Nest Thermostat Orange Light – (Easy Fix Guide)

Is the Nest thermostat orange light blinking or solid? Well, keep reading to learn everything!

The orange light on the Nest thermostat is typically related to “maintenance” and often does not impact your device’s functionality but remains there.

That’s why most users cannot identify the cause of the orange light, so luckily, in this read, we’ll cover everything there is to know about it.

To fix the orange light from a Nest thermostat, begin with a manual battery charge on the rechargeable units and a battery replacement for replaceable units.

Let’s continue to unwrap details!

Why is My Nest Thermostat Blinking Orange Light?

The orange light is not something to be concerned about since your Nest thermostat should continue to work flawlessly even with the indication on.

However, the orange light shows that your attention is required, and the bullets below will help you narrow down the LED indication.

Here’s what the orange light on your Nest thermostat may be indicating:

Sometimes, due to ambient lighting and other factors, users may mistake a yellow light for an orange light.

These are two entirely different indications, so you must know precisely what it is.

Nest Thermostat: Orange or Yellow Light!

It’s imperative to determine the exact color of the light you see!

Some people may confuse the yellow light with an orange/amber, which may deceive you into troubleshooting in the wrong direction.

If you see a yellow light, know that your Nest thermostat has been disconnected from the Heat Link and cannot control the heating in the HVAC system.

Note: For issues with the Heat Link, jump straight to step #4.

6 Working Ways to Fix the Nest Thermostat Orange Light

Tip: Follow the steps chronologically! 

1. Charge Your Nest Thermostat 

Note: This step only applies to Nest E and Nest Learning Thermostats, so skip this step if you use the Google Nest Thermostat.

The very first and simplest solution against the orange light is to charge your thermostat to a full battery capacity.

The Nest E and Nest Learning Thermostats use two AAA batteries in order to power on the thermostat, and when the charge is low and insufficient, the orange light appears!

Here’s how to manually charge the battery of your thermostat:

1. First, pull off the frontal plate of your thermostat.
2. Check the back of the device for a USB-C port.
3. Acquire a USB-C to USB cable to connect with.
4. Plug the USB side of the cable into an adapter.
5. Connect the adapter to a working power outlet.
6. Connect the USB-C connector to the thermostat.
7. Leave your thermostat charging for 45 minutes.

This is critical because your thermostat’s battery may have been left uncharged due to a recent power outage.

This will primarily cause the orange light on the thermostat, so in those cases, the device may alarm you with an additional error message. 

Note: The Google Nest thermostat battery must be replaced and can’t be charged! 

2. Replace Your Thermostat Batteries!

Note: Skip this step if you’re using the Nest Learning or Nest E Thermostats!

The base Google Nest Thermostat model uses two triple-A batteries for sufficient powering and functionality of the device.

However, when the batteries are low, the orange light might appear in advance to warn you that your thermostat’s charge is low and the batteries must be replaced.

Hence, unmount the Nest thermostat from the wall and gently eject both AAA batteries from the back side of the device.

Then, use only high-quality units and replace both batteries in your unit to verify that the charge is sufficient.

When you’re ready, test if the orange light will still be there.

Note: Your thermostat's batteries may last for months, based on the usage!

3. Update the Nest Thermostat System

If you see an orange light on your Nest thermostat, perhaps there is a pending firmware update, or the thermostat failed to update.

Hence, the next step would be to manually update the device to the latest operational system build and check whether this will help you solve the orange light.

• To update Nest Thermostat, select “Settings” from the Quick Settings and select “Software Update.”

If there is an available/pending software update for your Nest thermostat, you’ll be prompted to start the process.

When your Nest thermostat updates, the device will automatically restart, and the orange light shouldn’t be there.

Note: Your Nest thermostat must be connected to the internet to update the firmware!

4. Inspect the Nest Thermostat’s Wiring

The orange light on Nest thermostat is typically “ON” to notify the user to check the unit’s display and acknowledge the error message there.

So, if you only see an orange light, without an error on the screen, the communication line from the HVAC to your thermostat may be interrupted.

Hence, the only practical solution would be to inspect whether the thermostat’s wiring is proper and correct the terminals in case of misalignment. 

Here’s how the Nest thermostat’s wires must be connected:

• Connect the Yellow wire to the “Cooling” (Y1) terminal.
• Connect the Green wire to the “Fan” (G) terminal.
• Connect the Orange wire to the “Heat Pump” (O/B) terminal.
• Connect the Red wire to the “Power” (RC) terminal.
• Connect the White wire to the “Cooling” (W2) terminal.
• Connect the Blue wire to the “Common” (C) terminal.

If you see that any of the wires are connected to the wrong terminal, reconnect them properly and check if the orange light is still there.

If yes, then continue reading further into the article!

Warning: Disconnect the power from the primary circuit before interacting with the wires!

5. Reset the A/C from the Main Circuit

If you see a blinking orange light on the Nest thermostat, then your device needs to charge, and the reason why this happens is due to power insufficiency.

Sometimes, the problem may appear after a power outage or due to fluctuations in your A/C line, so it’s best to restart the power flow.

Warning: We recommend turning OFF and unplugging all working appliances!

• To refresh the power from the primary circuit, open the cover and flip the switch on all fuses or the general fuse, powering everything.

When the switch is “OFF,” and the power is down, inspect whether there are blow fuses on the board and whether your HVAC system is powered correctly.

Then, flip the switch to the “ON” potions and return to your Nest thermostat to check whether the orange light will still appear!

Note: After the power restart, the Nest thermostat may take up to 5 minutes to fully load!

6. Factory Reset Your Nest Thermostat

If nothing helps and the orange light on your Nest thermostat is still there, you must perform the factory reset process and erase all the settings and configurations.

This will disconnect your thermostat, and any schedules, settings, or custom configurations must be set up from scratch.

Here’s how to factory reset your Nest thermostat in easy steps:

1. First, verify that your thermostat is working.
2. Then, from the Quick View, go to “Settings.”
3. Select the “Settings Reset Restart” option.
4. Wait until the thermostat resets and restarts.

When you’re ready, the orange or yellow light should be gone from your thermostat, and you will be able to control the heating/cooling in your home.

Your settings will now be erased, so you must set up some initialization settings and configure your thermostat’s schedules from scratch.

Nest Thermostat – Battery Replacement

If you have the Nest E or Nest Learning Thermostat, the battery is not replaceable, and when the unit wears out over time, the orange light might remain present.

So, the option you’ve got is to bring your thermostat for servicing, and with a fresh internal battery, the issue will be gone.

Tip: Contact Google Nest Support for more help! 

Quick Recap:

Hence, when you see the Nest thermostat orange light, you must charge your thermostat manually or replace the batteries.

Additionally, you must update the thermostat’s system, check whether the wiring is correct, and perform a factory reset process as a last resort.

Reminder: Check your Nest thermostat’s warranty!