How to set up your Nest thermostat (3rd gen or earlier) and Nest Thermostat E

This article applies to the following Google Nest thermostats models:

Nest Thermostat E

Nest thermostat e heating

Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier)

Nest thermostat heating with silver ring

Important: This article only applies to Nest thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen and earlier). For Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen), continue to Get started with your Nest Thermostat and Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen).

Nest Thermostat 3/4ths view

After installation, your Nest thermostat will guide you through a series of simple questions about your home.

Turn your thermostat like a dial to highlight different options and press it like a button to choose one.

Language

Select the language your Nest thermostat will use to display text.

Equipment

Homeowner or Pro

If you installed your Nest thermostat yourself, select homeowner to answer a few questions about your heating and cooling system.
Nest Pro has options that only trained professional installers should use for complex systems.
Warning: Incorrect settings in Pro Setup can cause your HVAC system to malfunction and may damage it.

Dual fuel

If your system has a heat pump with an auxiliary heat source, you’ll be asked if your system is dual fuel or single fuel.

If you have a dual fuel system, you will need to have a trained professional set up your thermostat. You can find a trained Nest Pro installer in your area with our online Pro finder.

Equipment detected

Your thermostat will show you the wires it detects
in its connectors.

If there’s a wire missing, pull off the thermostat
display and check that each wire is fully inserted
into their connector, and that the connector
button stays down.
If there's a wiring error on your thermostat, you’ll
need to fix it before continuing. For specific
troubleshooting steps, follow the link below
and enter the code.

Troubleshooting wiring errors on the Nest thermostat

Once you’ve confirmed that the wiring is correct, your
thermostat will ask some questions about your
system, such as what kind of fuel it uses and
what type of heating you have.

Fuel Source

If you have a conventional system, your thermostat will ask about the fuel source for your heat and how that heat is delivered. The Nest thermostat uses this information to determine how to control your heating and cooling system.

If you know your fuel source, select it from the list.

Choose I don’t know if you’re not sure. You can always go back later to change your fuel source in the Settings Nest settings icon and then Equipment menu.

Type of heating

You may also be asked whether you have a forced air, in-floor radiant, or radiator system for heating. For help to determine what kind of heating you have, go to the following article:

How to tell what kind of heating you have

Heat pump

If you have a heat pump and there’s a wire in your thermostat’s O/B connector, your thermostat will ask if you have an O or B wire. Here’s how to choose, test and change your selection if needed.

Choose O or B
- The only way to tell for sure if the wire is O or B is to check your heat pump’s manual. Look it up online or contact the manufacturer.
- Most systems have an O wire, so O is a good choice if you can’t tell.
  
  Note: If you choose I don’t know, your thermostat will automatically select O.
Test your system
Don’t worry if you made the wrong selection. Your Nest thermostat will ask you to run a system test at the end of setup. Don’t skip this important step and follow the instructions closely.
Change the setting if needed
- If you need to change the O/B wire setting, go back and change the O/B wire setting with your thermostat in Settings Equipment Heat Pump.

Your Account

Add your thermostat to your account so you can finish setup with the app. When you’re done, you can control it with your phone, change settings remotely, get important notifications, and more.
You’ll need to be at home near your thermostat to add it to your account. You can’t add it remotely.

Get an entry key from your thermostat or scan the QR code

Simply follow the Nest app’s instructions to add your thermostat to your account. If the app asks you to scan the QR code, use your phone’s camera.

How to add your thermostat after installation

Follow these instructions if:

You want to connect your thermostat to your account after you’ve completed installation and setup.
You needed to remove your thermostat from your account for some reason and want to add it back.

On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings .
Tap Add product. The app will switch to a camera view to scan the thermostat’s QR code.
To get the QR code, go to your thermostat and press it to open the Quick View menu.
Choose Settings .
Turn the ring to select Nest app and press to open it.
Select QR code. Your thermostat will show you a unique QR code to scan with the app.

Finish setup with the app

Once your thermostat is connected to your account, the Nest app will ask you a few more questions about setting a temperature schedule, and choosing your Eco Temperature.

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