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

The Nest can be used with a vast range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a wise idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy provider for valuable rebates, because you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either wire it yourself or hire a HVAC professional like Bishop’s HVAC. If you’re wiring it without help, you’ll see 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 an issue as the thermostat can pull adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, 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 have 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 operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems

If it can’t receive adequate electricity, Nest says you may encounter some of these problems:

  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 shut off.
  5. Your system is making weird noises, like chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly on, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You might believe something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we suggest you begin with your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the issue, a smart thermostat specialist like one from Bishop’s HVAC can support you. We can identify the problem and add a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are designed to make your life more convenient, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Bishop’s HVAC can fix the problem quickly.

If you’re experiencing strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at 916-591-6889 to request your appointment today.