The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and makes 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 residence or out and about and can raise and lower temps to help you save even more.

The Nest works with a wide range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a wise idea to visit the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, because you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either hook it up on your own or hire a HVAC specialist like Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning. If you’re putting it in on your own, 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. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a problem as the thermostat can get enough power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system could 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 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 sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and turn on your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t draw adequate electricity, Nest says you could run into some of these issues:

  1. Poor battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is creating 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, such as “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously on, won’t switch 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 got the Nest, we suggest you check your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve tried Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat professional such as one from Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning can provide support. We can diagnose the issue and put in a C-wire, if needed.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life easier, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to check temps while you’re on the go. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling specialists at Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning can fix the trouble fast.

If you’re running into atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, give us a call at to book your appointment right away.