What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a smoke control area it is essential to purchase a DEFRA approved energy-Efficient stoves exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled space.

The stoves are tested independently to ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that are certified as such often feature the word 'Defra approved' in their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't use a wood-burning stove however this isn't true. In reality, most cities and towns are in a smoke controlled zone but that doesn't mean you cannot use a stove, it just means that you must use an exempt appliance and DEFRA approved Energy-efficient stoves only burn fuels that are approved (usually brquettes) in your stove. The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it meets certain standards in regards to the emissions it emits when burning authorised materials. It can therefore be used legally in smoke-control zones.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of stoves feature the SE after their names to signify that they are smoke-free. To be SE approved, a stove must meet strict emission standards. This means that you can rest assured that you are purchasing the top wood stove that is available.

If you are looking for a wood-burning stove that is DEFRA approved traditional stoves-exempt, or has SE after its title You will see that the manufacturer may have taken steps to make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to allow for full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is important because it ensures that the smoke from the stove does not escape through the chimney and enter your home.

Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it typically allows you to fit it with 5" chimney liner, which will comply with UK building regulations, whilst non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

At Stovax we are pleased to offer a variety of Defra approved stoves and fires. We also have our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been designed with future air quality standards in mind. Many of our Defra-approved stoves can also be used in combination with a smoke control system for properties that are located in Smoke Control Zones. They can be used to burn a variety non-smokeless fuels, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also referred to 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 for solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). The government tests them to ensure they don't emit excessive smoke and are only suitable for use with fuels that are 'authorized.

The difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not can be very minimal. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be easily transformed into DEFRA compliant in just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that a Defra approved stove has to undergo very rigorous tests and has to be limited in the amount of smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that these limitations are not violated during testing, the stove needs to be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not deplete itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoulder. This is accomplished through an opening mechanism that lets the air in the firebox when it is burning. It is usually hidden within the stove or beneath the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top manufacturers in the country including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in an enormous variety of styles and designs. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the upcoming demands for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are mostly in large cities and towns. You can check the website of your local authority to determine whether you are in one of these. If you reside in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important that you purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your property, to avoid being fined by your local authority. If you use coal or any other solid fuels in a stove that is not approved stove, you could be fined PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove also called a smoke-free stove, is an appliance that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will be marked with the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' in the title that means it is only permitted to be used in areas controlled by smoke when you burn approved fuels. In this instance wood.

The older wood stoves can release lots of particles into the air which can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart problems and premature death. It is therefore essential to choose a wood stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you reside in a zone of smoke control you must have it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it is required by law. Additionally, homeowners who sell a home with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits as well as fines.

Modern stoves can be upgraded to be Defra approved with an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer provides. The main difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are typically applied to the base or the side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

There are some manufacturers who produce two types of wood stove: one that is Defra-approved, DEFRA approved energy-efficient stoves and the other not. This is because the process of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra tests is very expensive, so to help recoup some of the costs, they'll sell the non-approved model at a lower cost. The DEFRA-approved version has undergone the combustion air modification as part of the test process.

Approved Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in homes for residential use, homeowners could burn any type of fuel they wanted, which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions as well as health problems. To prevent this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke except if their wood burners and multifuel stoves were Defra-approved for burning only authorised materials like manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous testing in order to prove that they can burn authorised fuels cleanly within a Smoke Control Area. The latest combustion technology delivers an indefinite amount of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove meet Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with approved fuels like anthracite as well as manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're looking to purchase a brand new wood-burning stove and you live in Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you take a look at the selection of Defra approved stoves that are available at The Stove Yard. We have a wide range of Defra-approved stoves. These include traditional, contemporary and inset models that are made by top manufacturers such as Stovax. Arada, Burley, and AGA.

The good news is there is no visual difference between a stove that is Defra-approved and a stove that is not approved. However the stoves that are approved by Defra come with a few extra features designed to ensure they burn cleaner. Generally they will have a different grate design and air vents, and on gas stoves, they may also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

Another benefit of a Defra Approved stove is that they'll typically have a 5" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can choose a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner which is cheaper than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've found this useful when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney stack which we are installing a Defra approved wood burning stove into and also saves the expense of relining the chimney with a larger diameter liner.