Our story

Why “Faikin” became “Faikout”

The original project name was Faikin, created by RevK as an open-source Wi-Fi controller for compatible Daikin systems. After the project became popular, RevK’s online sales channel was taken down by the marketplace host following a trademark complaint, with no procedural fairness or right of reply.

While we can’t speak for the complainant or the marketplace’s internal process, the outcome was clear: continuing to sell under the original name created unnecessary risk and disruption.

To keep the project moving and reduce friction, RevK shifted to the name Faikout for the hardware/firmware and related products. The goal was straightforward: keep the technology available, keep it open.

We’ve experienced similar trademark pressure ourselves. In our case, we were given a right of reply and we used it.

We’ve been able to continue operating in a way that respects trademarks while preserving a mutually beneficial coexistence. This is the outcome we prefer.

It’s also worth noting that a re-brand is expensive and time-consuming, especially once you account for the intangible assets that build up over time: SEO investment, product reviews and awareness, domains, hosting, documentation, and support content. Then there’s the physical side: existing stock, packaging, labels/stickers, printed materials, and even website code and product listings that all need to be updated. As such, we are transitioning to the Faikout brand, but we’ll do it gradually over time. During the transition, you will see Faikin and Faikout used interchangeably.

What is Faikin?

In a few words, Faikin makes your AC air conditioning unit smart.

You don't have to replace a perfectly good air conditioner to access smart home technology, simply plug in a Faikin.

Faikin is a small Wi-Fi smart controller that plugs into the inside your Daikin indoor unit (to gain control of the circuit board). It gives you wireless control without relying on an app, an internet connection or any questionable cloud service data centres.

There are no logins, no passwords, and no personal data required.

A Faikin runs entirely on your local network and it does not require an internet connection, nor does it send your data to third-party servers. You can control your air conditioning unit from a phone, a tablet, or a desktop computer via the built-in web interface, and you can optionally integrate it with platforms like Home Assistant for all kinds of automation functionality.

Control over the internet can be acheived using your own VPN.

The Faikin project was started by RevK who remains the lead designer and primary developer. There is a large and active community who contribute to the project.

In 2025, Andrew Ransom founded Faikin Australia and he remains a keen contributor toward project Faikin. Andrew designs and developes Faikin cable kits and distributes Faikin hardware and accessories across Australia and worldwide. Faikin Australia was born from searching for better alternatives to cloud-tied controllers that operate inside his wife's AirBNB property and has been supporting and supplying Faikin products since.

Homeowners can remotely operate on/off and temperature controls with your device from wherever you are. It enables local and automated control of the AC unit through an Embedded web integration, Home Assistant App or MQTT. Enable home automation systems, smart connectivity, WiFi, geofencing, outdoor temperature display, time-ready for daylight savings.

Go to Faikin and cable sets.

The problem was simple.

How can we reduce Guest energy wastage if they control the AC, and they have left the AC running at full capacity, unattended for hours? The wasting of electricity problem was huge.

The solution appeard to be simple, we can fix it "remotely".

Toward the end of 2024, Andrew's wife Elisa opened a full-time AirBNB property in their backyard in Canberra. It was hugely successful, but the energy costs were enormous.

Andrew decided there had to be a better way to manage Guests leaving AC's switched on and wasting electricity.

In 2025, we installed a Faikin into our Daikin AC and we recorded some observations and ran tests. Based on the consumption data we collected there was approximatley a 40% reduction in energy use per hour of runtime.

We programmed the Home Assistant–integrated Faikin to:

• Turn the AC on when guest arrives
• Turn the AC off when guest departs
• Set back the temperature when a room is unoccupied

Solving guest inefficiency with presence logic

A typical scenario:

A Guest is enjoying their accommodation and they have turned the AC on and opened the window. It's late in the day and they decide to go to the pub but upon leaving, they forget to close the window... Oh no! what happens next? The cooled air escapes and the AC runs harder to comphensate. Dollars fly out the window!

If time-of-use and wholesale electricity tariffs are in play, the Guest effectively has access to 'unlimited power' in their room making this scenario expensive and quickly!

The Host can solve this probelm by installing a Faikin to automate the AC response:

• Turn the temperature lower
• Switch the AC off
• Change to fan mode instead of AC cooling, or
• Pause for X minutes before resuming operation.

But how does Faikin know if someone has left the room and the window is wide open? The answer is by using Presence Logic and Occupancy Sensing technology.

