The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It picks up on 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 residence 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 good idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve made sure it’s compatible, you can either wire it on your own or call a HVAC pro like Ilten's. If you’re installing it without help, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue since the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some cases, your heating and cooling system might 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 aging programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t draw adequate electricity, Nest says you may run into some of these issues:
- Poor battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is producing strange noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or repeatedly turning on and off in a short period of time.
- There is a delay message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is constantly on, won’t switch on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You could believe something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we recommend you check your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.
Our Pros Can Fix Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat pro such as one from Ilten's can provide support. We can identify the malfunction and add a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on settings while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Ilten's can take care of the problem fast.
If you’re running into weird heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to book your appointment right away.