The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your house or gone and can raise and lower settings to help you save even more.

The Nest is compatible with a full range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy provider for valuable rebates, as you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either install it on your own or contact a HVAC specialist like Smyth Air Conditioning. If you’re installing it without help, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem as the thermostat can draw enough 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The Google Nest Thermostat is better than outdated programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power.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 Problems

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

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is producing strange noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or frequently turning on and off in a short period of time.
  7. There is a delay notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always working, won’t switch on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.

You may worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we advise you begin with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting by yourself but can’t fix the problem, a smart thermostat specialist like one from Smyth Air Conditioning can assist you. We can diagnose the problem and add a C-wire, if needed.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are created to make your life more convenient, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to monitor temperatures while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Smyth Air Conditioning can resolve the problem quickly.

If you’re running into odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to request your appointment now.