Help! With battery dead

[JuliaG]

I my thermostat upstairs is saying it must shut down to recharge battery and won’t display temperature. I tried to reset it. Took it off and unscrewed it and didn’t see any ASA battery to replace. Help! Where do you recharge the batteries 

[ducs4rs]

what model thermostat? 

[JuliaG]

3rd generation 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I understand that you're having troubles with a Nest Thermostat that shows a battery dead. I understand how frustrating this can be. I really appreciate the assistance, @ducs4rs. I'm here to help.

Before I begin. I need to ask a few questions for further assistance:

• What model of Nest Thermostat do you have? (Here is the reference on how to identify the Nest Thermostat)
• When did the situation start?
• What error message shows on your Nest app or Google Home app?

Please keep me posted. I'll look forward to your response.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

3rd generation. And see picture. Then I hook up to USB plug to charge it I get 2nd picture to put it back on base. I do and it recycles back up and then I check back and it’s dead again. Do I have to replace the whole thermostat?

 

 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate the pictures attached. Help's here.

I just want to confirm after connecting the USB cable and charging. 

• How long have you been charging the Nest Learning Thermostat?

Important: Usually, your thermostat will take about half an hour to recharge. But if the battery is fully drained, it can take as long as 2 hours to recharge.

Please keep me posted.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

when I connect to the USB it immediately says to put back on base. But this time I am charging it for 2 hours as it was blinking Red and the screen was black. Now why would the battery die? I did have my system turned off due to the weather being nice to open windows but I am not sure when the problem started. I just don’t want to have to buy a new thermostat because it’s not charging properly. I have 2 thermostats and the one downstairs works fine. 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for your response.

According to the information provided, the blinking red light means that the battery is very low. So, please make sure the following:.

• Check your Nest Leaning Thermostat display from its base and see if any connector pins are bent.
• Check the Nest Learning thermostat wires are secured in their terminals and all the buttons are down.
• Check that all the wires are seated firmly in their terminals (with no loose or exposed wires).

Note: Please leave the display charging for about 30 minutes and check if the light changes.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

It’s still not working. The display is still showing needs to shut down to recharge battery. I charged it for 3 hours yesterday. I don’t know how to check wiring but everything looks fine. Am I going to have to replace the thermostat because it doesn’t seem to charge? Ugh! 

[ducs4rs]

To be clear, when you unplug the USB cable from the thermostat you get the battery error? I am wondering if your USB adapter is not strong enough to charge the base? If you look at the USB adapter, what is its output rating? The output amps is the important part. I have a 3 amp that I use to charge the base and it works. Some older plugs are rated 2 or under and might not work. 

[JuliaG]

 After charging for 3 hours and putting the stat back on the base it will show a G and look like it’s cycling then give this on display. I don’t know what strength the USB port is but as soon as I plug it in to the stat it will show the G and look like it’s cycling and then give me a display that it needs to go back on the base. I will look into seeing if I have any other USB plugs to charge it 

[JuliaG]

Also it’s blinking red and when I charge it it’s blinking green 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate the help, @ducs4rs.

1. Based on the information provided, the green light means that the thermostat is in the reboot process or there's a software update needed. Sometimes the battery might be too low for the update to finish. In any case, leave the display plugged in.
2. Also, in the mean time, try to check the battery level. Here are the steps on your Nest Learning Thermostat:

• Settings, then Technical Info, and then Power.
• If the readout is under 3.8 volts, please try to charge the display for another 30 minutes until the battery is at 3.9 volts.

       3. Try to use another USB cable and try to charge it.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

Ok, I don’t have any way to test the voltage and using a different charger cord doesn’t work. Now what do I do? If I call my heating & air company they tell me to contact Nest, because the heat works but the thermostat doesn’t. Do I have to replace the thermostat that is “Only “4 years old since I replaced the whole unit and added dual thermostats for upstairs and downstairs. I don’t know what to do?! Help! 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate the effort to troubleshoot the situation.

The team would like to learn more about this behavior. When you get a chance, please fill out this form and let us know when you’re finished. We’ll have someone reach out to you via email from there.

Please keep an eye on your email for any updates.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

Hi! No one has gotten back to me. Is there any technicians that can come out to my house and check the thermostat or replace it?  I  don’t want to replace it if it just needs to be charged. I don’t have tools to check voltage. Please help me! 

[ByronP]

Hi JuliaG,

Thank you for your response.

The dedicated team is aware and will reach out to you via email. I understand how important it is, but don't worry; they will provide further instructions. I really appreciate your patience on this.

Please keep a closer look at your email for any updates.

Regards,

Byron

[JuliaG]

No one has got back to me. I need to know if there is a technician to check my nest  base and see if it needs charging or replaced and what I need to do to purchase one.  Please contact me

Julia

[ducs4rs]

You have a couple of options, 1) buy a known fast charger something like this: https://tinyurl.com/fastCharg, you will probably need a USB-C to USB-Micro cable https://tinyurl.com/usbctomicro, and if you really want to know if its charging get a USB volt meter https://tinyurl.com/voltusb2. 

However I suspect the battery is dead in your Nest.