What is EN 50615 – the stove guard standard – in practice?

EN 50615 is a standard often referred to in product descriptions of stove guards. What does compliance with the standard actually mean for stove guards?

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The purpose of a stove guard is to prevent stove fires by cutting off the power to the stove before a fire starts. The aim of the EN 50615 standard is to ensure that the stove guard works as intended: it must cut off the power to the stove before a fire starts, but at the same time, it should not interfere with cooking.

EN 50615 focuses on ensuring the performance of the devices. The standard includes three different tests, which the device must pass to prevent a stove fire. The test scenarios are designed to replicate typical situations that lead to stove fires.

EN 50615 does not set requirements for the technical solutions or implementation of the device but specifies what the device must be able to do in test situations and how certain functions of the device must be performed.

Test setup and equipment

Stove guards are tested in a small room designed to resemble a typical kitchen. The setup includes a stove with base cabinets on both sides and an extractor hood with wall cabinets on both sides.

Because the airflow caused by the extractor hood can affect the stove guard’s operation, the tests are performed twice: once with the extractor hood off and once with it running at full power.

The stove used in the tests is a 6-burner electric stove. If the manufacturer limits the use of the stove guard to smaller stoves, the tests are conducted with a 4-burner stove. The cooking vessels used are specified in the standard, and their diameter and height are determined by the size of the cooking zones.

Choosing the installation location

The user manual for stove guards must specify the permitted installation locations for the particular stove guard. There can be multiple permitted installation locations, or the locations can be defined as certain areas around the stove.

Since it would be practically difficult to test the device in every permitted installation location, the EN 50615 standard requires tests to be performed in the most challenging permitted installation location for that stove guard. Therefore, one of the most important steps in the EN 50615 testing process is selecting the installation location, and the tester must assess this when planning the tests. The most challenging installation location depends on the device, but generally, the less obstructed and more direct the view the device has of the stove, the easier the location is.

In practice, selecting the installation location means that if the device is tested in an easy location, such as directly above the stove on the bottom of the extractor hood, it cannot be said to comply with EN 50615 in a location where its sensors view the stove at an angle, such as a low wall mount.

EN 50615-compliant tests for category B stove guards

Stove guards are most often category B devices according to the standard, which prevent stove fires by cutting off the power to the stove. You can read more about the different categories of the standard in the section “Device Categories”.

A category B stove guard must pass three tests described below.

Test 1: Avoiding false alarms

In the first test, a pot is placed on each burner of the stove. One of them contains a small amount of oil, and the others are filled with water.

First, all the pots with water are brought to a boil and kept simmering. After 20 minutes of simmering, the pot containing oil is heated at full power with the aim of causing the oil to ignite.

To pass the test, the stove guard must alarm when the oil temperature is between 200 °C and 330 °C. The upper limit of 330 °C is lower than the ignition temperature of most oils. The lower limit of 200 °C is set to ensure that the device does not alarm too early, which helps prevent false alarms.

Test 2: Testing each burner individually

In the second test, a pot containing oil is placed on the burner being tested. Tall empty pots with a height of 15±2 cm are placed on all other burners to create blind spots for the stove guard’s sensors if the stove guard is installed, for example, on a low wall. This test is repeated for each burner.

The pot with oil is heated at full power with the aim of causing the oil to ignite.

To pass the test, the stove guard must alarm and cut off the power before the oil temperature reaches 330 °C. After cutting off the power, there is a 10-minute waiting period during which the oil must not ignite.

Test 3: Testing with a cast iron pan

In the third test, a cast iron pan is placed on the burner that performed the worst in test 2. Tall empty pots are placed on all other burners to create blind spots for the sensors, as in test 2.

A small amount of oil is placed in the pan, and it is heated at full power.

To pass the test, the stove guard must alarm and cut off the power before the oil temperature reaches 330 °C. After cutting off the power, there is a 10-minute waiting period during which the oil must not ignite.

The 10-minute waiting period after cutting off the power in tests 2 and 3 ensures that the power was cut off in time, as sometimes the oil can ignite due to the residual heat even after the power has been cut off.

To meet the requirements of the EN 50615 standard for category B, the stove guard must pass all the tests mentioned above.

Other requirements set by standard EN 50615

EN 50615 also sets other requirements for the devices, which are summarized here.

Sensitivity adjustment for the alarm

The sensitivity of the stove guard alarm may need to be adjusted based on the installation height of the device.

If the sensitivity adjustment is set incorrectly or changed after installation, the device may not function as it should. Therefore, the standard sets requirements for how the sensitivity adjustment must be performed:

  1. Changing the sensitivity setting of the device must be sufficiently difficult to prevent accidental changes without the user’s knowledge.
  2. Changing the sensitivity setting must be clearly distinct from the normal operation of the device. For example, acknowledging an alarm must not change the alarm threshold.
  3. The permanent sensitivity setting of the device must not change automatically.

These requirements ensure that the sensitivity setting does not change accidentally or without the user’s understanding, and the stove guard remains effective in preventing stove fires.

Mounting method

The device must be reliably mounted in the installation location. If the device is removed for maintenance, such as battery replacement, it must be possible to reinstall it reliably only in the original location and position.

If the device is removed from its installation location for more than 5 minutes, the power to the stove must be cut off.

Alarm sound level

The alarm sound level must be at least 65 dB measured 1 meter away.

User manual

If there are restrictions on the use or installation of the device, such as meeting the standard’s requirements only for stoves up to 60 cm wide or not meeting the requirements for induction stoves, these restrictions must be clearly stated in the user and installation manuals.

Temporary bypass of normal operation mode

The device may have a temporary mode that can be activated separately, during which it does not give alarms. This allows cooking in situations where a specific cooking process repeatedly causes false alarms.

This bypass mode can last for a maximum of 5 minutes, and it must be clearly indicated by a light and/or sound signal.

Testing the functionality

The device must have the ability to test its operational functionality. This can be automatic or implemented with a test button, for example.

Low battery warning

A low battery warning must be provided, similar to smoke detectors.

The stove guard must also meet other standards

The EN 50615 standard cannot be applied as a standalone standard but is always used in conjunction with the EN 60335 series of safety standards for household appliances. EN 60335 includes structural requirements for the device, such as electrical safety and heat resistance of the casing materials.

Additionally, depending on the technical implementation of the stove guard, the device must also meet other requirements. Typical examples include standards related to various wireless connections.

Device Categories

The standard divides devices into three categories, A, B, or AB.

  • A = extinguishing and simultaneous power cut-off
  • B = preventive power cut-off
  • AB = preventive power cut-off and extinguishing if a flame occurs

A category A device does not aim to prevent fires but reacts only after a flame has started. It does not require advanced algorithms and can be implemented using traditional sprinkler technology, for example.

Category B is the most common and requires the most advanced technology. The effectiveness of the device in preventing fires is based on its ability to anticipate the situation and cut off power to the stove in time.

In a category AB device, the category B device is supplemented with extinguishing, which extinguishes fires that the power cut-off could not prevent.

Almost all devices on the market are category B products, which are the focus of this article.

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