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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your residence or gone and can change settings to help you save even more.

The Nest works with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a wise idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to contact your energy provider for valuable rebates, as you could 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 Air Commander's Heating & Air Conditioning Co.. If you’re installing it yourself, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely 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 as the thermostat can get ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

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

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Problems

The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from older programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t receive adequate juice, Nest says you could encounter some of these issues:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is making odd 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 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 turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You could worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we advise you start with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Issues

If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t repair the dilemma, a smart thermostat pro such as one from Air Commander's Heating & Air Conditioning Co. can assist you. We can determine the issue and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to monitor temps while you’re out. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t run like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Air Commander's Heating & Air Conditioning Co. can fix the issue in no time.

If you’re going through weird heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 863-216-2923 to book your appointment now.