Comfort Connection Heating & Cooling repairs furnaces in Gresham, Oregon and has since 1998. Technicians dispatch from the shop at 840 NE Cleveland Ave, within a few miles of every Gresham neighborhood. This page explains what Comfort Connection repairs, what a repair visit includes and what to check before you call.
Since 1998
Family owned in Gresham
CCB #209520
Licensed Oregon contractor
A+
Better Business Bureau
4.9 stars
Google rating
What Comfort Connection repairs
Comfort Connection repairs natural gas furnaces, the heat source in most Gresham homes. Comfort Connection repairs electric furnaces, more common in Boring and in older Gresham homes without gas service. Comfort Connection repairs the furnace side of dual fuel systems, where a heat pump and a gas furnace share one air handler. Technicians work on all major furnace brands (American Standard, Trane, Carrier, Bryant, Goodman, York, Lennox, Rheem, Ruud, Amana and Daikin), not only the brands Comfort Connection installs. Comfort Connection repairs furnaces installed by other companies.
Common furnace problems in Gresham homes
Gresham’s housing stock is mostly 1970s to 1990s single-family homes. The furnaces in those homes fail in predictable ways. These are the repairs Comfort Connection makes most often.
Ignitor
The hot surface ignitor glows to light the burners. Ignitors are brittle and wear out with every start cycle. A furnace that clicks, hums and never lights usually has a failed ignitor. This is the most common single repair on furnaces over ten years old.
Flame sensor
The flame sensor proves to the control board that the burners lit. A dirty sensor reads no flame and shuts the gas off within seconds. The furnace lights, runs for a few seconds, shuts down and tries again. Cleaning or replacing the sensor fixes it.
Blower motor
The blower motor pushes heated air through the ducts. A failing motor hums, squeals or runs hot and trips its overload. Older PSC motors and their run capacitors fail most often. Replacing an ECM blower costs more, which matters on a furnace near the end of its life.
Limit switch
The high limit switch shuts the burners off if the heat exchanger gets too hot. A furnace that heats, stops, cools and restarts is often tripping on limit. The root cause is usually airflow: a clogged filter, closed vents or a weak blower.
Inducer motor
The draft inducer motor pulls combustion gases through the heat exchanger and out the flue. A failed inducer keeps the pressure switch open and the furnace will not light. A grinding or rattling noise before the burners light points to the inducer.
Thermostat
A dead thermostat, dead batteries or a loose connection at the furnace can look like a dead furnace. Comfort Connection checks the thermostat first on every no-heat call. Smart thermostat setup problems are common after a power outage.
Cracked heat exchanger and carbon monoxide
The heat exchanger separates combustion gases from the air you breathe. Heat exchangers crack with age, usually after 15 to 20 years of heating and cooling cycles. A cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide into the home. Comfort Connection tests for carbon monoxide on every furnace repair visit. A cracked heat exchanger is not repaired. The furnace is shut down and replacement options are presented. Comfort Connection recommends a carbon monoxide detector on every level of any home with a gas furnace.
What a furnace repair visit includes
A Comfort Connection repair visit starts with a diagnostic.
Full diagnostic
The technician runs the furnace through a full heating cycle, checks the ignition sequence, reads the control board fault codes and measures temperature rise, gas pressure and carbon monoxide. The diagnostic fee starts at $129 and is quoted when you book. Comfort Club members pay a $79 diagnostic fee, including after hours.
Plain explanation
After the diagnostic, the technician explains what failed and why.
Written options first
You receive written repair options with the price of each before any work begins. If more than one fix is possible, you see each one.
Fixed on the first visit
Comfort Connection stocks common parts on the truck, so most ignitor, flame sensor, capacitor and thermostat repairs finish on the first visit. Repairs carry a parts and labor warranty for one year.
No heat right now?
Comfort Connection answers the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A live person books your visit. Same-day visits are available when the schedule allows. After hours, which means weekdays after 4pm and all weekend, a technician still comes out for a $225 after-hours fee ($79 for Comfort Club members). Before you call, five quick checks resolve a surprising number of no-heat calls.
Check the thermostat
Set it to Heat and raise the setpoint at least five degrees above room temperature. Replace the batteries if the screen is dim or blank. If the thermostat lost its schedule after an outage, reset it.
Check the filter
Pull the filter and hold it to a light. If you cannot see light through it, replace it. A clogged filter trips the limit switch and shuts the furnace off within minutes of starting.
Check the breaker
Find the breaker labeled furnace and make sure it is fully on. If it tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, stop and call. Repeated trips mean a failing motor or a short.
Check the gas valve
The gas valve handle on the pipe near the furnace should run parallel to the pipe. If other gas appliances in the house are also out, call NW Natural before calling Comfort Connection.
Check the furnace switch
Every furnace has a light-switch-style power switch on or near the cabinet. It gets bumped off during laundry, storage and cleaning. Flip it on and wait two minutes.
If the furnace still will not run, note any fault code blinking on the control board and call 503-761-8888. Do not keep resetting a furnace that locks out. Three failed ignition attempts means a part has failed. If you smell gas, leave the house and call NW Natural’s emergency line at 1-800-882-3377 first.
Furnace repair cost in Gresham and what moves it
Furnace repairs start at $200. The diagnostic starts at $129 ($79 for Comfort Club members), and the technician gives you the repair price in writing before any work begins.
