How Do You Reset a Nest Thermostat?
Resetting a Nest thermostat erases some or all of its information depending on the option you choose. The thermostat will restore its factory default settings. This is useful if moving out and need to install your thermostat in a new location, or want to leave the thermostat behind and you want to remove all your personal info. Before you reset your thermostat, write down the wiring information so you can easily enter your thermostat’s wiring if needed. Then on your thermostat, go to Settings> Equipment. You may want to do this for other settings such as system heating type and safety temperature as well. To reset Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat, go to Settings> Reset, then choose one of the options below:
Restart- If you restart, your thermostat will not lose any of your information or settings. Once the thermostat boots back up, you can continue to use it.To reset all or some of your thermostat’s information:
How Do I Know If My Nest Thermostat is Working?
You need to test your heating or cooling system after you install a Nest thermostat to make sure it is connected and controlling your system as it should. You can also run a system test if you need to diagnose a problem. It can also help you catch incorrect wiring, blown fuses, and other faults. During setup, you will have the option to test your system with your thermostat. First, you will connect your thermostat to Wi-Fi and enter your ZIP or postal code. Once you are done with these steps, your thermostat will be connected to an internet-based weather service and use the current local temperature to determine if it is too hot or cold to test your system. If so, it will tell you to test the system later. When the weather becomes more temperate, you can test heating or cooling by going to Settings> Equipment. If the weather is okay to test during setup, the thermostat will automatically guide you through each step. You should also test your system after setup. It is a good idea to test your system before the season’s change and you have to rely on heating or cooling for that season. Test heating on a cool day at the end of the summer to make sure it is working before the cold kicks in. In the spring, test cooling on a warm day before the first heat wave hits. This way, you will know that your system is working properly.
To test a Nest thermostat after setup:
To test a Nest thermostat E or Nest Learning thermostat:
Why is My Nest Thermostat Not Cooling My House?
If your thermostat isn’t cooling your home, it could be due to several reasons:
Bad wiring
If the Nest thermostat is not cooling your home, chances are the wires are not properly installed. To troubleshoot wiring, first start by making sure the power to your system is on. The power switch will usually be in your breaker box or fuse box. It may also be what looks like a light switch near the heating or cooling equipment. After you check the power, go to your thermostat and check if it is working. Next, check that your system’s wires are in the right connectors. Start by turning off power to your system before exposing or adjusting any wiring:
Pull off the thermostat display.Check that the wires are inserted correctly in the thermostat. The wires should be fully inserted into their connectors and every connector with a wire should be down. Check that each wire has 3/8 inch (6mm) of exposed wire. Also check that each wire is connected properly to the system board.Put the display back on the base and turn the power to your system back on.Check if your thermostat is working. If it isn’t, check that your system wires are connected to the right connectors.Maintenance
Another reason why your thermostat isn’t cooling could be just that it needs maintenance. Start by switching the power to your system off at the breaker or fuse box. Try turning the power to your system back on and see if it now cools. If not, then proceed to the troubleshooting steps below:
Remove the Nest thermostat and install your old thermostat. This will help to know if there is a problem with your home system or the thermostat itself. If the old thermostat works, there might be an issue with the wiring system. In this case, you should opt for the C-wire system.If the old thermostat doesn’t work, chances are that they system is not working properly and needs maintenance. You may need to call a HVAC technician to have a look and repair your system if necessary.Compatibility issues
If your system is incompatible with the Nest thermostat, it can also the reason the thermostat is not cooling your house. You need to use the 24V system for reliable cooling through the thermostat. You need to fix or connect a C-wire or alternatively, install a Nest power connector.
Do Nest Thermostats Have Batteries?
The Nest thermostat receives power from your HVAC system. It also uses 2 AAA alkaline batteries as backup, or to supplement if your system cannot deliver enough power.
Nest Thermostat Not Turning On Heat
If your air conditioner is not sending power to your Thermostat, it might be because of several reasons:
Some air conditioners come equipped with a safety device that will stop if from turning on in extreme cold weather to prevent damage. These safety devices, also known as safety cut-out switches, can sometimes prevent your AC from providing your Nest thermostat with power in extremely low temperature conditions. This could be the case especially if you reside in an area that experiences very cold temperatures during winter.Your system may need maintenance. If your system breaks down, it will likely stop sending power to your thermostat. To fix the problem, you may need to call a HVAC technician to determine the issue and whether your system needs repair.
