AirTouch 5 : Australia's Smartest WiFi & App Enabled Air Conditioning Controller

Many Australian homes use reverse cycle ducted air conditioning, yet comfort often feels uneven. One bedroom is too cold, the living room is warm and the system runs across the whole house even when only a couple of spaces are in use. That happens because most ducted setups rely on a single thermostat and basic on-off zoning.

AirTouch 5 changes the way a ducted system thinks. It adds wireless room sensors, smart zoning and app control to your existing unit, so each space can be managed individually. You can cool the lounge without freezing the bedrooms, create daily schedules and control everything from your phone. Instead of fighting the controller, the system adapts to how your family actually lives.

Table of Contents

1. What is AirTouch 5?
2. How Smart Zoning Works in Real Homes
3. Air Touch 5 Features
4. AirTouch 5 Installation Process
5. Compatibility with Different Brands
6. Is AirTouch 5 Worth It?
7. Conclusion

What is AirTouch 5?

AirTouch 5 acts as the intelligent brain of your ducted air conditioner. Traditional controllers only switch the system on or off and set one temperature for the whole house. AirTouch 5 reads conditions in multiple rooms and adjusts airflow automatically.

Three key differences from a standard controller

1. Uses Intelligent Temperature Sensors in each zone instead of one thermostat
2. Controls motorised dampers to vary airflow room by room
3. Provides full WiFi app control with automation and insights

The system learns how your home behaves. If the west-facing bedroom heats up in the afternoon, AirTouch 5 directs more cool air there. If the spare room sits empty, the damper closes and energy is saved.

How Smart Zoning Works in Real Homes

Reverse cycle ducted systems can already create zones, but the quality of control depends on where the temperature is measured. AirTouch 5 refines that process.

Standard approach

1. One main temperature reading
2. Zones mainly switch on or off
3. The system reacts slowly to individual rooms

AirTouch 5 approach

1. Sensors in each zone report actual conditions
2. Dampers adjust airflow gradually
3. Comfort is balanced across the home

How does this work in your home?

1. The west bedroom warms in the afternoon sun, so the system directs extra cooling there
2. The guest room stays unused and receives minimal airflow
3. Upstairs and downstairs remain balanced during seasonal changes

This method works with the existing reverse cycle unit rather than fighting against it.

AirTouch 5 Features

Imagine a regular day at home: kids in bedrooms, someone working from the study, the living room getting afternoon sun. The following features are what help AirTouch 5 handle that chaos automatically

Remote WiFi and App Control

The AirTouch app places full control in your pocket. It’s a live dashboard of your home. You can see:

1. Which rooms are running right now
2. Exact temperature in each zone
3. Fan speed and mode
4. Who changed what and when

Running late from work? Tap “Home” and the living area starts cooling before you hit the driveway. Forgot to switch off the guest room? Kill that zone in 2 seconds instead of paying for it all night.

Geofencing

Geofencing uses your phone location to make decisions automatically:

1. Last person leaves → system shifts to economy
2. First person returns → comfort mode resumes
3. You’re 10 minutes away → pre-cool selected zones only

No more “did we leave the AC on?” panic at the shopping centre.

Energy Usage Insights

Simple charts reveal how long each zone operates. Homeowners quickly spot patterns, such as a rarely used theatre room driving consumption and adjust with confidence.

You can see:

1. Hours each zone ran
2. Hottest rooms in the house
3. Which days spiked usage
4. Comparison between weeks

Once you see it, fixing it takes seconds. You can lower airflow, change the schedule or close that zone.

Weather Adaptation

Local weather information guides decisions. On mild spring days the system avoids overcooling, while on heatwave days it prioritises key living spaces. It stops the classic problem where the system blasts at full power on a pleasant day just because the thermostat was set months ago.

Scheduling

This is where AirTouch becomes seriously powerful.

You can create routines like:

Morning

1. 6:30 – warm kitchen + living
2. 7:15 – add bathrooms
3. 8:30 – drop everything except home office.

Evening

1. 6:00 – cool living areas
2. 9:30 – shift to bedrooms only
3. 11:00 – economy mod

All by zone, not “entire house on

Voice Assistant Integration

Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allow natural commands. Guests, grandparents, babysitters, nobody needs a tutorial. The system understands normal language.

Smart Home Hub

The wall panel runs Android, so it can double as:

1. front door camera viewer
2. intercom display
3. weather dashboard
4. smart home control point

One screen instead of five gadgets cluttering the hallway.

Customisation

Families rename zones to match real room names and choose layouts that make sense for children and grandparents alike.

AirTouch 5 Installation Process

Think of AirTouch 5 as a new brain for the ducted system you already own. The outdoor unit and indoor fan coil stay the same. What changes is how air is directed and how temperatures are decided in each room. Installation connects three layers together: your existing reverse cycle system, the zone hardware in the ceiling and the AirTouch control platform.

Understanding the Three Pieces in Your Home

Before talking about boxes and cables, it helps to picture the three parts AirTouch works with.

1. The Air Conditioner Itself: This is your Daikin, Mitsubishi, Panasonic or Fujitsu ducted unit. It creates the heating or cooling. AirTouch does not replace this equipment. It simply tells it what to do more intelligently.

2. The Zone Hardware in the Ceiling : Inside your ductwork are small motors called dampers. They decide how much air each room receives. Some homes already have basic dampers; others need upgrades to proportional ones so airflow can be adjusted gradually instead of only on or off.

3. The AirTouch Control System: This includes the touchscreen, the main module and wireless sensors that read temperatures from real rooms. This layer makes decisions using information, your original air conditioning controller never had.

