Nest Thermostat Not Cooling: 10 Fixes [That Worked For Me]

A malfunctioning thermostat can create unnecessary problems. For example, you might have noticed the nest thermostat not cooling despite the system being ON. You would also have noticed that your nest thermostat unexpectedly turns off and on repeatedly.

There could be a lot of reasons why your nest thermostat not cooling, but, “power issue” has been found to be the most common reason. Hence, make sure your nest thermostat is receiving the desired power to properly operate. You might need to install a nest power connector or a common wire.

If your nest not cooling to set temperature or after a power outage, you may need to take a few troubleshooting steps to fix it. And, this guide would teach you how to fix if the nest thermostat won’t cool. We will also discuss the various reasons why your nest not cooling.

Why is my nest thermostat not cooling?

There could be various reasons why your nest thermostat not cooling and making strange noises like – chattering, stuttering, clicking, etc. The most common reasons for a malfunctioning thermostat are – power outages, dead battery, loose wires, dirty air filters, blocked ducts, or internal problems inside the nest thermostat.

Here’re the causes why your nest not cooling:

• Not enough power supply.
• Damaged or dead battery.
• Dirty air filter.
• Faulty compressor.
• Blocked or leaking air duct.
• Loose wiring inside the thermostat.
• An issue with the C-wire or Common wire.
• Faulty circuit breaker.
• Outdated nest software.
• Incompatible systems.

So, the above mentioned could be causing nest thermostat to not cool. Now, we will discuss the fixes.

How to fix if nest thermostat not cooling?

If your nest thermostat not cooling, start by checking energy history. Make sure all the wires are fully connected and no wire is loose. To ensure, re-assemble the wiring of nest thermostat. Check if your nest thermostat needs any maintenance by installing your old thermostat. You may also need to install a C wire or nest power connector.

Here’s the detailed guide to fix nest thermostat.

Fix 1: Check your wifi internet

Make sure your nest thermostat is connected to the internet. Your nest thermostat needs internet to gather weather information in your local area. Your nest thermostat also connects to your nest app using the internet.

In case of “no internet” your nest thermostat won’t be able to connect with the nest app and you may notice your nest not cooling to set temperature. You may also miss the necessary nest thermostat notifications.

Hence, it’s important to connect your nest thermostat to the wifi and make sure the internet is stable.

To connect your nest thermostat to wifi:

• Click on the “menu” button on nest.
• From “settings” select “Wifi”.
• Now, select “connect to new network”.
• Follow the instruction on nest thermostat to connect to wifi.

Fix 2: Check the battery if it’s damaged or low

If your nest thermostat not cooling after power outage, check your nest thermostat if it’s showing a “low battery” message on the display. In case of missing C wire, your nest won’t be able to cool in extreme temperatures. So, make sure the nest thermostat is getting enough power to operate by checking its battery.

To check your nest battery:

• Open the nest app.
• Select the nest thermostat device you want to check the battery of.
• Swipe to up to check the nest thermostat battery status.

If it’s lower than 20%, we suggest you charge your nest thermostat by pulling off the display and connecting it to the USB port.

Fix 3: Check the nest thermostat wiring

If your nest thermostat not cooling to set temperature, you should cross-check the wiring. Check every wiring and fix any loose or bent wire. Incorrect or loose wiring can cause the nest ac not to blow cold air. Also, check if the wiring of nest thermostat is too old, consider replacing the old wires. Checking wires is a crucial part if your nest air conditioner not cooling properly.

Hence, make sure the internal wiring of nest thermostat is properly connected:

• First, disconnect nest thermostat from power socket.
• Take off the nest display.
• Make sure Rh, W1, W2, Y1, Y2, and Common wires are connected properly to their respective terminals.
• Re-wire if any wire is loose or damaged.

It is important to note here that, the Common wire or C wire is an essential wire in nest thermostat. It helps the thermostat to continuously draws power from the HVAC system. Any issue in C-wire would cause nest thermostat stopped cooling.

Fix 4: Test the wiring with the old nest thermostat

After properly checking nest thermostat wiring if you can’t see any problem, try to check the wiring with your old nest thermostat. What you all have to do is take off the current thermostat from the wall and install the old thermostat and insert the wires to the respective terminals.

If you see your old nest working properly, it means there is no problem with the wiring. But, in case your old nest isn’t working, it means there could be a problem with nest thermostat wiring.

In this case, you need to replace the old wire with the new wire and check if the thermostat is now working.

Fix 5: Make sure the nest device is compatible with cooling system

The could be a possibility that your cooling system isn’t compatible with the nest thermostat. In this case, you need to check which system is incompatible with nest thermostat.

