
The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It figures out 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 residence or gone and can change temps 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 good idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to check with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, as you could 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 without help or contact a HVAC professional like B & G HVAC. 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 residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t an issue since the thermostat can draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may need 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The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 turn on your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t draw enough power, Nest says you may have some of these troubles:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
- Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system abruptly 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is continuously running, won’t turn on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You could worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you start with your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the problem, a smart thermostat pro like one from B & G HVAC can support you. We can determine the issue and install a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are designed to make your life easier, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to check temps while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate properly, but our heating and cooling specialists at B & G HVAC can fix the issue fast.
If you’re experiencing odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to request your appointment today.