The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your residence or away and can change temps to help you save even more.

The Nest works with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with 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 specialist like Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your home or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a problem since the thermostat can pull adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, your heating and cooling system could 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The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t get ample juice, Nest says you could run into some of these problems:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is creating odd noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or frequently turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always on, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You might think something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you start with 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 much.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat professional including one from Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling can provide support. We can diagnose the issue and put in a C-wire, if needed.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are designed to make your life easier, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to monitor temperatures while you’re out. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t run correctly, but our heating and cooling pros at Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling can take care of the problem quickly.

If you’re experiencing atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 208-561-1226 to request your appointment now.