The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and creates an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E realize when you’re at your residence or gone 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 purchasing one. Don’t forget to check with your energy provider for valuable rebates, because you may 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 call a HVAC pro like J & J Air Conditioning. 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 house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In the majority of cases, Nest says this isn’t an issue because the thermostat can get adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

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

Why Your Nest Keeps Losing Power and Other Issues

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 sync with Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Issues

If it can’t receive ample juice, Nest says you might encounter some of these troubles:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing is disabled.
  3. Your thermostat every now and then disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system abruptly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is creating strange noises, such as chattering, stuttering, clicking or thumping.
  6. Heating or cooling is short cycling, or constantly 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 always running, won’t switch on or turns off and on frequently in a short period of time.

You might worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just started using the Nest, we recommend you begin with your thermostat first. This is especially pertinent if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Resolve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the issue, a smart thermostat professional including one from J & J Air Conditioning can support you. We can determine the issue and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are made to make your life more convenient, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temperatures while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t work properly, but our heating and cooling specialists at J & J Air Conditioning can take care of the issue quickly.

If you’re experiencing atypical heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, call us at to set up your appointment right away.