The Nest thermostat is one of the top-selling smart thermostats on the market today. And for good reason. It learns your temperature preferences and makes an energy-efficient schedule to match. And through geofencing with your phone, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest E know when you’re at your residence or gone and can change temps 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 smart idea to use the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before getting one. Don’t forget to check with your energy supplier for valuable rebates, because you may be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either hook it up yourself or contact a HVAC specialist like Fairfield Heating & Cooling. If you’re putting it in yourself, you’ll spot a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is only used for powering your thermostat. If your house or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t a setback as the thermostat can draw ample 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 Malfunctions

The Google Nest Thermostat is an improvement from outdated programmable thermostats that rely on a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and wiring to link to Wi-Fi, power its digital display and operate your heating and cooling system.

8 Common Nest Thermostat Malfunctions

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

  1. Short battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t work.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t stop running.
  5. Your system is creating 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, like “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is always on, won’t turn on or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.

You may worry something is up with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we suggest you start with your thermostat first. This is especially timely if the weather is moderate, and you haven’t been relying on your heat or air conditioning much.

Our Professionals Can Fix Nest Thermostat Troubles

If you’ve attempted Nest thermostat troubleshooting on your own but can’t fix the dilemma, a smart thermostat specialist like one from Fairfield Heating & Cooling can provide support. We can identify the problem and put in a C-wire, if necessary.

Smart thermostats like the Nest are designed to make your life simpler, through automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to keep an eye on temps while you’re away from home. It’s a frustrating experience when yours won’t run like it should, but our heating and cooling specialists at Fairfield Heating & Cooling can resolve the issue in no time.

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