The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats on the market today. 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 know when you’re at your residence or away and can change temps to help you save even more.

The Nest works 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 installing 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 confirmed it’s compatible, you can either hook it up on your own or contact a HVAC specialist like B & B Heating & Cooling. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll see 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. Most of the time, 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 may need that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from older 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 Malfunctions

If it can’t draw ample power, Nest says you could 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 suddenly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is creating 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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always running, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You may worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, it’s best to check your thermostat initially. This is especially true if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Pros Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat pro like one from B & B Heating & Cooling can support you. We can identify the malfunction and install a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are designed to make your life more convenient, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to check temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling specialists at B & B Heating & Cooling can fix the issue in no time.

If you’re running into unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 314-325-7552 to schedule your appointment now.