The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and creates 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 house or away and can adjust temperatures to help you save even more.
The Nest can be used with a full range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a wise idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy company for valuable rebates, as 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 wire it yourself or contact a HVAC specialist like May's Heating & Air. If you’re wiring it without help, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback since the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.
In some cases, 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The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues
If it can’t draw enough electricity, Nest says you may run into some of these problems:
- Bad battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is making odd noises, including chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or frequently turning on and off in a short period of time.
- There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is always on, won’t run or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.
You might think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we advise you check your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from May's Heating & Air can support you. We can diagnose the problem and add a C-wire, if required.
Smart thermostats such as the Nest are created to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling experts at May's Heating & Air can fix the trouble quickly.
If you’re going through unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at 301-690-0397 to set up your appointment today.