Why Your Nest Thermostat Isn't Running Right and How to Fix It

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling 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 know when you’re at your home or out and about and can raise and lower temps 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 smart idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy supplier for valuable rebates, as you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either install it without help or contact a HVAC professional like Patterson & Stirling Inc. If you’re wiring it on your own, 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 the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback as the thermostat can pull enough power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some cases, 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The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t get enough electricity, Nest says you may encounter some of these problems:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
  5. Your system is making weird noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always working, won’t switch on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You might worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we recommend you start with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning frequently.

Our Pros Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t repair the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional such as one from Patterson & Stirling Inc can help. We can pinpoint the issue and install a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to check settings while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t run properly, but our heating and cooling professionals at Patterson & Stirling Inc can fix the issue fast.

If you’re running into unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 814-308-0416 to schedule your appointment right away.