The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your residence or gone and can raise and lower temps 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 visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy provider for valuable rebates, since 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 call a HVAC pro like Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re wiring it on your own, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only 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 may require that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from aging 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 sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t draw enough power, Nest says you may encounter some of these troubles:

  1. Poor battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
  5. Your system is making odd noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or repeatedly turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously working, won’t switch on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You might worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, it’s best to start with your thermostat right away. This is especially pertinent if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Pros Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat pro including one from Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning can support you. We can identify the issue and add a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling specialists at Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning can resolve the trouble quickly.

If you’re running into unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 760-784-9034 to request your appointment right away.