HOST TOOL 1: Install a Faikin and an Occupancy Sensor, such as mmWave. Hosts now have control to detect if a person is in the room and can program the AC to respond by making sensible changes.

Managing peak pricing with demand control

Inevitably, the energy consumed from the AC is not top of mind for the Guest while on holiday. All of our Guests aim for comfort in their room rather than AC efficiency (shocking, I know!)

HOST TOOL 2: Use Demand Control, to set a limit on the maximum output of AC unit.

To understand Demand Control, we use the an analogy. Imagine a car where the accelerator can’t be pushed all the way down. Similarly, the AC unit's total capacity can be limited when electricity costs to much! Therefore, limiting saves you money. Genius!

By default, many systems will run at full capacity when trying to reach the setpoint. With demand control in play via a Faikin, you can cap the maximum output (for example turning the unit's capacity down to 70% during peak tariff times, or even down to 30%).

When limited, the unit won’t cool or heat as aggressively, but it can maintain reasonable comfort while reducing energy use during the most expensive periods.

Every little saving is worth it in the end. It helps us all to survive another day.

Customers who choose to install a Faikin automatically have better control over comsumption of electricity. The Faikin stops humans doing deeply inefficient human things.

Here are the actual ways a Faikin can reduce electricity costs.

Wasting Power Problem: The most common way to waste power is when an operater runs the AC unnessisarily, with a thermostat temperature too low/high, and keeps the unit powered on. During an electricity pricing spike the unit will continue to consume expensive power. Stop that annoying run-it-flat-out-all-day behaviour.

Saving Power Solutions

1. Solution: Faikin can reset the machines' total power output to a lower percentage so it does not have to work as hard consuming power. By default, the machine is set to 100% output. This means the AC will continue to run at 100% capacity during all expensive electricity pricing spikes. Instead, the installed Faikin can run the AC at 70% output - it wont cool as much - but just enough during those expensive extreme times. The result is reasonable cooling/heating with less power consumed.
2. Buyers who hold wholesale and time-of-use contracts with their energy providers can synch the AC unit to react automatically to pricing spikes, lowering the temperature of the machine, or turning it off completely.
3. Customers can choose to install an external temperature sensor for the AC unit. By default, the AC has a temperature sensor inside the white box, however, this is not always the best place to read the temperature of a room. Power can be saved when temperature is recorded elsewhere, with accurate products like Sonoff, controlled by Faikin.
4. Customers can save and set a 'default' range of thermostat control for the AC. For example: A teenager has chosen to alter the AC settings to instantly cool the room more. During an electricity pricing spike, this is likely to be a costly move. The owner of the AC can instead set the default 'temperature range' to take over, and reapply the default back to the appropriate range.

Go to Faikin and cable sets.

How to control Faikin: choose the setup that suits you

Faikin can be used in a few different ways, depending on how much automation you want and how technical you’d like to get. All options start the same way: Faikin connects inside the indoor unit, to the control circuit board, using the correct cable for your model.

⚠️ Safety first: Always turn off power at the isolator/breaker before opening the unit. There is mains voltage inside.

Option 1: Local control (simplest)

Use the built-in Faikin/Faikout web interface.

• Connect Faikin to your Wi-Fi during setup
• Open the web interface from any device on your home network (phone/tablet/PC)
• Control just the basics: on/off, mode, set temperature, fan, but full control is there if you want it.
• Great if you want local control without any cloud accounts

This is the “plug it in, set it up, and it just works” option.

Option 2: Home automation (moderately tecchy)

Use Home Assistant if you want automations and dashboard control, with minimal setup.

• Use the official Home Assistant Daikin integration
• Gives you the main climate controls and supports the usual automations (schedules, presence, energy-aware logic, etc.)
• Trade-off: you generally won’t get the full suite of extra sensors and switches that are available via the Faikout web interface or MQTT

In other words: most automations are possible, except those that depend on the extra telemetry not exposed through the integration.

Option 3: Full-feature control (MQTT and advanced automation)

Use MQTT if you want maximum visibility and control.

• Works with Home Assistant via MQTT, or other tools like Node-RED and custom scripts
• Compatible with other platforms that use MQTT
• Exposes more sensors and switches (depending on your unit and firmware), which enables richer automation logic
• Ideal for advanced use cases like energy-price response, more detailed monitoring, and more customised behaviour

Most “smart” automations are achievable in Option 2 as well, but Option 3 is what you choose when you want the extra sensors/switches and deeper control.

Not sure which path to take? Send us your model number and what you’re trying to achieve (simple control vs automations), and we’ll point you to the best option.