Nest thermastat not igniting furnace

[grenda12]

Today at 2am (cst) I had an error message. It reads as follows:

Today, 2:00 AM

System issue

Living Room

Troubleshoot your thermostat.

Your heating system isn't working.

Here's how to fix it:

1. Turn off power at the circuit breaker. If you're not sure which switch controls the thermostat, you may need to turn off power to your entire home.
2. Remove your thermostat from the wall.
3. Disconnect all Y wires.
4. Only if you have both an Rc and Rh wire connected, disconnect only the Rc wire.
5. Wrap any exposed wire ends separately in electrical tape and push them back toward the wall.
6. Reattach your thermostat to the wall.
7. Turn the power back on.

If disconnecting these wires fixes this issue, we recommend having a common (C) wire professionally installed as a reliable long-term source of power from your HVAC system.

To extend its battery life, your thermostat won't reconnect to Wi-Fi until it's connected to power.

I disregarded it because everything seemed fine. However at 3pm (cst) I lost power/wifi and my NEST battery was dead.  Had to use USB to get to charge it to get it to turn on. Blinking green light. Tried resetting and hard reset. Nothing. 

Furance was turning on but not igniting. Blowing out cold air at 58 degrees. Not good for -12 weather here in Illinois. Troubleshoot the best I could. Had to make a phone call to the professional. $$$$. He came and jumped it. Everything was fine with furnace. Ended up replacing thermostat. It’s putting out the heat. He had he had 2 other calls like this today. What is going on all of a sudden. I’ve never had an issue like this. 

[Casimiriii]

This also happened to me. I haven’t found the old thermostat, so I’m in subzero temperatures with some space heaters going until Walmart opens.

 This is super dangerous Google. it’s happening to multiple people during potentially lethal winter weather. People could easily die because of this flaw.

[Scott20]

I’m having the same issue. Its what brought me here to try and find a solution. 

[grenda12]

I’ve never had an issue with my nest not working in extreme temps. The only being I can think of is I got a new ac unit installed over summer. And from what I was reading with error code m13, is a low pressure switch that’s a safety feature. 

Following that I had to disconnect my yellow wire behind my thermostat and it’s been working since. But I had to pay a professional to come to install a regular thermastat. $280. I’m thinking of switching to a different company over this. 

Im not normally home this time of year. I travel for work so what if this had happen while I was out of state. 

[Scott20]

I was having the same issue. Extreme cold this year and last year Nest lost power. This year the fix was purchasing a $30 Westlake thermostat. Works like a champ!! 

[Markjosephp · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a while, and thank you for reaching out to us regarding the issues you're experiencing with your Nest Thermostat. I understand the frustration you must be feeling, especially after going through extensive troubleshooting steps and even consulting with an HVAC technician without resolving the problem.

Given the troubleshooting steps you've already taken and the professional assistance you've sought, I'd like to explore some additional avenues to diagnose and address the issue effectively. Here are a few suggestions:

• Double-check the installation of your Nest Thermostat to ensure it was done correctly. Sometimes, even minor discrepancies in wiring or placement can lead to operational issues.
• Verify that your furnace is fully compatible with the Nest Thermostat. In some cases, certain furnaces may require additional wiring or adjustments to work optimally with smart thermostats.
• Consider performing a factory reset on your thermostat. This can sometimes clear out any lingering issues or misconfigurations that may be causing the problem.

Let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. We are here to help you get your Nest Thermostat working as it should.

Best regards,
Mark

[grenda12]

I’ve had this thermostat on the wall for 8 years.  The only thing that changed from previous years was having a new ac unit installed last summer. 

This should have never happened. I’m glad I was home and not out of state like I usually am. Temperatures were awful. The safety feature didn’t even work. 

[mejiacruz]

Hi @grenda12,

I'm really sorry that you are having this type of issue with your Nest Thermostat. Most likely due to the change in your AC, your device may need updates to its configuration.

I need some additional information from you that would be best shared privately. I'm sharing a link to a form for you to fill out so we can look into this further. Please let me know once you're done.

All the best,

Josh