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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns 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 house or gone and can raise and lower temperatures to help you save even more.

The Nest is compatible with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy company for valuable rebates, because 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 on your own or hire a HVAC professional like Select Comfort Systems Heating & Air Conditioning. If you’re putting it in 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 the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue as the thermostat can get adequate 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 better than older programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has 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 Problems

If it can’t get enough electricity, Nest says you may run into some of these issues:

  1. Poor battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
  5. Your system is making odd noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly 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 always on, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You might think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we advise you begin with your thermostat right away. This is especially true if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat specialist including one from Select Comfort Systems Heating & Air Conditioning can assist you. We can pinpoint the problem and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are designed to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on settings while you’re out. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t run like it should, but our heating and cooling professionals at Select Comfort Systems Heating & Air Conditioning can take care of the issue fast.

If you’re running into strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 801-305-4777 to schedule your appointment today.