The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It figures out your temperature preferences and develops an energy-efficient schedule to match. And using geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E are aware of when you’re at your house or out and about and can raise and lower temperatures 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 check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to contact your energy company for valuable rebates, as you may 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 hire a HVAC pro like Hix Air Conditioning Service, Inc.. If you’re installing it yourself, 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 as the thermostat can draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some cases, your heating and cooling system might have to have that C-wire. And here’s why.

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

The Google Nest Thermostat is a step up from older programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Problems

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

  1. Short 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 stop running.
  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 message on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously running, won’t run or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You could think something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we advise you start with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been using your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat pro such as one from Hix Air Conditioning Service, Inc. can provide support. We can determine the issue and put in a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the ability to keep an eye on temps while you’re on the go. It’s a time-consuming experience when yours won’t run properly, but our heating and cooling experts at Hix Air Conditioning Service, Inc. can take care of the trouble quickly.

If you’re going through odd heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to book your appointment now.