The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And using geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your residence or out and about and can change settings to help you save even more.
The Nest is compatible with a full range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy company 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 install it yourself or contact a HVAC professional like Thurston Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re installing it without help, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely used for powering your thermostat. If your home or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a problem since the thermostat can pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, 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 a step up from older programmable thermostats that use 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 operate your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t draw enough electricity, Nest says you might run into some of these issues:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is making weird noises, including 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 on, won’t turn on or turns off and on frequently 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, it’s best to begin with your thermostat first. This is especially true if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Professionals Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from Thurston Heating & Air Conditioning can provide support. We can determine the malfunction and install a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life easier, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to check settings while you’re away from home. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t work correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Thurston Heating & Air Conditioning can take care of the issue fast.
If you’re experiencing atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to book your appointment right away.