The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And using 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 can be used 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 talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, because 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 on your own or contact a HVAC specialist like Aggressive Mechanical. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a problem since the thermostat can draw 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 Malfunctions
The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from aging programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has 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 Problems
If it can’t receive enough power, Nest says you might encounter some of these problems:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
- Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- Your system is making weird noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly 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 could worry something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we advise you check your thermostat right away. This is especially pertinent if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Professionals Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t solve the problem, a smart thermostat pro like one from Aggressive Mechanical can assist you. We can diagnose the malfunction and add a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life more convenient, 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 Aggressive Mechanical can take care of the trouble in no time.
If you’re experiencing unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to schedule your appointment right away.