
The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and develops 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 home or out and about and can adjust temperatures 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 smart idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy provider for valuable rebates, because 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 yourself or contact a HVAC professional like J.L. Brady Company LLC. If you’re wiring it yourself, you’ll spot 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. In the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem because the thermostat can pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some instances, your heating and cooling system might require 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 older 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 run your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions
If it can’t get adequate juice, Nest says you may have some of these issues:
- Short 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 stop running.
- Your system is producing strange 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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is continuously working, won’t run or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.
You may worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially timely if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Specialists Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the problem, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from J.L. Brady Company LLC can assist you. We can determine the problem and install a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats including the Nest are created to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to monitor temps while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at J.L. Brady Company LLC can take care of the issue in no time.
If you’re running into atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to set up your appointment now.