Why Your Nest Thermostat Isn't Running Right and How to Fix It

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your house or away and can change settings 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 visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you may 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 contact a HVAC pro like B&D Air Conditioning. If you’re installing it yourself, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback because the thermostat can get ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system might have to have 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The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues

If it can’t get adequate electricity, Nest says you might run into some of these issues:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is making strange 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously running, won’t turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You could worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat first. This is especially true if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Pros Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional such as one from B&D Air Conditioning can help. We can identify the issue and add a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are made to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to monitor temperatures while you’re out. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling experts at B&D Air Conditioning can fix the problem in no time.

If you’re going through odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 928-432-6018 to set up your appointment today.