Humidity damages on roofs are both common and expensive. According to experts, one in four roofs will have to be renovated due to humidity damages before the end of their lifetime. Also, humidity damages are seldom covered by insurance, which causes the building owner to pay the bill. The VILPE Sense Humidity Control system is a cost-efficient way to minimize the risk of humidity damages on your roof. Using the latest IoT technology, the system constantly analyses data from your roof, detects heightened humidity levels and ventilates the roof structures on demand to remove moisture.
How moisture damage on roofs arises and how it can be prevented
Insurance claims uncertain for roof repairs
This is how you can save time and money with VILPE Sense Humidity Control
Smart on demand ventilation. The system monitors the condition of your roof and ventilates it at an optimal level. This will keep your roof structures dry and healthy at all times.
Smarter maintenance with data. The system collects objective data to support informative decision-making when it comes to maintenance or repairs of roof structures.
Alarming you when there is a problem. Reacting to potential leaks in time is key in preventing expensive renovations. The system will automatically alert you when it detects a potential problem.
No mould and fungi. A dry insulation layer prevents growth of mould and fungi that destroy your roof in the long-term.
Excellent insulation layer properties. Moisture reduces the insulation capacity of the insulation layer, which increases a building’s energy consumption.
No construction phase humidity damages. The roof structure is typically difficult to protect from humidity during the construction phase. The system dries the structures in retrospect.
Increased resale value of the property. Prove the condition of your building structures with the historical data collected by the system.
Removes excess heat from the structure. Avoid an over-heated roof and building during the summer as the system removes excess hot air from the roof structures.
Do you have any questions?
Contact our sales team or read FAQ.
How it works
1.
The system detects heightened humidity levels. Higher humidity levels in the roof structure can be caused by leakages, cold weather, air leaks and poor ventilation within the structures.
2.
Data is transmitted by wireless sensors to the control unit that adjusts the roof fan, then to the mobile base station for upload to the cloud. The roof fan automatically adjusts to the optimal level to remove excess moisture from the building’s internal structures. When excess humidity has been removed, the roof fan returns its normal activity level. The owner also receives an alarm of potential leaks and problems.
3.
Roof data is stored in the cloud for the user to access. It is also easy to react to potential problems, such as leaks, and make repairs in time. This way you can avoid extensive and costly repairs.
What do I need?
VILPE Sense Basic Kit
The basic kit consists of two sensors and a control unit.
VILPE Sense Mobile Base Station
The mobile base station can be purchased with or without a preinstalled SIM card with a data service subscription.
VILPE Sense ECo Roof Fan
The VILPE Sense ECo Roof Fan can be installed onto negative pressure ventilation pipes to avoid having to open the roof structures. Any VILPE ECo roof fan model can be used to dry the structures.
VILPE Sense Sensor (optional)
Additional sensors can be added to the VILPE Sense Basic Kit.
Would you like to know if VILPE Sense Humidity Control fits your project?
Let us help you with the planning and calculation.
Don’t just take our word for it
Read about some of our satisfied customers’ projects.
Said about VILPE Sense
“I can imagine VILPE Sense soon being part of the plans for many new building projects. In my opinion, this is the most important step in low, flat roof construction since bitumen material was introduced.”
Mikko Törvi, CEO for MH-Kate and Head of Finland’s roof association
“VILPE Sense in my opinion is a very smart solution that helps the building owner and others involved in the project to proactively deal with a very painful roof problem – moisture.”
Kristaps Draudins, Managing Director, Controlit Factory SIA
”VILPE Sense brings much longed-for automatization onto roofs. I am convinced that in the future, there will be even more similar products on roofs. In our business, we want to be part of this development.”
Risto Haanpää, CEO, LA-Kattohuolto
Use together with VILPE Sense Leak Detector for optimal monitoring
The VILPE Sense Humidity Control system automatically increases ventilation in structures when humidity levels rise. We recommend to use it together with the VILPE Sense Leak Detector which helps you to quickly and easily locates leakages even on larger roof areas. The system can also be combined with the VILPE Sense Humidity Control system for crawl spaces.
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VILPE Sense Leak Detector
VILPE Sense Humidity Control system for crawl spaces
Are you interested?
I already have a building project
Do you have a building project and would like to have VILPE Sense? Our experts can help you. Fill in the PROJECT INFORMATION FORM below and we will provide you calculations of products needed and costs within three working days.
I would like to know more about VILPE Sense
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Installation & material
Brochures and installation instructions.
FAQ
Why choose VILPE Sense instead of passive underpressure ventilation?
VILPE Sense improves passive, underpressure air circulation in structures. It gives alerts of the increased humidity of the structures and dries them. The system can be used to improve, regulate and monitor the ventilation of structures. The collected data also makes it possible to detect hidden roof leaks.
If the roof of the building is waterproof, is there any benefit in using the Sense system?
The Sense system is more than a leak alarm system – it is designed to remove moisture from structures. Humidity builds up in structures due to temperature and humidity fluctuations, and the Sense system detects this moisture and removes it.
Based on the data from the system, it is also possible to detect leaks by observing how quickly moisture is removed from the structures. The ideal comparison situation is if there are several Sense systems on one roof, Sense is installed in adjacent buildings, or there are several sensors on the same property.
What is a roof fan needed for?
A roof fan is needed to keep insulation layer/structures dry. The drier the insulation, the better the insulation performance. Dry structures prevent the emergence of mould and fungi. This also extends the lifespan of the structures themselves.
How much electricity does the roof fan consume? Is Sense energy-efficient?
