The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your house or away and can change temperatures to help you save even more.
The Nest works with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy company for valuable rebates, as you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve made sure it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or call a HVAC pro like Scott Temperature. If you’re installing it yourself, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only 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 draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may need that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems
The Google Nest Thermostat is better than aging programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions
If it can’t receive ample power, Nest says you might run into some of these issues:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- Your system is creating strange noises, like 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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always on, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You could believe something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, it’s best to check your thermostat initially. This is especially pertinent if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.
Our Pros Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional including one from Scott Temperature can support you. We can diagnose the malfunction and add a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling experts at Scott Temperature can resolve the problem fast.
If you’re experiencing atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to book your appointment right away.