Once these three layers can talk to each other, the system becomes truly room based rather than single-thermostat-based.

What Physically Comes in the Box

A standard installation usually includes:

1. The AirTouch 5 wall touchscreen panel
2. Main control module that sits near the indoor unit
3. Wireless ITS temperature sensors for selected rooms
4. Interface to connect existing zone dampers
5. Power supply and wiring
6. A brand-specific gateway module when required

The exact mix depends on the home. A compact single-storey house might need three sensors, while a large home with two ducted units could need expansion boards and additional sensors.

What Each Part Actually Does

Wireless ITS Sensors: These sit in the rooms you care about most. They read real living temperatures instead of the temperature inside a hallway return grille. The system then adjusts airflow to meet those room targets. Batteries last several years and sensors can be moved later if a room layout changes.

Zone Dampers: These are the traffic lights of your ductwork. If your current system only has simple on/off dampers, the installer may recommend proportional dampers so AirTouch can gently balance air between rooms rather than making harsh all-or-nothing changes.

Gateway Module: This is the translator between AirTouch and your brand of air conditioner. Without it, the air conditioning controller can only send basic commands. With the correct gateway, AirTouch can change modes, temperatures and fan speeds just like the original controller.

Installation Process

A proper technician usually follows these steps for installation :

1. Studies the existing ducted layout and number of zones
2. Confirms the exact indoor unit model for the right gateway
3. Checks what type of dampers are already installed
4. Mounts the touchscreen in a practical family location
5. Places ITS sensors where they reflect true room conditions
6. Connects the control module near the indoor unit
7. Sets safe airflow limits for each zone
8. Tests cooling, heating and fan modes
9. Creates initial scenes and schedules with the homeowner

This commissioning stage is the heart of the job. It teaches AirTouch how your particular home behaves, not just how the software behaves.

Compatibility with Different Brands

AirTouch 5 is designed to be brand-agnostic but compatibility is not magic. It depends on two things: the reverse cycle ducted system you own and the correct gateway module.

Here’s a list of brands that commonly integrate well with Airtouch 5 :

1. Daikin reverse cycle ducted systems
2. Mitsubishi Electric ducted units
3. Panasonic ducted ranges
4. Fujitsu General ducted systems
5. Samsung and LG ducted models
6. Toshiba and Hitachi ducted equipment

With these brands, AirTouch can usually control:

1. Mode (cool, heat, fan, dry)
2. Set temperature • Fan speed
3. On/off status
4. Error code reporting
5. Zone airflow modulation

The experience feels native, almost as if the AC was built for AirTouch from day one.

Then What Is the Role of Gateway Modules?

Think of the gateway as a brand interpreter.

Each manufacturer uses its own communication protocol. The gateway converts AirTouch commands into the language your indoor unit understands and sends feedback back to the touchscreen and app.

Choosing the wrong gateway can lead to:

1. Limited control options
2. Temperatures not syncing
3. Delayed response
4. Inability to read error codes

A good installer confirms the exact model number of the indoor unit, not just the brand on the outdoor condenser. Two Panasonic systems from different years may need different modules.

What You Should Check Before Buying?

Ask these four questions:

1. Exact model of the indoor ducted unit
2. Type of zone dampers currently installed
3. Number of zones and their locations
4. Age of the existing control system

With that information, you can confirm compatibility with near certainty before any equipment is purchased.

Is AirTouch 5 Worth It?

AirTouch 5 suits homes where the ducted system already works well but comfort varies from room to room.

Here are some strong reasons to consider it :

1. Different family members prefer different temperatures
2. A home office runs during the day, while other rooms stay empty
3. Two-storey houses struggle with balance
4. Homeowners want a modern app instead of the OEM interface

Conclusion

Reverse cycle ducted air conditioning remains one of the best ways to heat and cool Australian homes. AirTouch 5 respects that foundation and adds a layer of intelligence that everyday families can actually use. The upgrade focuses on comfort between rooms, simple control and smarter operation rather than replacing the air conditioner itself.

For homeowners who like their current system but want it to think a little harder, AirTouch 5 offers a practical path forward. The technology blends quietly into daily life and lets the trusted reverse cycle unit perform at its best.

FAQs

1. What is AirTouch 5 and what does it actually do?
AirTouch 5 is a smart air conditioning controller that sits on top of your reverse cycle ducted system and gives room-by-room temperature control using wireless sensors. It replaces the basic wall air conditioning controller with a touchscreen and app so airflow, zones, schedules and modes can be managed intelligently instead of one thermostat running the whole house.

2. Can AirTouch 5 work with my existing ducted air conditioner?
In most Australian homes yes, as long as you have a modern reverse cycle ducted system from brands like Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Samsung or LG. The installer uses a brand-specific gateway module so AirTouch can talk to your exact indoor unit.

3. Do I need to replace my air conditioner to install AirTouch 5?
No, AirTouch 5 is an upgrade to the control system only. Your outdoor unit, indoor fan coil and ductwork stay the same, which makes it far cheaper than replacing the whole AC.

4. How many rooms or zones can AirTouch 5 control?
AirTouch 5 can manage up to 16 zones and can also handle multiple ducted units from one screen. Large two-storey homes often control upstairs and downstairs systems together.

5. What is the difference between normal zoning and AirTouch smart zoning?
Normal zoning is usually just on or off for each room, while AirTouch uses ITS sensors and proportional dampers to adjust airflow gradually based on real room temperatures, not just a hallway thermostat.

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