How To Calibrate Nest Temperature Sensor?

Smart home technology promises an effortlessly efficient household. Most of the time, these devices deliver as promised, controlling our lights, locks, doorbells, and thermostats. However, when a part of the system isn’t functioning as desired, it’s hard to know where to turn.

You can calibrate a Nest Temperature Sensor by resetting the device. Remove it from the app, disconnect the battery, and reinstall it. If this doesn’t work, you may need to look for issues elsewhere in your Nest system or contact Google.

Keep reading for the simple steps you need to follow to get your home’s temperature system back to the optimized comfort you expect from a Google Nest thermostat system. I’ll provide an overview of how to reset and recalibrate your sensor and review what to do next if the reset still doesn’t work.

1. Remove the Nest Temperature Sensor From the App

The first step to resetting a Nest Temperature Sensor and recalibrating it is to remove it from the Nest app. 

Once you’ve opened the app, select the Settings menu in the upper right corner. Then, scroll down until you see your connected temperature sensors. If you have more than one, determine which one needs to be calibrated and select it. 

Once you’ve selected the sensor you intend to reset, select the red Remove button at the bottom of the screen to remove it from your setup.

Read: How Does Nest Temperature Sensor Work?

2. Open the Battery Compartment

Now that the sensor has been removed, you can begin removing the battery. For this step, you’ll need a flathead screwdriver. Using the screwdriver, unscrew the silver plate on the bottom of the sensor and remove the back of your unit.

Read: Why Nest Thermostat Not Following Schedule?

3. Remove the Battery

Now that you have opened your sensor, you should see a Duracell battery. To finish the hard reset of the temperature sensor, remove that battery from the battery compartment. 

Keep the battery removed from the device for at least 30 seconds. Once those 30 seconds have passed, you’re free to move on with the reinstallation of the hopefully correctly calibrated sensor.

Read: Why Nest Thermostat Showing Wrong Temperature? – Troubleshooting Guide

4. Replace the Battery

Now that the unit is reset, it’s time to repeat the steps in reverse order to reinstall the sensor with the rest of your system. To begin, replace the battery in the battery compartment. 

Note: if the sensor is older, you may want to consider putting in a new battery. Google reports that Nest Temperature Sensors have a battery life of up to two years. If you’re near that time, a low battery may affect performance, and you should go ahead and swap out the battery.

Read: Which Saves More Money: Ecobee Or Nest?

5. Add the Temperature Sensor in the App

Before you replace the back of the sensor unit, you’ll want to add the sensor back into your Nest system on the app since you need the information on the inside of the unit to do so. 

In the Nest app, select Settings, then Add Product. You have two choices for connecting the sensor with the app: use the numeric entry key printed on the inside of the unit or scan the QR code.

6. Replace the Battery Compartment

Now that the unit has been reset and reconnected to the Nest app, you can pick up the screwdriver again. Reattach the back of the sensor and screw in the metal cap until it’s secure and ready to be returned to operation.

Read: Nest Or Ecobee Thermostat. What To Choose?

7. Return the Temperature Sensor to Its Location

Now that your temperature sensor has been reset and reconnected to your system, you can return it to the ideal location for monitoring your home’s temperature. At this point, you can check if the reset has calibrated the sensor.

Congratulations, your Nest Temperature Sensor has been reset. Hopefully, that means it’s calibrated correctly, and you can return to a peaceful smart home, enjoying effortless efficiency. 

8. Troubleshoot the Placement of Your Sensors

If this reset hasn’t remedied the problem, you must consider a few other factors. 

First, environmental factors can cause your Nest Temperature Sensors to get incorrect readings. For a potentially quick and easy calibration fix, check to ensure that none of these factors affect your sensors. 

To start, check the location of your sensor and ensure that the sensor isn’t in direct sunlight or a draughty window that could be impacting the temperature readings. 

Then, check for nearby appliances or heat sources that the sensors could pick up. Finally, be sure that your sensor isn’t getting excessively dirty or covered with dust or pet hair in its current location. 

Any of these cases could result in a seeming miscalibration. Checking that you place your sensors in a location where they aren’t affected by specific heat sources or dust goes a long way in preventing headaches and frustration with your Nest system.

9. Consider Adding Additional Nest Temperature Sensors

Hopefully, that reset has restored your Nest Temperature Sensor to normal. However, if you’re still not getting the temperature readings you want, you may need to beef up your Nest system. 

To ensure the most accurate temperature readings throughout your home, you may need to install additional temperature sensors. 

The additional sensors are especially important if you’re not getting the most accurate readings at your thermostat. They’re also useful if your existing sensors aren’t managing your heating and cooling needs as hoped. 

Extra temperature sensors are great for large spaces and open-plan houses. You can also use them if you notice that the design of the house leads to varied temperatures across floors. 

While many Nest thermostat packages come with one Nest temperature sensor, additional Google Nest Temperature Sensors (available on Amazon.com) can help. These sensors are quite affordable and easy to install and will reduce energy costs while maintaining a consistent temperature in your home. 

10. Consider Resetting the Nest Thermostat

There is a chance that there may be underlying issues with your Nest Thermostat causing the problem. 

Just as many connection and calibration issues that affect Nest Temperature Sensors can be remedied with a reset and reinstallation, your Nest Thermostat can benefit from a reset.

To perform a factory reset on your Nest Thermostat, you just need to go to Settings on your Nest Thermostat and select Restart. Once the unit has restarted, you can select Factory Reset from the menu. 

Once the reset has been completed, you can go through the quick setup again. Hopefully, this will resolve any temperature misreads.

11. Contact Google if Problems Persist

If none of these steps have improved your Nest Temperature Sensor’s calibration, your next best step is to contact Google for a replacement. 

All Nest products come with a warranty, so they should be able to sort it out. You can contact Google Nest Support here. There have been many reports of faulty units, and Google is quick to replace them, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re unhappy with the performance of your sensor(s).

For additional help troubleshooting your other Nest devices, I have other helpful Nest guides. If your system is turning off by itself, you can solve the problem by reading my guide. Additionally, if you’re getting an E24 error, here’s what you should be troubleshooting. 

Hopefully, your Nest system will be back at peak performance with these resources.