What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?
If you reside in a smoke control area then you must buy a
DEFRA certified stoves exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.
They are independently tested to ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that have this status will often display the 'Defra-approved' logo on their name or the specifications.
Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas
Many people believe that living in a smoke-free area means they can't use a wood burning fireplace. It's not the case. In reality, most cities and towns are located in a smoke controlled zone but this doesn't mean you cannot have an oven, it simply means you need to make use of an exempt appliance and only burn authorised fuels (usually briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been rigorously tested to ensure that it is in compliance with certain requirements regarding the emissions it produces when burning authorised fuels. This means it can be used legally in a smoke control area.
The Defra logo is widely adopted in the industry, and a lot of the stoves that have been 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 criteria with regards to its emissions, so you can be sure that if you choose a defra exempt stove you will get the most clean and most efficient wood stove available.
If you're looking for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt, or has SE after its title You will see that the manufacturer may have taken steps to ensure that there are sufficient air intakes on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of fuel and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to avoid soot accumulation. This is crucial as it will ensure that the smoke from the stove does not escape through the chimney and into your home.
Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it generally allows you to install it with 5" chimney liner, which is in compliance with UK building regulations, whilst non-
DEFRA stoves price range approved stoves will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.
At Stovax we are proud to offer a variety of Defra approved stoves and fires, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been developed with the future standards of air quality in mind. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also able to be used with a smoke control kit for properties located in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a range 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 type of stove you can install in a smoke control area if you plan to use it to burn solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't generate excessive amounts of smoke and can be used with 'authorised fuels (coal only).
The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that isn't approved is usually quite small. With a kit from the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be converted to DEFRA compliant in just a few minutes. This is because a Defra approved stove has to undergo very rigorous tests and must be restricted in the amount of smoke it is able to produce.
To ensure that the restrictions are kept, the stove must be able to limit the amount of combustion air to ensure that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen which can cause it smoulder. This is accomplished by a mechanism in the stove that opens the air into the firebox during the process of combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the firebox.
Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the country's best manufacturers including Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in an enormous range of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet the future requirements for air quality.
Smoke Control Areas are typically situated around cities and towns with large populations and you can check the official website of your local authority to see if your area is classified as one. It is crucial to buy an approved DEFRA-approved stove if reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will allow you to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised fuel in an unapproved stove, like coal or any other solid fuels and you are fined up to PS300.
Approved for wood
A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke exempt wood stove, is an appliance that can be used to burn wood in the Smoke Control Area. The stove will bear the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' the title meaning it is only permitted to be used in smoke-controlled areas where you can burn approved fuels. In this instance, wood.
Many older wood stoves emit large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere, which can cause or contribute to respiratory issues asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. Therefore, it is essential to choose a wood stove that meets strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which means that the stove meets the emissions 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 get it recertified before you can use it. It's time-consuming and expensive, but the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a house with wood stoves that are not certified may be subject to tax credits or fines that relate to clean air.
Modern stoves can be altered to be Defra approved using a kit or an adjustment provided by the installer. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system, which controls the amount of air that flows through the stove in normal operation. Modifications are typically done to the base or side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.
Some manufacturers produce two versions of their wood stove, one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is due to the process of placing a stove through stringent Defra tests is very expensive in order to recover some of the costs, they'll sell the non-approved version at a cheaper price. The DEFRA-approved version will have undergone the combustion air modification as part of the testing procedure.
Approved for Gas
Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted, resulting in high levels of smoke emissions. This caused health problems. To prevent this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke from their multifuel stoves or wood burners unless the appliance was Defra certified to burn only fuels that were authorised, such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.
Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been subjected to rigorous testing in order to demonstrate that they can burn authorised fuels cleanly in a Smoke Control Zone. The most modern combustion technology allows an unabated minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove comply with Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is using authorised fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.
If you're looking for an all-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 can be found at The Stove Yard. We have a broad selection 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 thing is that there's not much of a distinction in appearance between a
Defra Approved efficient stoves approved wood-burning stove and one that isn't, but the
DEFRA list stoves approved models do have several features that are designed to ensure that they burn more efficiently. They usually have an aesthetically different grate and air vents and on gas models, they may have a different size flue outlet.
Another benefit of a
DEFRA approved sustainable stoves Approved stove is that they will almost always come with five" (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 beneficial when putting wood-burning stoves that are
affordable DEFRA stoves-approved in an older or non-standard chimney stack. It saves money on the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.
