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 picks up on your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by 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 can be used with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy company for valuable rebates, since you might 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 contact a HVAC professional like GV Heating & Air. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll notice a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a setback because the thermostat can pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

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

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Malfunctions

The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up 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 connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t receive adequate electricity, Nest says you may experience some of these issues:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is producing odd noises, including 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always working, won’t run or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You may worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we suggest you check your thermostat initially. This is especially true if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional like one from GV Heating & Air can support you. We can diagnose the malfunction and install a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats such as the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to keep an eye on settings while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t run correctly, but our heating and cooling experts at GV Heating & Air can take care of the issue fast.

If you’re going through weird heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at 763-535-2000 to request your appointment now.