Comfort Connection does not publish flat prices for furnace repairs. Every repair is quoted in writing after the diagnostic, before work begins. Four things set the price.
| What moves the price | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Part cost | An ignitor or flame sensor is a small part. A blower motor, control board or inducer assembly is a large one. ECM motors and boards on newer furnaces cost more than their older equivalents. |
| Part availability | Common parts ride on the truck. A board for a 1990s furnace may need to be ordered, which adds a second visit and sometimes shipping. |
| Furnace age and condition | A 25-year-old furnace often has more than one worn part. A technician will tell you if the fix you are paying for buys one more winter or five. |
| Time of the call | Visits after 4pm on weekdays and on weekends carry a $225 after-hours fee ($79 for Comfort Club members). If the house is holding above 55 degrees and no one in the home is medically vulnerable, waiting for a weekday morning slot saves money. If pipes are at risk or someone is at risk, call now. |
Repair stops making sense when the repair price approaches half the cost of a new furnace, when the heat exchanger is cracked, or when the furnace is past 20 years and this is the second major repair. Comfort Connection presents a replacement quote alongside the repair quote in those cases. See Furnace Replacement in Gresham, OR and the guide Repair or Replace Your Furnace.
No heat in Gresham?
Phones answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A live person books the next available visit.
Why Gresham furnaces fail in October and January
Comfort Connection sees two spikes in no-heat calls every year. The first comes in October. A furnace that sat idle since April fires up on the first cold night and a brittle ignitor or dirty flame sensor fails on the first few cycles. The second spike comes in December and January. East winds out of the Columbia River Gorge push through Gresham, Troutdale and Fairview for days at a time. Those winds force cold air into 1970s and 1980s homes and keep furnaces running near continuously. Worn blower motors and inducers fail under that load.
The January 2024 ice storm made it worse. Homes across East County lost power for days. Furnaces that sat cold, then restarted on surge-prone power, lost control boards and ignitors. Comfort Connection recommends a surge protector on the furnace and a furnace tune-up every September so the first cold night is not the first test.
Furnace repair across Gresham neighborhoods
Comfort Connection repairs furnaces in every Gresham neighborhood. Drive time from the shop at 840 NE Cleveland Ave is under 15 minutes to any of them.
Rockwood
West Gresham along the MAX line. Many 1960s and 1970s homes with mid-efficiency furnaces in garages and hall closets.
Centennial
Ranch homes from the 1960s and 1970s, often on their second furnace, many with undersized return ducts that trip limit switches.
Powell Valley
1970s to 1990s subdivisions in 97080. Original 80% furnaces in crawlspaces and garages are common.
Pleasant Valley
Southwest Gresham. A mix of 1990s homes and newer construction, many with dual fuel heat pump and furnace systems.
Kelly Creek
East Gresham. Closer to the Gorge mouth, so east wind exposure is higher and furnaces run longer in January.
Gresham Butte
Hillside homes south of downtown. Longer duct runs and multi-level layouts put extra load on blower motors.
Historic Downtown
Older homes with retrofitted ductwork and tight furnace closets. Flue and venting checks matter more here.
Hollybrook
1970s and 1980s homes, many with original furnaces at or past 30 years old.
Why Gresham homeowners trust Comfort Connection with furnace repair
Comfort Connection Heating & Cooling is family owned and has served Gresham since 1998. The company holds Oregon CCB license #209520 and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Comfort Connection has a 4.9-star Google rating across more than 170 reviews. Furnace and central AC installations carry a 10-year parts warranty when the equipment is registered within 60 days of installation. Repairs carry a one-year warranty on parts and labor. The shop is at 840 NE Cleveland Ave, Gresham, OR 97030. Read more on the reviews page or the Gresham service page.
When you compare heating repair companies in Gresham, check four things:
- An active Oregon CCB license
- Written repair options before work starts
- A warranty on the repair
- A technician who tests for carbon monoxide on every gas furnace
Comfort Connection does all four.
Frequently asked questions about furnace repair in Gresham
How fast can you get to my house?
Phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a live person books the next open slot. Same-day visits are available when the schedule allows, and a technician can come out after 4pm on weekdays and on weekends for a $225 after-hours fee ($79 for Comfort Club members). Comfort Club maintenance plan members get priority scheduling. Call 503-761-8888 and the call center will give you a real window, not a guess.
How much does a furnace diagnostic cost?
The diagnostic fee starts at $129 during regular hours and $225 after hours, which means weekdays after 4pm and weekends. Comfort Club members pay $79, including after hours. The fee covers the full inspection, fault code reading and a written repair quote. The repair itself is priced separately and approved by you before work begins. The diagnostic fee is not credited toward the repair, but it is credited toward a new system if you replace the furnace.
Is my furnace worth fixing?
Usually yes if it is under 15 years old or the failed part is small. Usually no if the heat exchanger is cracked, the furnace is past 20 years and the repair is a blower motor, control board or inducer. Comfort Connection shows you both numbers, repair and replacement, and lets you decide. See the repair or replace guide.
Why does my furnace keep shutting off?
Short cycling has three common causes. A dirty flame sensor shuts the gas off a few seconds after ignition. A clogged filter or blocked vents trip the high limit switch a few minutes in. An oversized furnace satisfies the thermostat too fast and cycles constantly. The first two are quick repairs. The third is a sizing problem fixed at replacement.
What does a flame sensor do?
The flame sensor is a thin metal rod in the burner flame. It carries a tiny current through the flame to confirm the burners lit. Soot or oxide on the rod blocks that current and the control board shuts off the gas for safety. Cleaning the rod with fine abrasive restores it. Replacement is inexpensive when cleaning fails.
Do you repair furnaces you did not install?
Yes. Comfort Connection repairs furnaces of every major brand regardless of who installed them. Most of the furnaces Comfort Connection repairs in Gresham were installed by another company or a prior owner.
Call Comfort Connection Heating & Cooling
No heat in Gresham? Call Comfort Connection Heating & Cooling at 503-761-8888. Phones answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or schedule service online and a dispatcher will confirm your window.
