The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats on the market today. 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 out and about and can adjust settings 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 smart idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, as 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 without help or contact a HVAC specialist like Patterson & Stirling. If you’re putting it in without help, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue because the thermostat can draw enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems
The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 Problems
If it can’t receive enough electricity, Nest says you might have some of these troubles:
- Poor 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 shut off.
- Your system is creating weird 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always on, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You might worry something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially pertinent if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat professional including one from Patterson & Stirling can assist you. We can pinpoint the issue and install a C-wire, if needed.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life simpler, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on temps while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling specialists at Patterson & Stirling can take care of the trouble fast.
If you’re going through odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to set up your appointment now.
