Why Your Nest Thermostat Isn't Operating Right and How to Solve the Problem

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your residence or out and about and can change settings to help you save even more.

The Nest is compatible with a vast range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy company for valuable rebates, since 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 Air Service Co.. If you’re installing it on your own, you’ll notice 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. In the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem as the thermostat can get enough power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, your heating and cooling system could have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses 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 draw enough electricity, Nest says you might run into some of these troubles:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system suddenly 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 constantly turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always working, won’t switch on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.

You could worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we suggest you begin with your thermostat initially. This is especially true if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning frequently.

Our Pros Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat pro like one from Air Service Co. can assist you. We can diagnose the malfunction and add a C-wire, if needed.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to check temps while you’re away from home. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t work correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Air Service Co. can resolve the issue quickly.

If you’re experiencing odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 918-212-8943 to schedule your appointment today.