The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And using geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your house or gone and can raise and lower temps to help you save even more.
The Nest can be used with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either wire it yourself or contact a HVAC pro like 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re installing it on your own, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your residence 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 pull enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some cases, your heating and cooling system could require that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems
The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions
If it can’t receive adequate power, Nest says you might encounter some of these problems:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is making odd noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly 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 running, won’t run or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You may believe something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you start with your thermostat initially. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Professionals Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning can provide support. We can determine the problem and add a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re out. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning can take care of the issue fast.
If you’re running into odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to schedule your appointment right away.