The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can buy. And for good reason. It picks up on your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And by geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your house or away and can raise and lower temperatures 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 check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before purchasing one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy company for valuable rebates, as you could be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either install it on your own or call a HVAC specialist like Moyer Total Indoor Comfort. If you’re installing it on your own, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is solely used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. In most cases, Nest says this isn’t a setback because the thermostat can draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system could need 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 older programmable thermostats that have a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to connect to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and run your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

If it can’t receive adequate power, Nest says you may have some of these troubles:

  1. Bad 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 stop running.
  5. Your system is making odd noises, like 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 notification on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly running, won’t switch on or turns off and on rapidly in a short period of time.

You might think something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we advise you start with your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is temperate, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t repair the problem, a smart thermostat specialist such as one from Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can provide support. We can identify the problem and add a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats including the Nest are designed to make your life more convenient, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to monitor temps while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t work like it should, but our heating and cooling pros at Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can resolve the problem fast.

If you’re running into unexplained heating and cooling behavior with your new Nest, reach out to us at to set up your appointment today.