The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and develops 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 residence or gone and can change settings 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 visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to check 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 checked it’s compatible, you can either wire it without help or contact a HVAC professional like Strine's. If you’re installing it yourself, you’ll notice 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 pull enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some instances, your heating and cooling system may require that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues
The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement 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 link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues
If it can’t get adequate juice, Nest says you may run into some of these problems:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
- Your system is making odd noises, like 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, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always on, won’t switch on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You may believe something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we advise you start with your thermostat initially. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t solve the dilemma, a smart thermostat pro like one from Strine's can support you. We can diagnose the issue and install a C-wire, if necessary.
Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life simpler, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to check temps while you’re out. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t operate properly, but our heating and cooling pros at Strine's can resolve the trouble fast.
If you’re running into strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to book your appointment now.