos
5 days ago
Everything went good and very respectful employee. This is our 3rd year and we will continue being a member.
Jennifer Girardeau
6 days ago
Brian was very friendly and professional. He told us exactly what work needed to be done and the cost, item by item. We were able to book the repairs for the same week.
Kris
6 days ago
Juan M came to service the furnace. He found a problem and fixed it! I want Juan to come the next time. Forever. What a nice person.
Bytail
6 days ago
Wirenut never fails to impress. Updates on time and date of Appointment, on time, honest, professional and ridiculously nice to boot. Thank you Sam Montejano. Everything is transparent, they don’t try to sweet talk you with fancy words or hidden fees. I will continue to use them for their wonderful work.
Dale Sparks
6 days ago
Josh Aguirre was very personable and professional. Explained what he was doing and any concerns about our plumbing.
Monica Hamm
6 days ago
We are loyal Wirenut customers because you have the best service people. Josh was no exception. He was very professional, friendly, knowledgeable. Great communication. Just awesome.
Charles McHenry
6 days ago
Fantastic technician. Completed his tasks quickly and efficiently while I worked in the office.
Stephen
1 week ago
Observed the technician while he performed a very thorough inspection. He explained everything he was doing and what the results were.
D Hall
1 week ago
Very professional, courteous and prompt. Was able to get my repair done and water back on within a 1/2 hour. Had to have an emergency call out as I needed the water back on asap, so I was ok with that fee. The cost for the repair was very high as compared to buying the parts and doing it myself. I just didn’t have time or the specialty tools to do it myself. All this being said, I would highly recommend them based on their quality of work and great service.

    Need Help? Give WireNut A Call!

    A broken system at home doesn’t just slow things down. It takes over. If the furnace won’t kick on, the water heater’s leaking, or your kitchen sink’s backed up , we’ll be there fast, and we’ll do it right. Our licensed, highly trained techs bring the skill, experience, and care to get the job done right the first time. No runaround. No surprises.
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