Why Your Nest Thermostat Isn’t Working and How to Solve the Problem

April 13, 2021
Heat meter set to 67

The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And using geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your home or out and about and can raise and lower temperatures to help you save even more.

The Nest can be used with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy company for valuable rebates, since you might 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 without help or hire an HVAC professional like Winters Heating and Cooling. If you’re wiring it yourself, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem since the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, 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 better than aging programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses 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 adequate power, Nest says you could run into some of these troubles:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is creating 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, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly on, and won’t turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You could think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you check your thermostat right away. This is especially true if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning frequently.

Our Specialists Can Fix Nest Thermostat Issues

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the issue, a smart thermostat professional including one from Winters Heating and Cooling can provide assistance. We can identify the issue and add a C-wire if needed.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to check settings while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t run properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Winters Heating and Cooling can take care of the issue quickly.

If you’re going through unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 317-406-5382 to schedule your appointment now.