The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and makes 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 house or gone and can adjust temps 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 good idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy company for valuable rebates, because 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 hook it up yourself or hire a HVAC pro like Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. If you’re putting it in yourself, 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 a setback since the thermostat can pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

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

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from aging programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems

If it can’t receive ample power, Nest says you might run into some of these problems:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly running, won’t switch on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You may think something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we suggest you check your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat pro like one from Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can support you. We can diagnose the problem and install a C-wire, if needed.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to keep an eye on settings while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can resolve the trouble in no time.

If you’re experiencing strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 804-302-6657 to request your appointment now.