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 makes 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 home or out and about and can change 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 check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.
Once you’ve made sure it’s compatible, you can either hook it up without help or contact a HVAC professional like Contra Costa Heating & AC. If you’re installing it yourself, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your home or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback as the thermostat can pull adequate 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 an improvement from aging programmable thermostats that use 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 run your heating and cooling system.
8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues
If it can’t get adequate power, Nest says you could experience some of these troubles:
- Short battery life.
- Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
- Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
- Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t turn off.
- Your system is creating strange noises, including chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
- Heating or cooling is short cycling, or repeatedly turning on and off in a short period of time.
- There is a delay message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
- The system fan is constantly running, won’t run or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.
You could think something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we advise you check your thermostat first. This is especially true if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning consistently.
Our Professionals Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Issues
If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t repair the dilemma, a smart thermostat professional including one from Contra Costa Heating & AC can assist 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, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on settings while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t operate properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Contra Costa Heating & AC can take care of the trouble fast.
If you’re experiencing strange heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at 510-343-9841 to schedule your appointment now.