The Nest thermostat is one of the most popular smart thermostats you can get. And for good reason. It picks up on 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 residence or out and about and can raise and lower settings to help you save even more.

The Nest is compatible with a full range of 24-volt heating and cooling systems, but it’s always a good idea to check the Nest thermostat compatibility checker before installing one. Don’t forget to contact your energy supplier for valuable rebates, as you might be able to get a Nest for free or close to it.

Once you’ve confirmed it’s compatible, you can either wire it yourself or hire a HVAC pro like Luikart Heating & Cooling. If you’re putting it in on your own, you’ll see a terminal for the C-wire, or common wire. This wire is just used for powering your thermostat. If your residence or HVAC system is older, you might not have one of these wires. Most of the time, Nest says this isn’t an issue as the thermostat can draw adequate power from other heating and cooling wires.

In some instances, 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 older programmable thermostats that use a combination of wiring and AA batteries for power. It relies on 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 juice, Nest says you might run into some of these problems:

  1. Bad battery life.
  2. Thermostat motion sensing won’t operate.
  3. Your thermostat occasionally disconnects from Wi-Fi.
  4. Your system unexpectedly turns on or off, or won’t shut off.
  5. Your system is creating weird noises, including 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 notice on your Nest thermostat’s screen, along the lines of “heating is delayed for 2:30 minutes.”
  8. The system fan is constantly working, won’t run or turns off and on repeatedly in a short period of time.

You might believe something is suspect with your heating and cooling system, but if you just got the Nest, we recommend you check your thermostat initially. This is especially pertinent if the weather is mild, and you haven’t been running your heat or air conditioning consistently.

Our Specialists Can Solve Nest Thermostat Problems

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

Smart thermostats like the Nest are created to make your life easier, by automatic energy-efficient programming and the option to monitor temperatures while you’re out. It’s an annoying experience when yours won’t operate correctly, but our heating and cooling experts at Luikart Heating & Cooling can fix the trouble in no time.

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