Read about HobSensus on pages 104 – 107 of the latest issue

HobSensus makes kitchens safer by alerting residents if there is potential for a pan fire and by ensuring that hobs are not left switched on if the person preparing food is distracted. As it complies with EN50615:2015 as a Category B product, conscientious landlords, and those caring for people living with dementia, have peace of mind that the kitchen is a safer place with HobSensus on the wall.

How does HobSensus work?
In ordinary operation, when the red button is pressed a cooking time of 30 minutes is activated before the hob switches off, this is usually sufficient for most pan-based meals to be prepared. If more time is needed the button is pressed to reset the timer for a further 30 minutes. In situations where pressing the button may be an issue the unit can be set to Auto-Start.

HobSensus is designed to monitor cooking spaces; help to prevent pan fires; and ensure hobs are not left on inadvertently. Its robust manufacture makes it ideal for challenging applications such as student kitchens.

This is so much more than a timer!
HobSensus ‘watches’ over the cooking area, monitoring temperature on the hob surface and measuring the current drawn by the appliance. 

The ‘eye’ of the device reads the temperature at 64 separate points across the surface of the cooking area. If the temperature rises to dangerous levels in any of the zones, for example a pan of boiling oil is left unattended, the power turns off, the alarm sounds and disaster is averted.

Normal operation can be resumed when the kitchen is occupied again, and the red button is pressed.

How is HobSensus installed?
The unit is fitted on the wall 500mm above the work surface, and the 40Amp switching capacity makes it compatible with most 600mm or 900mm wide electric hobs. 

The Sensor Head (SH) is mounted above the hob surface and the Power Switching Unit (PSU) under the worktop. These can be hard-wired or where this is impractical the sensor head can use 4AA batteries for power, providing an estimated life expectancy of 2 years. A secure, highly-reliable digital radio signal provides communication between the two devices.

Performance, practicality and style!
Robust manufacture makes HobSensus tamper-proof, if sensors are covered for example, the hob will become inoperative. The hard-wearing fascia plate is easy to keep clean and ensures the units effectiveness in the most challenging environments. While the design aesthetic will fit in with any kitchen style.

Integration

HobSensus is designed as a stand-alone device to monitor cooking spaces; prevent pan fires; and ensure hobs are not left on inadvertently. However, when integrated with Irus – Prefect’s central control system – a range of additional features can be unlocked.

Using a secure, highly-reliable digital radio link, HobSensus communicates with the local room nodes which in turn feed data to the Irus portal.

Data transmitted via Irus includes;*

• Battery power level indication

• The amount of power (kWh) the hob is using

• Presence recognition

• Alarm trigger events

• Leak detection alerts

Future development of the Irus system could see individual rooms in cluster flats being alerted if there is fire risk in their kitchen – or to helpfully let students know that their kitchen is free for use!

* This information is subject to change and specification is for guidance only. As Prefect products are software based they evolve and can be updated throughout the development process.