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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and develops 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 home or gone and can adjust temps to help you save even more.

The Nest can be used with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy provider 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 hire a HVAC pro like North Mechanical Heating and Cooling. If you’re wiring it on your own, you’ll spot 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 the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback as the thermostat can draw enough power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may require that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 draw enough electricity, Nest says you may have some of these problems:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  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 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 always running, won’t switch on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You might think something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you start with your thermostat right away. This is especially pertinent if the weather is moderate, 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 on your own but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat specialist including one from North Mechanical Heating and Cooling can assist you. We can determine the malfunction and install a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life easier, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to check temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t work correctly, but our heating and cooling experts at North Mechanical Heating and Cooling can resolve the problem in no time.

If you’re experiencing atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 928-263-8570 to set up your appointment right away.