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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your residence or gone and can change temps 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 installing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or hire a HVAC specialist like Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re wiring it without help, 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 most cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue because the thermostat can pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system could need that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

The Google Nest Thermostat is better than outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has 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 receive adequate juice, Nest says you might encounter some of these troubles:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is producing odd noises, including 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 notice 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 may believe something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you check your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Specialists Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Issues

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the problem, a smart thermostat professional including one from Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning can provide support. We can identify the issue and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to check temps while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning can fix the trouble in no time.

If you’re running into atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 204-272-8128 to schedule your appointment now.