The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. 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 realize when you’re at your residence or out and about and can change settings to help you save even more.

The Nest can be used with a full 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 check with your energy company for valuable rebates, as you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either install it without help or contact a HVAC specialist like Ilten's. If you’re installing it on your own, 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 most cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue as the thermostat can draw ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some cases, your heating and cooling system might need that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from older programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on 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 Issues

If it can’t get adequate electricity, Nest says you may have some of these problems:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
  5. Your system is creating odd noises, including chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or frequently turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously working, won’t run or turns off and on rapidly 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, it’s best to begin with your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning frequently.

Our Specialists Can Fix Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the problem, a smart thermostat specialist including one from Ilten's can assist you. We can diagnose the malfunction and add a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are designed to make your life easier, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling pros at Ilten's can resolve the trouble quickly.

If you’re running into odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to set up your appointment now.