The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your house or gone and can change settings to help you save even more.
The Nest works with a full range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy company for valuable rebates, because you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve made sure it’s compatible, you can either wire it without help or hire a HVAC professional like Scott Temperature. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem because the thermostat can get ample power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some instances, your heating and cooling system might have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions
The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from older programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t draw ample power, Nest says you could run into some of these troubles:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
- Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
- Your system is making odd noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or repeatedly turning on and off in a short period of time.
- There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is constantly working, won’t turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.
You could think something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we suggest you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially true if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Pros Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat professional like one from Scott Temperature can assist you. We can pinpoint the problem and add a C-wire, if necessary.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are made to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to monitor temperatures while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling experts at Scott Temperature can fix the trouble fast.
If you’re running into odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to set up your appointment today.