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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can get. 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 are aware of when you’re at your residence or away and can raise and lower temperatures 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 wise idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier 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 hire a HVAC professional like Farris Heating & Air. If you’re putting it in without help, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just 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 a setback as the thermostat can get ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

Sometimes, your heating and cooling system may have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from older programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues

If it can’t get ample power, Nest says you could experience some of these problems:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
  5. Your system is making strange noises, like 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, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly on, won’t run or turns off and on repeatedly 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, it’s best to start with your thermostat right away. This is especially timely if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Pros Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t repair the dilemma, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from Farris Heating & Air can support you. We can pinpoint the problem and put in a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life simpler, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to check temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t run like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Farris Heating & Air can resolve the trouble fast.

If you’re running into strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 918-333-0376 to set up your appointment today.