The Sense control unit is installed in an energy-efficient VILPE EC roof fan. The control unit adjusts the operation of the roof fan as needed, so the roof fan does not consume excess energy. The fan mainly operates at a moderate speed. Its average power consumption is 5 to 10 W, which is the same amount consumed by a modern LED lamp.
How does the roof fan get replacement air to operate?
The Sense system requires enough replacement air to operate properly. This also prevents it from taking replacement air through the structures. Sufficient amount of replacement air for the ventilation system should be ensured with structural solutions. Supply of the replacement air can be arranged e.g. with underpressure vents.
How does the air circulate in the system, and how does the roof fan affect this?
The VILPE Sense system does not stop the natural circulation of the air but rather improves it. When the roof fan is running at the lowest speed, the air circulation corresponds to the underpressure circulation. As humidity levels in the ventilated structures rise, the roof fan speed increases. The roof fan is always on, unless the temperature is -7 °C or colder. At that temperature, the roof fan turns off in order not to excessively cool the structures.
How does the control unit analyse how to adjust the roof fan? How can this be done without manual input?
The VILPE Sense system is demand-controlled by the control unit based on an intelligent algorithm. The adjustments are influenced by outdoor air temperature and relative humidity. The roof fan is set to certain limit values that must not be exceeded or reduced. For example, air circulation is limited in freezing temperatures.
The algorithm controls the operation of the roof fan so that the structures remain in good condition. It is programmed to keep the ventilated area as dry as possible. The aim is to bring dry air to the structures and extract humid air.
How does the roof fan adjust in practice?
For example, during rainy weather, the humidity level of the outdoor air is high and fan rotation is kept to a minimum to not replace the relatively drier air in the ventilation area with the more humid air from outside. When the rain ceases and the air is drier, the rotational speed increases. The demand-controlled nature of the system maintains the optimal ventilation of structures, as the roof fan is used to remove on average six times more moisture from the structures than conventional solutions.
In which countries does the preinstalled SIM card work?
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France (including French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Vatican.
What is the lifetime of the VILPE Sense system?
The system itself will remain in good working order for decades. The lifetime of the sensors, on the other hand, is 10 to 15 years. The sensors will operate until the battery is drained after which the sensor will, because of its isolability, need to be replaced.
Will the sensor issue an alert if it breaks?
If the sensor breaks or the battery runs out of power, this will be indicated in the Sense user interface. When the sensor is working, it is indicated in green in the interface. By contrast, grey indicates that a fault has occurred in the sensor and/or it has become unresponsive.
How do I scale the system? How large of an area does one roof fan cover?
One roof fan covers an area of approximately 200 m2. However, this depends heavily on the structure, construction, type of ventilation and number of other factors. Always consult structural ventilation professionals before installing the system.
How wide an area do the Sense’s sensors cover?
One sensor in the ventilated area is enough to monitor the area covered by one roof fan.
How is the system controlled if there are multiple sensors?
At least two sensors are required to control the roof fan: one outside and one in the structures (target area). The control unit adjusts the roof fan using the data from the two sensors, and the mobile base station then uploads the data directly to the cloud. Several sensors can be installed in the ventilated area if data is to be collected more widely or more accurately. If the ventilated area has more than one sensor, any one of them can be selected to feed the control unit. Additionally, more control units can be installed with sensors linked to them – for example, on other buildings nearby – and connected to the same mobile base station.
How fast does the system work after installation?
The system starts working immediately after being connected. However, it will take approximately 7 hours to charge the internal capacitors in the transmitter that feeds the data to the mobile base station and user interface.
In practice you will be able to tell that the system is working and properly connected as the fan will start running immediately, but it will take the above-mentioned time before you can see the data in the user interface.
What is the duration of the system’s warranty?
The system has a two-year warranty.
What if the building owner changes?
The admin user can delete the admin rights from the device settings. This enables a new admin registration. The new admin user has to have a personal user account.
If the old admin user is unknown, it is possible to request the admin user to free the device and its admin rights using the control unit serial number. This request is sent to the old admin user by email.
In situations where the old admin user does not react to the email request, please contact VILPE customer service which is able to free the old user rights for new registration.
How do Alipai and Sense work together to enhance roof structure ventilation?
VILPE’s Alipai products have been used for roof structure ventilation for decades and are an essential part of effective roof structure ventilation.
The Sense system takes this passive underpressure ventilation system to a new level, as it combines the Alipai products with a smart, IoT-based control system. Add VILPE Sense ECo Roof Fans to existing Alipai products in order to avoid opening the roof structures.
What are the advantages of purchasing the VILPE Sense system with a preinstalled SIM card?
The VILPE Sense system can be purchased with a preinstalled SIM card with a data service subscription. This makes it easy to start using the system. The SIM card operator is Elisa M2M (Vodafone Global) and it works in EU and ETA countries. The guarantee for the subscription is 10 years.
A SIM card is required for the function of the VILPE Sense mobile base station. If the SIM card is not purchased preinstalled, a data service subscription and a SIM card need to be obtained separately.
How does the VILPE Sense cloud service present sensor data?
In the VILPE Sense cloud service, the users of the Sense system can see the temperature, relative humidity, absolute humidity, mould index and roof fan motor speed. Alarms can be set to alert the users to enhanced humidity levels. The user interface works on both PC, phone and tablet.
Data can be tracked for one or more areas. The main user can easily share a link to the data, so that residents of an apartment building or users of public buildings, for example, can see the humidity level of the structures. Information is transmitted safely and efficiently.