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

April 13, 2021

The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats on the market today. 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 realize when you’re at your home or out and about and can raise and lower 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 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 might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either install it without help or contact a HVAC professional like ACS Heating and Air Conditioning. If you’re wiring it on your own, 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. In the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue because the thermostat can draw ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some cases, your heating and cooling system may 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The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t get enough electricity, Nest says you might experience some of these troubles:

  1. Poor battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes 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 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 turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You may believe something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you start with your thermostat first. This is especially true if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional like one from ACS Heating and Air Conditioning can provide assistance. We can diagnose the problem and install a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are created to make your life more convenient, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to monitor temperatures while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t run correctly, but our heating and cooling specialists at ACS Heating and Air Conditioning can resolve the trouble in no time.

If you’re going through atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at 770-450-1539 to set up your appointment now.