If you are getting one of these error codes-E10, E30, E66, E80, E116, E160, E196, and M13, try the following troubleshooting steps to help get the heat back on: If you see an E296 or N262 code on the thermostat, check the battery level and replace them if necessary.
Nest Thermostat Cycling ON and OFF
Nest thermostats are sensitive to brief interruptions in power. If you notice your system keeps turning off and on repeatedly, is always on, or it makes strange noises, there may be a power issue. In some cases, you may need to install a C wire or the Nest power connector to help deliver consistent power to your thermostat. If your heating or cooling repeatedly turns on and off in a short period without seeing an error code on your Nest thermostat, follow the troubleshooting steps below to fix the issue:
Nest Thermostat Blinking Green
Nest thermostats receive regular software updates from Google. If you see a blinking green light at the top of your thermostat’s screen, it means your thermostat is updating the software, installing an update, restarting, or starting up. Normally, the blinking green light should last for only a few minutes and then stop. On the other hand, if you see a steady green light, it means your thermostat has frozen. This can happen while doing a software update. If frozen, here is what to do:
Nest Thermostat No Power to RH Wire
If your Nest thermostat does not detect power to Rh wire, or it can’t detect the wires in your thermostat, there could be an issue with your system power or the thermostat wires. To troubleshoot:
Check the system power
First, make sure the power to your system is on. The power switch will usually be in your breaker box or fuse box, but in some homes it is found near the heating or cooling equipment and will look like a light switch.
There may be a single switch, or two switches (one for heating and one for cooling). Make sure the power is on for both then check your thermostat.After checking the power, go to your thermostat and check if it is working.Check the thermostat wires
Start by making sure you’ve turned off power to your system and thermostat at the breaker box or fuse box. This is to keep you safe and help prevent damage to your system.
Then pull off the thermostat display.Check that the wires are inserted correctly in the thermostat. Check that each wire is fully inserted into its connector and that every connector with a wire is down. Check that each wire has 6mm of exposed wire.Next, turn the power to your system back on and check to see if your thermostat is working.Check that each wire is properly connected to the system board.
If after completing all the above troubleshooting steps the problem persists, contact a local HVAC pro for more help.
All Nest Thermostat Error Codes, Their Meaning & Fixes
There are various error codes on your Nest Thermostat or in the app if there is a problem or there is an issue with the thermostat wiring, power, or Wi-Fi connection among other things:
T error codes
While running a system test after installing your thermostat, you may see one of these error messages:
T01-single stage fan problemT02-single stage cooling problemT03- two stage cooling problemT04- forced air system problemT05- radiant heating problemT06- radiator heating problemT07- baseboard electric heating problemT08- humidifier problemT09-dehumidifier problem’T11- two stage fan problemT12- three stage fan problem
The troubleshooting steps for these codes are similar even though the reasons for the code can vary. Try these steps to fix the T error codes: If you have one of the following codes, check your system for the issue listed below then restart the system test if needed:
T08 error- Check that the radiator valves are fully open so that hot water can circulate to the radiators.T09 (electric board system) -Most baseboard systems are high voltage (120 V) and are incompatible with Nest thermostats. So, check your system voltage and if it is 120 V, disconnect the Nest thermostat and reinstall your old one.T07 (heat pump systems)-If there is a wire (usually orange) in your thermostat’s OB connector you have a heat pump. Make sure OB wire is configured correctly during thermostat setup, otherwise you need to change the setting.T09 or T08 – Nest thermostats have one connector for dehumidifiers or humidifiers. But these components often have two wires so a relay must be installed to convert the two wires into one for Nest compatibility. Also make sure the thermostat is configured correctly in the thermostat’s Pro Setup menu.
E error codes
E1- Common wire (C wire) is required.
