Question 1

What is Pippa?

Accepted Answer

Pippa is a brand new, patented, invention that can prevent fires before they start! Pippa does this by detecting potential risks of fire on your stove and warning you before they cause a danger.

Pippa is similar to a fire alarm, but rather than tell you there is a fire (as a traditional alarm does), it warns you that one could be about to start.

NOTE that Pippa is not a substitute for a regular fire alarm. You should ALWAYS have a fire alarm fitted that meets local building and fire safety regulations.

It is a small device (8cmx8cm – the size of a light switch) that sticks to the wall above your stove. It uses a thermal imaging sensor and AI to analyse your cooking. It then constantly watches out for cooking hazards

• is your pan about to burn?
 • is your oil getting hot enough to catch fire?
 • have you left a pan simmering and it has boiled dry?
 • did you turn the stove off when you finished cooking?
 • have you left something on the stove that’s started to ignite?

If there is a hazard, Pippa warns you. Not only does this help prevent fires, it also helps to stop you burning your food, ruining your pans and filling your home with cancer causing smoke and particulates.

First Pippa gives a spoken warning telling you what the danger is. If you don’t respond, or you are out of hearing range, Pippa sounds an alarm, and will phone and text you, and a friend or carer, to alert them of the dangerous situation.

Question 2

Is Pippa a Smoke Alarm?

Accepted Answer

Pippa does not detect smoke. Pippa recognises that a fire is likely to start on your stove, and gives you several minutes warning to attend to the stove before a fire starts. If the worst happens and something does ignite on your stove, Pippa detects the presence of flames in around 30 seconds, 5 minutes faster than a conventional smoke alarm.

Question 3

I already have a smoke alarm in my kitchen. Why should I install a Pippa?

Accepted Answer

Smoke alarms and kitchen heat alarms are designed to trigger after a fire starts. This means by the time you find out there is a fire, there is already a life threatening situation for you and your family, and your home is already likely to be damaged substantially resulting in extensive and disruptive repairs.

Pippa warns that a fire is going to start before it ignites. This means you can simply turn the stove off, avoiding the risk to yourself, your home and your family from occurring in the first place.

Any kitchen has a potential fire risk. Around 50% of all household fires start on the stove or cooker. People get distracted by their kids, the doorbell, the TV or phone, and before they realise, their stove has caught fire.
Pippa speaks to you if there is a hazard, and will bring your attention back to the stove before a fire breaks out.

Question 4

My stove is an electric or an induction. Doesn't that mean it is less dangerous than gas?

Accepted Answer

Perhaps surprisingly, electric stoves or cookers are more likely to cause house fires than gas ones. This is because they  are less obvious if they are left on, can be harder to turn off quickly in an emergency and stay hot longer after you switch them off.

Induction stoves switch off automatically if there is no pan on the stove top. However if you fail to remove the pan, the pan will continue to be heated, posing a fire risk to anything combustible nearby, and a burn risk to the next person to enter the kitchen.

Induction and other electric hobs can still set your house on fire.

Installing a Pippa will help reduce these risks on electric and induction stoves just as effectively as on gas ones.

Question 5

How do I get one?

Accepted Answer

Order one now on our website. Pippa ships worldwide in 2-3 days.

Question 6

How do I install it?

Accepted Answer

Full instructions come with the Pippa and there is a video demonstrating how to fit one on our YouTube channel here How to install Pippa(https://youtu.be/CeVKiRRwB5I)

Find the central spot on the wall under your cooker hood. Make sure the wall is clean and dry. Then pull off the adhesive patch on the back of the Pippa and press it firmly to the wall.

An alcohol wipe comes with the Pippa to help remove any grease which would prevent Pippa from sticking properly.

PLEASE NOTE: be careful when positioning Pippa – once the adhesive tape sticks you won’t be able to move it.

Question 7

What if I have a wider style 5,6,7 or 8 ring stove?

Accepted Answer

Pippa can monitor stoves tops up to 3 rings wide (5 or 6 burners).

Note that Pippa needs to be mounted at least 70cm above a 3 ring wide stove. Pippa cannot monitor 4 ring wide (7 or 8 ring stoves). We would recommend either you fit your Pippa above the 5 or 6 rings you use most frequently, or use two Pippas, one to monitor each group of 4 rings.

Question 8

Can Pippa detect fires?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If there is a fire on your cooker – say you left a tea towel on the stove and it caught fire – Pippa recognises it and warns you. Pippa can detect fires several minutes before a regular smoke alarm or heat alarm, giving you and your family valuable time to escape a potentially life threatening situation.

Note that Pippa cannot detect fires outside of the field of view, which may include items on the edge of wider stoves.

Question 9

How do I sync it with the app?

Accepted Answer

Please see the instructions with your Pippa. You may also check out our tutorials: https://mypippa.me/tutorials/(https://mypippa.me/tutorials/)
The app is free to download from the app stores.

Question 10

How long do the batteries last?

Accepted Answer

Pippa arrives with batteries already fitted. Pull the small plastic tab and this will activate Pippa.

Pippa comes supplied with 2 AA alkaline batteries, which will last up to 12 months (depending on amount of cooking).
If your Pippa came with spare batteries also enclosed in the packet, you should keep the spare batteries safe, and not use them for other devices.

