The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your home or gone and can adjust settings 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 wise idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either wire it on your own or call a HVAC specialist like Fire & Ice HVAC. If you’re wiring it on your own, you’ll spot 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 the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem as the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, your heating and cooling system might have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues
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 connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t get ample juice, Nest says you may run into some of these problems:
- Poor battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
- Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is producing odd noises, such as 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is continuously on, won’t turn on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You could think something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you check your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Specialists Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Troubles
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat professional like one from Fire & Ice HVAC can support you. We can determine the malfunction and install a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life easier, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling experts at Fire & Ice HVAC can resolve the trouble in no time.
If you’re running into unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to set up your appointment right away.