The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your house or gone and can adjust 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 wise idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy provider 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 contact a HVAC professional like Comfort Concepts Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re putting it in without help, 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 because the thermostat can draw enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some instances, your heating and cooling system could have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions
The Google Nest Thermostat is better than aging programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has 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 draw enough power, Nest says you might encounter some of these problems:
- Bad 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 turn off.
- Your system is making odd 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 notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always 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 installed the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially true if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Specialists Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat specialist like one from Comfort Concepts Heating & Air Conditioning can assist you. We can pinpoint the malfunction and add a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life more convenient, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Comfort Concepts Heating & Air Conditioning can take care of the problem quickly.
If you’re experiencing unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to request your appointment right away.
