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 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 out and about and can adjust settings to help you save even more.

The Nest works with a vast range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a wise 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 may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either wire it on your own or hire a HVAC specialist like Farnell Mechanical, Inc.. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll see 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 an issue as the thermostat can draw enough 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 rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems

If it can’t get enough power, Nest says you might have some of these problems:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is making strange noises, like 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 always on, won’t run or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You may think something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, it’s best to begin with your thermostat right away. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat specialist like one from Farnell Mechanical, Inc. can provide support. We can determine the issue and install a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are designed to make your life simpler, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temps while you’re away from home. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t operate properly, but our heating and cooling pros at Farnell Mechanical, Inc. can take care of the problem in no time.

If you’re experiencing unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at 334-524-2458 to request your appointment now.