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 by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your house or away and can raise and lower settings to help you save even more.
The Nest is compatible with a full 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 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 hook it up on your own or contact a HVAC professional like Pepper AC & Heat. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely used for powering your thermostat. If your home or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem because the thermostat can get enough power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some cases, your heating and cooling system could need that C-wire. And here’s why.
Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems
The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems
If it can’t draw adequate power, Nest says you might run into some of these issues:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
- Your system is making odd noises, such as 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 notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always working, won’t turn on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You could worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you begin with 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 Troubles
If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat pro like one from Pepper AC & Heat can support you. We can pinpoint the problem and install a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life easier, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to monitor settings while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Pepper AC & Heat can fix the problem in no time.
If you’re going through unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to book your appointment right away.
