
The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and creates 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 house or gone and can raise and lower settings to help you save even more.
The Nest is compatible with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy company for valuable rebates, because you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or hire a HVAC pro like Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re wiring it on your own, you’ll see 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 as the thermostat can get enough 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The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses 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 Issues
If it can’t get ample power, Nest says you may encounter some of these troubles:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
- Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- Your system is making odd noises, including 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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always working, won’t run 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 suggest you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially pertinent if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Pros Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Troubles
If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat specialist including one from Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning can provide support. We can determine the problem and add a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life easier, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to keep an eye on settings while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t run properly, but our heating and cooling pros at Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning can fix the trouble fast.
If you’re going through odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to set up your appointment today.