If the batteries need replacing, Pippa will tell you by saying “batteries low” when you start cooking. Pippa will remind you every few days until you replace the batteries. If the batteries become completely flat, Pippa will cease to warn you. Note that Pippa will not be able to monitor your stove until the batteries are replaced.

Question 11

How do I change the batteries?

Accepted Answer

If the batteries need replacing, Pippa will tell you by saying “batteries low” when you start cooking. Pippa will remind you every few days until you replace the batteries.

To replace the batteries, slide Pippa firmly to the right until you feel a click. Pippa can then be removed from the wall and the battery compartment will be exposed.

Remove the old batteries by tapping Pippa firmly on your hand, or use a kitchen implement to gently pry them out.
Replace them with good quality, new Alkaline AA batteries.

Insert the top battery first by depressing the spring with the negative end of the battery and then slide up in to place. Repeat with the second battery. Pippa will speak a greeting if the new batteries are okay.

Question 12

How does Pippa warn me about fire?

Accepted Answer

Pippa has an escalating series of warnings.

If your pan is starting to burn, Pippa gives you a spoken warning so you can turn it down before your food burns and your kitchen fills with smoke.

Pippa will repeat the warning several times. If you don’t hear the warning, Pippa will sound a loud warning alarm.

If there is a more serious hazard on your stove – the oil is likely to catch fire, your pan has boiled dry and the food may catch fire, or you’ve gone away and left the stove on, Pippa will escalate the alarm

1) spoken warning  telling you what the hazard is.
If you don’t respond or are out of hearing, then after 30 seconds
2) alarm sound – loud alarm beep!
3) text message and/or automated phone call to your phone – to draw your attention back to the stove.
4) text message and phone call to a secondary number of your choice – so a relative, carer, or friend, or a warden or landlord can take action.

If you attend to the situation – either by turning the stove off and moving the pan, or by holding your hand or a cooking implement such as a spatula under the Pippa – the alarm will be cleared.

A second text message and phone call is then automatically sent to say that the situation is now attended to – so a concerned relative knows you are safe before they rush round to check on you.

Question 13

Does Pippa connect to my home Wi-Fi?

Accepted Answer

No. Pippa does not use your home Wi-Fi. This ensures it continues to work even if your Wi-Fi is unreliable. It also means there is no security risk.

Your Pippa cannot be hacked, and cannot be used to intercept any of your private data.

Question 14

What network does Pippa require?

Accepted Answer

Pippa doesn’t need to be connected to a network to protect you from cooking fires –  the audio warning and the alarm continues to work without any network connection. To receive an alert via text/phone call if you are out of hearing range, Pippa requires a 2G (the most basic and readily available) mobile phone signal. For most of the UK and Europe, if you can send a text message from your phone in your kitchen, their should be a 2G signal. For the US, coverage varies by region –  please check that you have 2G if you wish to receive the automated SMS and phone calls. Pippa will use any available network – it does not matter which cell phone network operator. A 4G compatible Pippa will be available soon – please follow us on social media and sign up (https://mypippa.me/sign-up/)if you’d like to find out when this is released.

Pippa does not connect via your home Wi-Fi.

Question 15

Does Pippa work with a Aga / Rayburn etc?

Accepted Answer

Pippa can work on Aga/Rayburn type ranges but not if they are left on continuously to heat the house.

If you have purchased a Pippa to use on an Aga or a Rayburn and your Pippa tells you your stove is left on, get in touch with us by emailing info@mypippa.me. We can adjust the alerts remotely.

Question 16

How do I renew my Pippa alert subscription?

Accepted Answer

Pippa comes with a subscription that includes the cost of the automated phone calls and text messages. When this expires you have the option to renew the subscription or continue with the audio alerts only.

To subscribe using the app

1. Open the Pippa app and ensure you are logged into the account to which your Pippa is registered
2. From the menu, go to the Account section
3. Press the name of the Pippa you wish to purchase a subscription for
4. Near the top of the page, you will see the subscription status of your Pippa. If it is not already subscribed, there will be a “subscribe” button. Press this to purchase a subscription.
 
To subscribe using the web

1. Go to https://account.mypippa.me and login to your Pippa account.
2. In the “My Pippa Devices” section, click on the name of the Pippa you wish to purchase a subscription for
3. Near the top of the page, you will see the subscription status of your Pippa. If it is not already subscribed, there will be a “subscribe” button. Press this to purchase a subscription.

Question 17

What data does Pippa collect?

Accepted Answer

As well as the information you give us when you register your Pippa, Pippa will record information on the alarms you have had. You can view these on the app or on your account. Pippa may also record your cooking times, style and frequency. If you received your Pippa from your insurance company, we may share this data with them.

You can delete all of your personal data at anytime from the Pippa App. Go to Settings > Data Management and select Delete My Account.

Question 18

Does Pippa spy on me?

Accepted Answer

No. The thermal sensor on your Pippa can only detect hot objects (>50 Celsius ) that are on the stove top. It cannot see into the rest of the kitchen. It cannot see you unless you put your hand in front of a hot object (e.g. to stir a pan or cancel an alarm).   
Pippa collects the data on your alarms (see previous FAQ).

FAQ's