The Nest thermostat is one of the best-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your home or out and about and can adjust settings to help you save even more.

The Nest is compatible with a vast range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a smart idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy company 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 call a HVAC professional like Anderson Heating & A/C. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll spot 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 most cases, Nest says this isn’t a problem because the thermostat can draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system could require 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 aging programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t receive enough juice, Nest says you may have some of these problems:

  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 unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is making odd noises, including 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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously running, won’t turn on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You may think something is wrong with your heating and cooling system, but if you just installed the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat right away. This is especially true if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Specialists Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat pro including one from Anderson Heating & A/C can support you. We can diagnose the malfunction and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are made to make your life easier, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the opportunity to check settings while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t run properly, but our heating and cooling pros at Anderson Heating & A/C can fix the trouble quickly.

If you’re experiencing odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to schedule your appointment right away.