The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It learns 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 house or out and about and can change temperatures 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 wise idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to talk with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, since you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve checked it’s compatible, you can either install it yourself or contact a HVAC pro like Air Concepts of Middle Georgia. If you’re installing it without help, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your house 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 pull ample power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, your heating and cooling system might require 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 aging programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It uses 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 Problems

If it can’t draw enough power, Nest says you may run into some of these issues:

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat sometimes disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system suddenly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is producing odd noises, including 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 notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is continuously on, won’t run or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.

You could worry something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we suggest you begin with your thermostat first. This is especially true if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Problems

If you’ve gone through Nest thermostat troubleshooting without help but can’t solve the issue, a smart thermostat professional including one from Air Concepts of Middle Georgia can provide support. We can diagnose the problem and put in a C-wire, if required.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life simpler, with automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to monitor temperatures while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t operate properly, but our heating and cooling specialists at Air Concepts of Middle Georgia can resolve the trouble fast.

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