Why your Nest thermostat temperature and your home temperature can be different

When your organization and thermostat are working normally, there can be a small deviation between what the app and your Google Nest Thermostat show and the temperature you lot feel. For example, there may be a small temperature swing because your thermostat volition wait to turn on your organisation until information technology gets to about 1ºF (0.5ºC) warmer or cooler than the temperature you've set. This is to prevent unnecessary wear on your system and help save energy.

  • If your habitation is very hot or cold and you need to troubleshoot a problem with your thermostat or system, please encounter our online troubleshooting widget and selectHeating/Cooling.
  • If yous observe a difference of a few degrees betwixt what your thermostat says and how warm or cool you lot feel, your thermostat and system are probably working usually. Here are some reasons why.

Your thermostat's temperature looks wrong

Your thermostat'south temperature screen volition often prove you two dissimilar temperatures:

  • Thelargetarget temperature in the middle of the thermostat screen is the temperature that your thermostat was fix to either manually or automatically by your temperature schedule. Your system will work to achieve and maintain this temperature.
  • Thesmallcurrent temperature at the edge of the thermostat screen is the ambient temperature in your home right at present.

Note:If your arrangement is on, yous'll also run across the estimated fourth dimension (also known as Time-to-Temperature) it volition accept for your home to reach the target temperature.

If you accept Farsight enabled

3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostats can utilize Farsight to evidence you useful information when you approach. You can have Farsight evidence you either the target temperature or the electric current room temperature. If the room seems cooler or warmer than what your thermostat says, Farsight may exist set to show you the target temperature, not the current temperature in your home. You can change Farsight settings whatever time you like.

In that location's a short filibuster for turning on your organization

It's normal for your home's temperature to vary slightly higher up or below the temperature set on your thermostat for a brusk while. This is oftentimes due to the built-in filibuster for turning on your system. This delay is commonly called the maintenance band, deadband, differential, or temperature swing. The filibuster is usually merely a few minutes, but it'southward at that place to help you and your system:

  • Many heating and cooling systems have a built-in delay to forestall excessive wear. Since at that place are moving parts, turning your organization on and off ofttimes may shorten its lifespan.
  • Nest thermostats as well have a congenital in delay, similar many other thermostats. This is to help save free energy and also prevent organization clothing, specially for systems that don't automatically delay turning on.
  • The maintenance ring delay allows the temperature in your home to change by a few degrees before turning on your arrangement, but in most cases you should nevertheless exist comfy.
  • You'll know that your thermostat is set to turn on your organisation by the colour of the screen. For case, if the screen is orange, your thermostat is trying to plow on your heat. You'll too see the temperature screen change color in the app.

Your new Nest thermostat may still be learning

It can take some time for your thermostat to learn your heating and cooling schedule too equally how apace your dwelling house heats upward or cools down. And then, for the first few days you have information technology, yous'll need to teach your thermostat what temperatures yous like and when. Simply plow the temperature upward or downwards on your thermostat or with the app.

How Nest thermostats learn>

If you've had your thermostat for a while and information technology still seems like it'south getting also hot or as well cold, try some of the troubleshooting steps below.

Nest thermostat display a rounded temperature

The temperature y'all see on your Nest thermostat screen and in the app is rounded to the nearest one°F (0.5°C). Your thermostat uses the unrounded temperature to determine when to turn on your system. Then the temperature you see on your thermostat or in the app might change by a few degrees earlier your system turns on.

That said, all Nest thermostats take multiple temperature sensors that take very precise readings. You tin can see the unrounded ambient temperature (to the 10th of a caste) : on your thermostat, go toSettingsand then Technical Infoand then Sensors.

Your abode takes time to warm up and cool downward

Your system may take a few minutes to offset after your thermostat tells it to. Once your system starts, information technology may take a few minutes to warm or cool the air near your thermostat or active temperature sensor. During that fourth dimension the room's temperature can drift across the maintenance band.

Some systems continue running for a short fourth dimension

Some systems may proceed to heat or cool for awhile after they've been turned off.

Some systems continue to run the fan to circulate the air that's left in your ducts or the radiators might stay warm for a while and keep to warm the air in the room. This tin can cause the temperature to change slightly even afterward your thermostat stops and cause the temperature in your dwelling to slightly exceed the maintenance band.

You lot have a Nest Temperature Sensor installed

Most homes heat and absurd unevenly, so there tin be a fairly large difference between the room where your temperature sensor is and where your thermostat is. So you may observe that the temperature reported by your thermostat and your sensor is dissimilar by a few degrees. If the difference is very large, you'll see an error asking y'all to movement your sensor.

Troubleshooting issues with the Google Nest Temperature Sensor>

Your thermostat or temperature sensor is in a warm or cool spot

Location is one of the almost mutual reasons for a pocket-size temperature difference. For case, if your thermostat is in a hallway nigh the forepart door, common cold air drafting from outside will make your it think information technology's cooler inside. If your thermostat is in a closet or alcove that your system doesn't warm or cool very well, a Nest Temperature Sensor can help in cases like this. Information technology tin can tell your thermostat what the temperature is in the room that you're in, so you're comfortable there.

If your thermostat is wall mounted, it may be on a wall that's typically cooler or warmer than the rest of your dwelling. In a poorly insulated or uninsulated wall, warm or cool air may be flowing backside your thermostat. You lot tin can patch upwardly or plug this pigsty to help reduce airflow behind your thermostat. Consult your local building code for materials that y'all can use to patch this pigsty safely.

Was this helpful?

How can we ameliorate information technology?