Stove timer products – often sold as ‘Stove Guards’ – do not offer the comprehensive protection and fire prevention functionality provided by the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard.  This is because the timer product only turns off a cooker that has been left on for a prolonged period of time, yet an induction hob fire can start in 1.5 to 2 minutes and a conventional electric hob within 6 minutes.

Stove timer products – often sold as ‘Stove Guards’ – do not offer the comprehensive protection and fire prevention functionality provided by the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard.  This is because the timer product only turns off a cooker that has been left on for a prolonged period of time, yet an induction hob fire can start in 1.5 to 2 minutes and a conventional electric hob within 6 minutes.

Fire suppression units are highly visible with pipework, detection mechanisms and nozzles and need to be installed and maintained by a specialist technician. These types of systems activate when fire is detected and cause collateral damage with extinguishing chemicals being discharged.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is an unobtrusive fire prevention solution.  It is less than half the cost of a fire suppression system, can be easily installed by an electrical contractor and requires no annual maintenance.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard includes two types of heat sensors with unique learning function and measures excessive temperatures, rate of temperature change and ambient temperature.  This means it reacts to cooktop fire risk indicators earlier than other cooker safety devices, at which point its control unit cuts off the cooker power supply, helping to dramatically reduce the number of accidental house fires. 

The Kitchen Stove Guard will typically sound a warning pre-alarm at around 240◦C depending on the cooking situation and rate of rise.  Should the temperature continue to rise after the pre-alarm the power will be cut at between 260◦C and 280◦C.

This means that the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard meets Standard BS EN50615.  Under this standard, the Stove Guard must be able to cut off the cooker’s electricity supply before the temperature on the cooker reaches 320◦C and for at least 10 minutes after the cut-off, the temperature must not exceed 350◦C.  A Stove Guard must also be able to disconnect the appliance from the power supply before ignition.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard includes two types of heat sensors with a unique learning function.  The device measures excessive temperatures, rate of temperature change and ambient temperature.  This means it reacts to cooker top fire risk indicators earlier than a normal heat detector or other cooker safety devices and cuts off the cooker power supply to prevent a fire from starting.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is the only product available on the market which allows the sensor to be sited on a cooker hood, wall, or ceiling.  The settings on the device are then configured to suit as per the information supplied in the installation instruction booklet.

A qualified electrician should install the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard.  The device consists of a heat sensor that monitors the cooker from above and a control unit that cuts the power to the cooker if a dangerous situation occurs.  The control unit is installed behind the cooker or inside a kitchen cabinet close to the cooker.  Full instructions are provided in the installation instruction booklet.

Automatic fault diagnosis constantly analyses the Kitchen Stove Guard’s  function when the hob is in use. This means no monthly testing or annual maintenance is necessary.  The Stove Guard sensor’s battery has a 10-year life, and the product has a 2-year warranty.

In 2015 the European Commission’s European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation announced the new European stove guard Standard BS EN 50615.

This was designed to help consumers identify effective cooking safety products.

To be compliant with BS EN 50615, a system must:

• Have the ability to disconnect the cooker (or hob) from the electricity supply before a fire starts
• Have the ability to cut off the cooker (or hob) electricity supply before the temperature reaches a dangerous level
• Ensure that the electricity cut-off is not triggered by a false alarm
• A series of tests must also be carried out, these include:
• Heating a prescribed volume of sunflower oil in a pan, with the burner/ring on its highest power setting
• Using other burners simultaneously to boil water to make the environment more complex and challenging
• Testing all burners one by one

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard fulfils all these requirements.

The Kitchen Stove Guard is suitable for use with all types of electric hobs.  Gas hobs are unsuitable as there is no safe way to shut off the gas supply if the power to the cooker is cut off in a fire prevention situation.

Yes. The Kitchen Stove Guard sensor battery has a 10-year life but can easily be replaced when required.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is ideal for student accommodation, either University or College rooms or private student houses; owners of high-rise buildings or luxury apartments, property management companies and long-term stay hotels and motels;  senior living accommodation such as sheltered housing or retirement apartments and assisted or independent living;  landlords of rental properties and holiday homes including AirBnB properties.

In the event of the power being cut off in a fire hazard situation or as a result of a power cut, the cooker can be reactivated simply by pressing the reset button on the sensor.

The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is available from Screwfix www.screwfix.com and many electrical wholesalers.

The standard  trade price of a Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is currently £269.99 + VAT per unit.   There may be price breaks available for larger quantities.  Please contact your stockist for details.

The model number of the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard is FSW1.  This product was also previously known as the SG510.