Owners who are frustrated by the w5 error that has affected some Nest thermostats will be able to get a free replacement from Google.
The w5 error, which appeared as far back as November, prevents the Nest thermostats from connecting to Wi-Fi. A thread on the official Google support forums about the issue has received more than 200 replies, and even with comprehensive troubleshooting instructions provided by a representative, owners of the smart home device are still unable to fix the problem.
While there is speculation that an update broke the Nest thermostats, the culprit behind the internet connection issues is the Wi-Fi chip, a Google spokesperson told Android Police. The problem takes out the device’s remote management capabilities, but the ability to control heating and cooling systems is unaffected, the spokesperson added.
“If a user sees this error and it can’t be resolved through troubleshooting, they are prompted to contact customer support for assistance and will be issued a replacement device,” the spokesperson said.
Digital Trends has reached out to Google to inquire about the replacement process, as well as what caused the issues with the Nest thermostats’ Wi-Fi chip. We will update this article as soon as we hear back.
Nest thermostats’ Seasonal Savings
Not everything has been negative for Nest thermostat owners recently though, as Google recently expanded the Seasonal Savings feature to all owners of the devices for free.
The feature functions as a personalized energy monitor that will adjust energy usage to help lower the bill. Seasonal Savings result in an average of 3% to 5% savings on heating and cooling costs, according to Google.
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