What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a smoke-free zone then you must purchase a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove permits you to burn wood legally in a smoke-controlled space.

They are independently tested to provide the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that have this status will often display the 'Defra-approved logo on their specifications or name.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people think that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a stove that burns wood however this isn't true. Many towns and cities are in a smoke control zone, however that doesn't mean they can't use a wood burning stove. It's simply that they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually briquettes). The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it meets certain criteria in regards to the emissions it emits when burning authorised fuels. This means it can be legally used in smoke-control zones.

The Defra logo is widely adopted by the industry and a large number of the stoves that are approved bear SE after their names which means they are smoke exempt. In order for a stove to be SE approved, it must satisfy strict requirements in relation to emissions and emissions, so you can be assured that if you select an exempt defra stove, you will get the most clean and best burning wood stove available.

If you are looking for a stove that burns wood that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you'll often discover that the manufacturer has taken care of things such as made sure there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet is large enough to prevent the build-up of soot. This is important because it will ensure that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape through the chimney into your home.

Another benefit of the Defra approved stove is that it typically permits you to use it with 5" chimney liner, which is in compliance with the UK building regulations, whereas non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a variety of Defra-approved Fireplaces And Stove and stoves and Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also capable of being used with smoke control kits for properties located in a Smoke Control Area and therefore can be used with a variety of approved smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also known as a DEFRA exempt stove, is the only type of stove you can install in a smoke-control area when you plan to use it to burn solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't create excessive levels of smoke and can be used with 'authorised fuels (coal only).

The difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not is usually very little. Many modern stoves can easily be transformed into DEFRA conforming with the kit supplied by the manufacturer and fitted within a matter of minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely rigorous tests and are limited in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are maintained, the stove must be able to limit the amount of combustion air so that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen and cause it to smolder. This is accomplished by a mechanism inside the stove that allows the air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove and beneath the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best brands in the country such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. Choose from a wide range of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet the future needs for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located around large cities and towns and you can look up your local authority's website to see if your area is classified as one. If you live in a smoke controlled area it is very important that you purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by the local authority. If you burn coal or other solid fuels in a non approved stove, you may be fined up PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke exempt wood stove is an appliance which can be used to burn wood in the Smoke Control Area. The stove will be marked with the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' in front of its name, which means it can only be used in smoke-controlled areas when you burn approved fuels. In this case wood is the fuel.

Many older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. These can lead to or worsen respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart problems. It is therefore essential to buy a wood stove that is compliant with the strict emission standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, Fireplaces And Stove which means that the stove has met the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a cooktop that isn't EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area you'll have to recertify it before you can use the stove. This can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is legally required. Additionally homeowners who sell a house that has a wood stove that is not certified could be liable for clean air tax credits and fines.

With a kit or an adjustment supplied by the installer, a majority of modern stoves can become Defra-approved. The main difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't is the combustion air control system, which controls the quantity of air that goes through the stove in normal operation. The change is usually located on the bottom of the firebox, or in the base.

There are some manufacturers who produce two versions of a wood stove. One is Defra-approved while the other not. This is due to the process of putting a stove through the stringent Defra tests is very expensive and to offset some of the costs, they will sell the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have had the combustion air modification included in the testing procedure.

Approved Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted to, leading to large amounts of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To prevent this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that homes could not produce any smoke unless their wood burners and multifuel stoves were approved by Defra for burning only approved materials such as manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous tests to prove that they can cleanly burn approved fuels in a Smoke Control Zone. They achieve this by utilising the latest combustion technology which continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the combustion chamber, so that even when the stove is being used with fuels that are authorised, such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to comply with the regulations of Defra for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're looking for a new wood burning stove and are in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you take a look at the wide selection of Defra approved stoves which are available at The Stove Yard. We have an extensive collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good part is that there's really a distinction in appearance between the appearance of a Defra approved woodburning stove and one which isn't, but the Defra approved models do come with a number of features which are designed to ensure they burn more efficiently. They generally have a different grate and air vents and on the gas versions they may also feature an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

Another benefit of the Defra Approved stove is that they will almost always have a 5" (125mm) flue outlet which means that you can use a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner which is less expensive than a standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've seen this helpful when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney stack which we are installing a Defra approved wood burning stove into and it reduces the cost of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.