The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your residence or away and can change temperatures 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 good idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing 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 checked it’s compatible, you can either wire it yourself or hire a HVAC professional like Fire & Ice HVAC. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll spot 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 as the thermostat can pull enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions
The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from older programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions
If it can’t get adequate juice, Nest says you could run into some of these problems:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is continuously working, won’t turn on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You might worry something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, it’s best to start with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.
Our Specialists Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the dilemma, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from Fire & Ice HVAC can provide support. We can determine the issue and add a C-wire, if necessary.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to monitor settings while you’re away from home. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Fire & Ice HVAC can take care of the problem fast.
If you’re experiencing odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to request your appointment today.