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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your house or away and can adjust temperatures 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 smart idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either wire it on your own or call a HVAC pro like Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces. If you’re wiring 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 an issue since the thermostat can draw enough power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, your heating and cooling system could need 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The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 Malfunctions

If it can’t draw adequate electricity, Nest says you could encounter some of these troubles:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is making strange noises, such as 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 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 repeatedly in a short period of time.

You could think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, it’s best to check your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t solve the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional such as one from Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can assist you. We can determine the issue and put in a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are made to make your life simpler, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t operate like it should, but our heating and cooling professionals at Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can take care of the issue in no time.

If you’re going through odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 308-321-4703 to schedule your appointment today.