Farsight and voice don't work. charge?

[Commander]

• I got the nest learning thermostat and it works for heat when the temperature is low but the farsight don't work and I talk to it but it never responds. I don't know how to fix it. The battery is 3.81v does this charge on the wall or do I need to unplug it and recharge it? I don't have constant power wire. Thank you

Edit: 3.87v now so I guess it's charging somehow

[Lance_L]

Hello Commander,

Thanks for reaching out to the Community.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having issues with the Nest Learning Thermostat. Let’s check it out.

A few questions: what country are you located in? Is this a new installation? What kind of HVAC system do you have? Are there any error messages on the display? Also, are there any recent power outages or electrical work done in the house?

Nest thermostats are designed to use very little power, and in many cases, they can use your system’s heating and cooling wires to get enough consistent power. But sometimes, you may need to connect a common wire (C wire) or power accessory, like the Nest Power Connector, to make your system compatible.

When the charge gets low enough, Farsight will automatically turn off until the battery recharges. You'll still be able to use your thermostat as usual, but the display will only turn on when you're within about 3 feet. After your thermostat has had a chance to recharge its battery enough, Farsight will work again.

Here's a handy guide to help you troubleshoot when your thermostat won’t turn on.

Keep me posted.

Best,

Lance

[Commander]

Thank you Lance.

I'm located in USA, this is a new installation. I have a forced air electric furnace. There's no error messages, no recent power outages or electrical work. The battery seems to be charging off the wires connected without a C wire. W1-G-Rh are connected. I also noticed I was cold at night, looked at the thermostat. It said it was set to heat up at 70f but it was currently 68f. It only came on once I looked at it, like it was trying to keep it a secret or something (tin foil hat)

[Lance_L · Accepted solution]

Hey Commander,

Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Let’s try the troubleshooting steps below:

1. Check for available software updates to the Nest Learning Thermostat. (Note: the thermostat may interrupt the heating or cooling cycle.) On the thermostat display, go to Settings > Software > Update.
2. Check the thermostat sensors. Go to Settings > Technical Info > Sensors.
3. Pass your hand in front of the display. Take note of the values for Long and ALS vis: they should change as you pass your hand close to the display.

Also, please gather the power readings of the Nest Learning thermostat. Go to Settings > Technical Info > Power. I’ll need the following information:

• Battery
• Voc
• Vin
• Iin

Looking forward to your response,

Lance

[Commander]

Thank you Lance,

The software is up to date 6.2-27

Long 0

ALS vis 0

Battery 3.8v

Voc 34.99v

Vin 28.78

Lin 40 mA (i)

I guess the vin is a little low here but I'm not sure.

Update:

After checking these settings out, it's working and detecting me approach. I guess it just wanted some attention.

Second update:

It turns out there's a sensor on the bottom of the thermostat, it comes with a little sticky cover over it. It wasn't removed until last night when I checked the settings it fell off, apparently the thermostat was just blind folded. Now if I could only get it to listen to my voice commands. Maybe it has some ear plugs somewhere? I'll have to look later.

[Jenelyn_O]

Hi folks,

@Commander, thanks for keeping us in the loop. It looks like it's making some progress. Please continue monitoring your Nest Thermostat. Also, it's great that you seem to have found the culprit, the little sticky thing that covers the sensor. 

You can use the Google Assistant with your thermostat. You can give voice commands and adjust your thermostat, and ask questions about the status of your products, as you don't have a way to speak to the thermostat directly. 

Please feel free to let us know if you still have questions or concerns, as we'll be willing to help. 

I appreciate the help, Lance.

Kind regards,

Jenelyn

[Commander]

Thank you. It said I can give commands to it directly but maybe it's another model. Or I misunderstood. I don't need to use my voice with assistant, I can just open the app and use my fingers. I thought there would be a mic in the thermostat. Would have been cool. Anyway it's working good now thank you. 😊

[Jenelyn_O]

Hi there Commander,

That's awesome! Thanks for the update. If you still have questions in mind, just let me know. 

Cheers,

Jenelyn