The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns 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 residence or away and can change temperatures 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 smart idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy supplier for valuable rebates, because you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve made sure it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or call a HVAC specialist like Air Alliance Team. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just 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 as the thermostat can draw ample power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, 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 a step up from older programmable thermostats that have 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 Malfunctions
If it can’t receive enough power, Nest says you could run into some of these troubles:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
- Your system is making odd noises, like 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, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always on, won’t turn on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You might think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we suggest you check your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat pro like one from Air Alliance Team can support you. We can identify the issue and add a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life easier, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to keep an eye on temps while you’re out. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Air Alliance Team can resolve the trouble in no time.
If you’re experiencing odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to book your appointment now.