What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a region where smoke is controlled, it's important to buy a defra compliant Stoves exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

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

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke-free zone means that they aren't able to use a fireplace with wood. This isn't the case. In reality, a majority of cities and towns are in an area that is smoke-free, however this doesn't mean that you cannot use a stove, it just means that you must make use of an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in terms of the emissions it generates when burning approved materials. It is therefore able to be legally used in areas of smoke control.

The Defra logo is widely adopted in the industry and many of the stoves approved have SE after their name which means they are smoke-free. To be able to be SE approved, it must satisfy strict criteria in regards to emissions So you can be assured that when you purchase a defra exempt stove you will receive the cleanest and best burning wood stove on the market.

If you search for a wood burning stove that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you'll often find that the manufacturer has taken care of things like making sure there are enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow for full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet size is sufficient 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 and into your home.

A stove that is DEFRA lawful stoves-approved allows you to use a 5" liner that is in compliance with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a selection of DEFRA regulations stoves-approved fireplaces and stoves as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future air quality standards at heart. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also capable of being used with smoke control kits for those properties that are in a Smoke Control Area and can therefore be used with a variety of authorised 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 kind of stove that you can put in a smoke-control area in the event that you intend to make use of it for solid fuel (wood and preferably well-seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't create excessive levels of smoke and can be used with approved' fuels (coal only).

The difference between the difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not can be very minimal. A lot of modern stoves can be transformed into DEFRA stoves cost certified by an approved kit supplied by the manufacturer and then fitted within a matter of minutes. This is due to the fact that a DEFRA approved contemporary stoves approved stove must undergo rigorous testing and must be restricted on how much smoke it can generate.

To ensure that these restrictions remain in place during the testing process, the stove must be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it does not exhaust itself of oxygen, which can cause it to smolder. This is accomplished by an opening mechanism that lets the air in the firebox when it's burning. It is usually hidden within the stove or beneath the base of its firebox.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best manufacturers in the country, including Stovax Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes. You can also pick from an impressive range of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been designed to meet future air quality requirements.

Smoke Control Areas are typically located in cities and towns with large populations and you can look up your local authority's website to determine if the area you live in is classified as one. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA-approved stove if reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will allow you to avoid a fine from the local authority. If you burn coal or any other solid fuels using a non approved stove, you could be fined PS300.

Approved for Wood

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

Many older wood stoves emit large quantities of particulate matter, which can cause or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory problems and heart issues. 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 the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which indicates that the wood stove meets the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that isn't EPA certified and you live in a zone of smoke control, you will need to have it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it is legally required. Additionally, homeowners who sell a home 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, most modern stoves can be made Defra-approved. The main 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 operating normally. Modifications are usually made to the base or the underside of a stove's firebox.

Certain manufacturers make two versions of a wood stove. One is Defra-approved while the other is not. The reason behind this is that the cost of putting a wood stove through the rigorous Defra testing is high. To offset these costs, they will sell the non-approved version at a cheaper price. The DEFRA-approved version will have been through the modification to the combustion air as part of the test process.

Approved for Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted to, resulting in high levels of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To stop this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas which meant that homes in residential areas couldn't emit any smoke from their multifuel stoves or wood burners unless the appliance was Defra approved for burning only authorised fuels such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous testing to demonstrate that they are able to burn cleanly authorized fuels within a Smoke Control Area. The latest technology for combustion delivers a constant minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with authorised fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're looking for a new wood burning stove and are in Smoke Control Area then we suggest that you take a look at the wide selection of Defra approved stoves which can be found at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there is no distinction in appearance between a stove that is Defra-approved and a stove that is not approved. However the models that are Defra-approved have a few features that are designed to make them burn more efficiently. They typically have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents, and on gas versions they may have a different size flue outlet.

Another benefit of a DEFRA legislation stoves Approved stove is that they will almost always have a 5" (125mm) flue outlet. This means that you can use a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner which is less expensive than a standard 6" (150mm) liner. This is useful when installing an approved wood burning stove from Defra into an old or nonstandard chimney stack. It can save money on the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.