What is a DEFRA compliant stoves (click here to find out more) Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a zone of smoke control it is essential to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this status typically have the 'Defra approved' logo in their name or on their specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke-free zone means they cannot use a wood burning fireplace. This is not true. In reality, most cities and large towns are within a smoke controlled zone but that doesn't mean 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 Defra approved stove is a kind of wood burning stove that has been inspected to ensure it meets certain requirements in relation to the emissions that it produces when burning fuels that are approved and therefore it can be legally used in the Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely adopted in the industry, and a lot of the stoves approved have SE after their names which means they are smoke-free. To be SE approved, a stove must meet strict emission criteria. This means you can be sure that you are buying the best wood stove that is available.

If you are searching for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt or has SE after its name You will see that the manufacturer might have taken measures to make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of stove to allow for full combustion of the fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to avoid soot accumulation. This is crucial as it ensures that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape through the chimney into your home.

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

Stovax is proud to offer a variety of Defra-approved stoves and fireplaces, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future air quality standards at heart. Many of our Defra-approved stoves can also be used conjunction with a smoke-control system for properties that are located in Smoke Control Zones. They can be used to burn a variety of non-smokeless fuels, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be put in inside a smoke-control zone is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also known as DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used for solid fuel, which is wood, preferably well-seasoned. The government tests these stoves to ensure that they don't release excessive smoke and are only suitable for use with approved fuels.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that is not approved is usually minimal. With a kit from the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be transformed into DEFRA conforming in just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass very strict tests and are restricted in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are kept, 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 achieved by a mechanism that opens an air pocket in the firebox when it's burning. It is usually hidden in the stove or under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves, made by some of the top manufacturers in the country such as Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. You can also select from an impressive range of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been specifically designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily located around cities and towns with large populations and you can visit the website of your local authority to determine if your area is classified as one. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA stove if you reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will help you avoid being fined by the local authority. If you use coal or other solid fuels using a non approved stove, you could be fined PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved energy-efficient stoves 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 stamped with the Defra approved logo or bear an 'SE' in its name which means that it can be used in smoke controlled areas that burn approved fuels only that is, in this instance, wood.

The older wood stoves produce huge amounts of particulate matter. These can lead to or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. Therefore, it is essential to purchase a stove that meets strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits that are now in place.

If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you live in a smoke control area you must have it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it is required by law. Homeowners who sell a house with wood stove that is not certified could be liable for tax credits or fines that relate to clean air.

Modern stoves can be altered to be Defra approved using an adjustment kit or kit that the installer provides. This is due to the primary difference between the DEFRA approved stove and those that aren't is the combustion air management system that controls how much air passes through the stove during normal operation. Modifications are usually made to the base or underside of a stove's firebox.

Some manufacturers produce two versions of their wood stoves, 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, so to help recoup some of the cost, they'll sell the non-approved version at a lower price. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air done as part of the testing process.

Gas Approved

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any type of fuel they wanted which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions and health issues. To combat 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 certified to burn only authorised fuels 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 safely burn approved fuels in a Smoke Control Zone. They accomplish this by using the most advanced combustion technology that continually delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the combustion chamber, so that even when the stove is operating with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it can still meet Defra's regulations for DEFRA compliant Stoves Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a vast selection of stoves that are Defra approved which are perfect for those who live in a smoke control area and require a new wood-burning fireplace. We have an extensive range 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 one that isn't. However the models that are Defra-approved come with a few extra features designed to ensure they burn more efficiently. In general, they have a different grate design as well as air vents. On gas stoves, they may also have a different sized flue outlet.

Another benefit of the Defra Approved stove is that they will almost always come with five" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is less expensive than a standard 6" (150mm) liner. This is beneficial when putting a Defra-approved wood burning stove into an old or defra compliant stoves nonstandard chimney stack. It will save you money replacing a bigger diameter chimney liner.