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 know when you’re at your house or away and can change settings 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 wise idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, as you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or hire a HVAC professional like Fire & Ice HVAC. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t an issue since the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some instances, your heating and cooling system might require that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems
The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from older programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses 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 Issues
If it can’t receive adequate juice, Nest says you could have some of these problems:
- Poor battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- Your system is making weird noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or frequently turning on and off in a short period of time.
- There is a delay message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is continuously running, won’t switch on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You may think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we advise you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning much.
Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat professional such as one from Fire & Ice HVAC can support you. We can identify the malfunction and put in a C-wire, if necessary.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to monitor temps while you’re on the go. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Fire & Ice HVAC can take care of the problem quickly.
If you’re experiencing weird heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 703-595-4157 to request your appointment right away.