To troubleshoot
E2, E22 and E72- No power wires detected. RC or Rh wire required.E3, E23 and E73- No power to Rc wire detected.E4, E24 and E74- No power to Rh wire detected.E5, E25, E75, E155 and E255- No heating or cooling detected. W1 or Y1 wire is required.E6- Too many wires detected. Please remove at least one of O/B, W1, Y1 or AUX.E7, E27 and E77- Y1 wire not detected. A heat pump requires a Y1 wire.E8, E28 and E78- Additional wire(s) required. W2/AUX detected by itself.E9, E29, E79 and E159- No power to C wire detected.E10, E30, E66, E80, E116, E160, E196 and E296- No power to Y1 wire detected (cold weather shutoff).E11- Heat pump wire O/B detected. No heat pump system present.E12, E32, E82 and E162- No power to W1 wire detected.E13, E33, E36, E37, E38, E83, E86, E87 and E88- A heat pump can have at most one auxiliary heat wire.E14, E34, E84, E164 and E264- Dual fuel requires an alternate heat wire.E35 and E85- Dual fuel can have at most two alternate heat wires.E39, E89, E169 and E269- Y2 wire without Y1 wire.E40 and E90- W3 wire without W2/AUX to wire.E41 and E91- E wire without O/B wire.E52, E53, E54, E55, E56, E57, E58, E102, E103, E104, E105, E106, E107, E108, E182, E183 and E188- The Nest thermostat has an overcurrent error.E109- G2 wire detected. G1 wire is also required.E110- G2 wire detected. Remove W2/AUX wire.E111- G2 wire detected. Remove E wire.E112- G wire detected. G1 and G2 also required.E113- G2 and O/B wire conflictE157- Y1 wire not detectedE158- W1 wire not detectedE184- Check G wireE194- R wire not detectedE195- No power to R wire detectedE257- Heat pump requires Y1 wireE258- W2 wire requires W1E260- No power to Y1E264- Dual fuel requires an alternate heat wire.E269- Y2 wire requires a Y1 wireE294- R wire is requiredE296- No power to Y1 wire detected (cold weather shutoff)E297- C wire or Y1 wire requiredE298- No system powerE299- Contact support
W error codes
W1- The Nest thermostat can’t continue to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Your router may not fully support a Wi-Fi standard known as power saving mode. Troubleshoot Wi-Fi routers that are incompatible with Nest products.
W2- Failed to connect.
Your Wi-Fi router may have security settings enabled that prevent your Nest thermostat from connecting. To fix, find your Nest product’s MAC address and add it to your router’s whitelist.
W3- Failed to connect
Your Wi-Fi router is not providing a network IP address to your Nest thermostat. Troubleshoot “Failed to connect” code to fix the issue.
W4- Failed to connect
The Nest thermostat is connected to your wireless network but not to the internet. Troubleshoot “Failed to connect” code.
W5- Failed to connect
Your Nest thermostat can’t connect to Wi-Fi. Troubleshoot a Nest w5 code.
N error codes
N1, N21 and N71- Power wire Rc detected. Not connected to equipment. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N2, N22 and N72- Power wire Rh detected. Not connected to equipment. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N3, N23, N73 and N153- No power to W1 wire detected. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N4, N24, N74 and N154- No power to Y1 wire detected. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N5, N25 and N75- No power to W2/AUX wire detected. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N6, N26, N76 and N156- No power to G wire detected. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N7, N27 and N77- No power to O/B wire detected. Troubleshoot low power to fix the issue.N28 and N78- No power to Y2 wire detected. Troubleshoot low power.N29, N79 and N159- No power to wire detected. Troubleshoot power.N153- No power to W1. Troubleshoot power.N254- No power to Y1. Troubleshoot Y wire.N256- No power to G. Troubleshoot power.N259- No power *|OB. Troubleshoot power.N260- A C-wire or Nest power connector is recommended for your thermostat. Troubleshoot C wire.N261- Low power to C wire. Troubleshoot C wire.N262- No power to Y1 wire detected (cold weather shutoff (In extremely cold weather only) or your HVAC system needs maintenance. Troubleshoot Y wire (extremely cold weather only) or contact a HVAC professional.
Troubleshooting Steps
If there’s still the code on your thermostat, but your system is running normally, you can dismiss the message and continue to use your thermostat. The message shouldn’t pop up again after you dismiss it.
Your HVAC system needs maintenance (M6)
If you see this code, that means there is a problem with your HVAC system. Contact a HVAC professional to service your system and fix the issue.
Check wire configuration in the Home app (E255, E257, E258, E264, E269, E294)
If you see any of these codes, it means the wires in your thermostat were not configured properly in the Home app. You will need to reset your thermostat to factory default and add it back to the Home app.
Open the Home appSelect your thermostatOpen “Settings”.Tap Remove device> RemoveOn your thermostat, tap on the right side to open the menu.Swipe to “Settings” and tap to open.Scroll to “Factory reset”.Choose “Reset” and tap.Select “Yes” and tap.