For example, the nest thermostat isn’t compatible with cooling systems that run on high voltage or solid fuels. High voltage cooling systems have transformers that remain outside the cooling unit, while a low voltage cooling system has a transformer inside the cooling unit.

Hence, a high voltage cooling system may not work with a nest thermostat. Even if you install it, it may harm your nest thermostat and cooling device.

Low voltage cooling systems are compatible with nest thermostats. Hence, always make sure you are using low volage cooling system for your nest thermostat by checking the list of nest compatible systems from google.

Fix 6: Restart your nest thermostat

If your nest thermostat isn’t cooling, give restart to your nest thermostat. Restarting the nest thermostat can fix unknown bugs and may fix the problem. It can also improve the connectivity with internet wifi.

Hence, it’s worth restarting your nest thermostat.

To restart your nest thermostat, simply cut off the power source and wait for 5 minutes. Now, connect your nest thermostat to the power socket and let it proceed further.

You can also restart your nest thermostat using nest app:

• Open the nest app.
• Choose the thermostat you want to restart.
• Go on “settings”.
• Click “device info”.
• Finally, press “Restart”.

By following the above steps, you’ll be able to restart your nest thermostat successfully.

Fix 7: Check if any switch from Tripped Circuit Breaker is off

A tripped circuit breaker is important for the proper functioning of the nest thermostat as helps to deliver continuous power to nest thermostat. In case any switch of circuit breaker is turned off, your nest thermostat won’t cool or may not function properly. Hence, it’s important to cross-check your tripper circuit breaker for the optimum performance of nest thermostat.

What to do?

• Open the circuit breaker box to check tripped breaker.
• Find the switches which are in the “off” position.
• Now, turn the switch “ON”, “OFF”, then, again “ON”.

This would restart the tripped breaker and your nest thermostat should start cooling.

Fix 8: You may have faulty air handler

An air handler is an essential device that is used in HVAC systems. The air handler regulates the air through the ducts of the rooms. Nest thermostat sends various signals to the air handler to regulate the temperature(such as – decreasing temperature, changing fan speed, etc).

In case of a faulty “air handler”, your nest won’t cool. Hence, it’s important to check air handler to avoid any nest thermostat not cooling problems.

Here are few important things to check if your air handler isn’t working:

• Check air filter if it’s too dirty.
• Check the blower motor if it is damaged.
• Clean or either replace the dirty evaporator coils.
• Check the important wiring and replace the fused wires.

Fix 9: Factory reset the nest thermostat

If you have tried every single troubleshooting fixes that are mentioned above and, still, your nest thermostat not cooling. Try to factory reset the nest thermostat.

Factory resetting the nest thermostat, it will erase all the adjustments and customized settings. So, only take this action as a last option.

To factory reset the nest thermostat:

• Press the ring device to see “Quick View” menu.
• Keep rotating the device until you find “Settings”.
• Choose “Reset” from settings and press “restart”.

Fix 10: Turn off the auto schedule

The auto-schedule feature allows your nest thermostat to learn about your temperature preferences. By enabling your nest thermostat to auto-schedule, your nest may perform unexpectedly, such as nest not cooling, not functioning properly. Hence, try to turn off the auto schedule option.

To turn off auto scheduling on nest thermostat:

• Open the nest app.
• Select the nest thermostat.
• Choose settings.
• Go to auto schedule.
• Click the switch to turn off the auto scheduling.

How to factory reset nest thermostat?

After performing every possible reason if the Nest thermostat is not cooling, you should conduct a factory reset.

Maybe a complete refresh will resolve the problem within a minute. So follow the steps below to factory reset.

1. Open the application (NEST) on your smartphone.
2. At your home screen, located on top left corner.
3. Select home (if connected to multiple houses) that has the thermostat you want to delete.
4. Tap on the thermostat you want to remove from the app screen.
5. Now go to “Setting”, located on the upper right section.
6. Scroll down at the bottom.
7. You get an option that asks “confirm thermostat” in red color.
8. Tap to confirm, and your thermostat will be removed from your Nest account.

How to force nest thermostat to cool?

Now, if you want to adjust or preset the temperature in the Nest thermostat, follow the steps below

• Open the NEST application on your smartphone
• Go to the top left corner and tap the dots
• Select your thermostat ( ensure that the device is in its heat and cooling mood )
• Tap on the hold temperature
• Hold it until your set the count in your thermostat

Conclusion

I hope this guide was helpful to you if your nest thermostat not cooling. In this guide, we learn various easy-to-follow troubleshooting steps to fix nest not cooling issues.

Start by checking the thermostat settings if it set to “cool on” mode, internet wifi and wiring of nest thermostat. Fix or replace fused or bent wire. Also, restart the thermostat to fix the problem.

So, this was all for this guide. I hope you liked it.

Frequently Asked Questions