What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in an area where smoking is controlled, it's crucial to purchase a DEFRA-exempt stove. A DEFRA stoves Disadvantages exempt (or SE) stove permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

They are independently tested to ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that are certified are usually branded with the 'Defra approved' logo on their specifications or name.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled area means they can't use a fireplace with wood. It's not the case. Most cities and large towns are in a smoke control zone but that doesn't mean they aren't able to use a wood burning stove. It's simply that they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually briquettes). The Defra approved stove is a kind of wood-burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in regards to the emissions it releases when burning authorised fuels and therefore it can be used legally in the Smoke Control Area.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and many stoves feature the SE after their names to indicate that they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must meet strict emission standards. This means that you can be confident you are buying the best wood stove that is available.

When you look for a wood-burning stove that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you'll often discover that the manufacturer has carried out things like making sure there are enough air inlets on the front of the stove to permit full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet size is adequate to stop the build-up of soot. This is important because it ensures that the smoke from the stove does not escape through the chimney into your home.

A stove that is Defra-approved allows you to install a 5" liner which is compliant with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require an 6" liner.

At Stovax we are delighted to offer a range of Defra approved stoves and fires, alongside our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been designed with future air quality standards in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also suitable for use with smoke control kits for properties in a Smoke Control Area and can therefore be used with a range of approved smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be used in a smoke-control area is one that is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also referred to as DEFRA exempt. This stove must be used with solid 5kw multi fuel stoves defra approved, which is wood, and preferably well-seasoned. The government tests them to ensure they don't emit excessive smoke and that they can only be used with approved fuels.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that is not approved is usually very small. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, DEFRA stoves disadvantages a lot of modern stoves can be made DEFRA certified in a matter of minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous tests and has to be limited on how much smoke it can produce.

To ensure that these restrictions are not violated during testing, the stove must be able to limit its combustion air supply to ensure that it doesn't exhaust itself of oxygen, which can cause it to smoulder. This is accomplished through a mechanism within the stove which opens the air into the firebox during combustion, which is usually hidden within the stove and beneath the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK has a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top manufacturers in the country such as Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in an enormous variety of styles and designs. You can also select from a vast range of Ecodesign ready stoves that are designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are mostly in towns and cities with large populations. You can go to the website of your local authority to find out whether you reside in one. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA stove if you live in a smoke-controlled area. This will help you avoid being fined by the local authority. If you burn coal or any other solid fuels in a non approved stove, you could be fined PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke-free wood stove is an appliance which can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or an 'SE' in its name which means that it is able to be used in smoke-controlled areas that burn approved fuels only, in this case wood.

Many older wood stoves emit lots of particulate matter into the atmosphere which can trigger or contribute to respiratory problems asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. This is why it's essential to buy an updated wood stove that is compliant with the strict emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove has met the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that isn't EPA certified and you live in a smoke-free zone you must have it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and DEFRA stoves disadvantages time-consuming, but it is required by law. In addition homeowners who sell their home with an uncertified wood stove could be liable for clean air tax credits and fines.

Most modern stoves can be altered to become Defra approved using an adjustment kit or kit provided by the installer. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't is the combustion air control system that controls the amount of air that flows through the stove when it's in normal operation. Modifications are usually done to the base or the side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stoves one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. The reason for this is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is expensive. To reduce the costs, they sell the non approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have had the combustion air modification performed as part of the testing process.

Approved Gas

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

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have gone through stringent testing to prove that they can cleanly burn approved fuels in a Smoke Control Zone. They accomplish this by using the most advanced combustion technology that constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the firebox so that even when the stove is used with approved fuels like anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to comply with the regulations of Defra for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're in the market for an all-new wood burning stove and live in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you look at the range of Defra approved stoves which can be found here at The Stove Yard. We have a broad selection of contemporary, traditional and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there isn't much of a difference in appearance between the appearance of a Defra approved wood-burning stove and one that isn't, but the Defra approved models have a number of features which are designed to ensure that they burn cleaner. They usually have a slightly different grate and air vents, and on gas versions they may have a smaller flue outlet.

Another benefit of a Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always have five" (125mm) flue outlet which means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is cheaper than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. This is a great option when you install wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved into an old or non-standard chimney stack. It will save you money replacing a bigger diameter chimney liner.