Next, add your thermostat back to the Home app. Tap “Add +” at the top left of the home screen and follow the screen instructions. Pay extra attention to the instructions when you re-enter you wiring info. If it is still not working, check that your system wires are connected to the right connectors. Use the wiring diagram the app gave you during setup to move the wires to the right connectors. Alternatively, you can access your system’s control board and take a picture of the wires.
Contact support (E299, M24)
You will need to contact Google Nest customer support to help resolve this issue. Make sure you have the help code and the serial number for your thermostat ready to give the support agent. You can find the serial number by pulling the display off the base and flipping it over. It is above the QR code on the back of the display.
How Do I Fix My Nest Thermostat with Low Battery?
During the initial setup, you may get a low battery message. This can happen if the batteries are loose or there is a piece of the battery tap still stuck to the contacts. If there is a power issue and the backup batteries get low, your thermostat lets you with a low battery message in the Home app and on the display. You can easily replace the batteries with new ones following these directions: Note that you can’t replace the batteries for the Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat. Instead, charge the thermostat with a USB cable. If you repeatedly get low battery messages from your thermostat, or if there is another power-related message, you may need to check the C-wire connection or install a C-wire to provide consistent power to your thermostat and prevent the backup batteries from draining.
How to Turn a Nest Thermostat ON and OFF
You can set your Nest thermostat to Off mode if your home will be unoccupied for a while. Off mode disables all regular heating and cooling schedules, but still maintains Safety Temperatures to help prevent your pipes from freezing or preventing your home from getting severely hot. To set Nest thermostat to Off mode: To set Nest thermostat E or Nest Learning thermostat to Off mode: In the Home app: In the Nest app( only compatible with the Nest thermostat E and Nest learning thermostat): Off mode doesn’t turn off the power to your thermostat or your system. To completely prevent your Nest thermostat from activating your system, even when temperatures reach extreme levels, you will need to disable your Safety Temperatures. You can turn Safety Temperatures off directly on the Nest thermostat E and Nest learning thermostat only. To turn Safety Temperatures off for the Nest thermostat, use the Home app. In the Home app (Nest thermostat only):
How to Set Schedule on Nest Thermostat
You can create or adjust the temperature schedule of your Nest thermostat the way you want directly on the thermostat or in the app. You can use the quick schedule to instantly create a temperature schedule for your thermostat as soon as you have installed it. The quick schedule is based on a national average efficient schedule that balances energy savings and comfort. During thermostat setup, the app will give you the option to automatically change the temperature with a schedule. If you proceed, the app will provide a preset schedule for you to customize as you like. Temperature presets let you customize temperatures for when you are home, away, sleeping, and more. You must select a temperature preset when you add or change a temperature in the Nest thermostat’s schedule. To view, edit, or create temperature presets for your thermostat: To change the temperature schedule in the Home app:
Nest Thermostat is Not Connecting to Wi-Fi
Several reasons could be preventing your Nest thermostat from connecting to a Wi-Fi network. There might be a “Failed to connect” message, or a g.co/nest/M21, M22 or other help code when:
Installing your Nest thermostat and trying to connect it to Wi-Fi for the first time.Reconnecting your thermostat to a network whose name or other information has changed.Selecting a different network to connect your thermostat to.
Check this too: Nest Doorbell How to & Troubleshooting Guide To troubleshoot connecting a Nest thermostat to the Nest app or Wi-Fi network, try the following tips:
Check the Nest app version and make sure that you have the latest version of the Nest app on your phone or tablet.Check the status of the Nest service. If the Nest service is down, wait for the Nest service to service to resume to check if you can add your thermostat to the Nest app.Make sure your home Wi-Fi is working. Check that you can get online with another device in your home.Make sure that your mobile device is close to your router when trying to add your thermostat to the Nest app.Restart your router. This will reset your internet connection. You should also restart any Wi-Fi range extenders or repeaters. Once your router finishes restarting, test the Wi-Fi connection with a computer or phone (make sure cellular data is switched off). The try to add your Nest thermostat to the Nest app again.Check the settings on your Wi-Fi router or access point. Not able to add your thermostat to the Nest app can be as a result of incompatible settings on your home Wi-Fi router or access point.Check that your router or modem is compatible with Nest.
